


Tidal Wave

by Haxong



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Force Unleashed - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Character Development, F/M, Family, Father Figures, Friendship, Great Galactic War, Journey across the Galaxy, Luke being adorable, Sibling Rivalry, Sith Training, The Dark Side of the Force, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-05-18 12:56:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 82
Words: 453,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5929246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haxong/pseuds/Haxong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For 19 years, the Lars family hid the young Luke Skywalker. He was discouraged from talking about his real parents, especially his father - but why? In 19 years, was there never any argument on why he had to keep quiet? Surely there were instances were Owen and Beru discussed how to handle young Luke's curiosity as he grew up.<br/>This is a story about what happens if Luke overheard one of these conversations. He learns about his father's true identity early on, to a time when he's still just a boy filled with hopes and dreams and hero-worship and he decides to search for his father. On his way he meets the young Sith-in-training Starkiller, Darth Vader's student. The two boys are as different as day and night but they have one thing in common: They wish for nothing more then for Darth Vader to recognize them.<br/>A little divergence can cause ripples thorough the whole history. In Skywalker's case, it's going to be a Tidal Wave.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

  


**17 BBY, Scarl System**

  


Darth Vader strode over the catwalk on the construction side, monitoring the progress of the Empire's most recent secret project. As nobody else was supposed to know about the design of the Super Star Destroyer, the entire construction was sorely managed by droids. Most of them were simple work machines, only a few were even capable of limited intelligence and even fewer had the means to send a transmission out of the system. The construction wasn't far enough ahead that the ship needed to be protected as long as nobody knew it existed and so there was next to no security anywhere as well. It was the perfect place for Vader to hide his little side project. 

  


The Sith Lord had stopped for a moment to watch the activity on the platform below. Then he motioned for the droid following him and together they continued on their way. 

  


“Master, may I ask where we are heading?”, the droid asked curiously when they began to pass less and less droids. 

  


“You will see soon enough, PROXY”, he said simply. 

  


At last Vader reached one of the few rooms already furnished on board the giant starship. One day it would be an interrogation room, as shown by the one-way-window he was now standing in front of, looking into the room without being seen in turn. Right now, it was used as a classroom. Said class only consisted out of one four year old boy, listening to the ramblings of a protocol droid. It seemed today's lesson was about astrology. The boy sat at a table with a screen built in that showed a cluster of stars. The boy moved his finger above the screen, pulling the labels of the star's and system's names over to the corresponding light dots on the map. 

  


With the Empire so young, so many Jedi to hunt down and Separatist bases to recover, Vader as the Emperor's right hand had his work cut out for him. Through he thought often of the little boy waiting for him, he was not too concerned with actually training him yet. After all he himself hadn't started training with the Force until he was nine and he'd only ever started using the dark side eighteen months ago. The basic education could be done by droids just as well. It was time that the child started with physical exercises, which is what he had built PROXY for. If he started to use the Force through, it had to be under Vader's personal guidance. He would be the only human contact the boy would know. It would bind him to him, making up for his long absences between each visit. 

  


“That”, Vader said, nodding to the child on the other side of the glass, “is going to be your student, PROXY. You will train him, you will protect him and eventually, when I confirm he has reached a certain strength, you will kill him.” 

  


“Yes, Master. I will be happy to oblige”, the droid answered unconcerned. He was modeled to look and act like a holodroid but he was really a highly modified assassin droid. Vader had spent a significant amount of his free time to collect as many fighting modules as possible for him. The droid was a match for any Jedi Knight and he would only continue to advance as Vader collected more training modules for him. Mainly, by studying the style of the Jedi he killed. 

  


In the room beyond, the protocol droid was chastising the child as it connected a label with the wrong star. The boy tried again but it was still wrong. Growing agitated, the child stood and seemed to shout something angry at the droid when it continued to lecture him. Oh yes, the isolation was definitely grating on him. Though he couldn't hear a thing, Vader could clearly feel the child's anger. The Sith’s nostrils flared when he felt the dark side shiver in response to the youngling's agitation. The boy had now put his hands on the screen in the table, ignoring his work to shout angrily at his teacher. The droid of course was unaffected, causing the anger to rise in the boy even more. 

  


“Master, may I ask what his designation number is?” PROXY wanted to know. 

  


That's right, Vader hadn't yet thought about a name for the boy. He briefly remembered from the background check he'd done after the initial discovery, that the boy's given name was Galen Marek. Of course, it wouldn't do for the child to have a name that would remind him of his past. No, he would need a new one. Yet there was little sense in giving him a fake name if he would change it anyway once he was deserving of the Sith title. A code name then, something that he could refer to him by that wouldn't make it obvious he was talking about a person and not, let's say, a ship or a weapon. He supposed a designation number would do but he knew from working with the clone soldiers that they all craved a name, even if it was just a nickname. If Vader gave him a code name, it may lay a foundation of trust between them. 

  


In that moment the boy seemed to loose his temper completely. Vader suspected that his own presence in the dark side was affecting the child, turning it more violent. It pleased him as it meant that not only was the Force strong in him but the child was already subconsciously attuned to him. 

  


The boy shouted some more, he slapped the screen with his small hands and the Force shivered again. Vader raised an eyebrow under his helmet when a long crack appeared on the screen, splitting the galaxy in half and making the image flutter until the stars blinked out of existence. 

  


“Starkiller”, Vader said with dark amusement, watching as the child's anger vanished and turned into excitement upon seeing how he'd damaged the screen without even punching it all that hard. “That will be his code name. Starkiller.” 

  


  


XxX 

  


**10 BBY, Tatooine**

  


Luke Skywalker moved the antenna of the small receiver unit and listened intently. For a few minutes there was nothing but static but at last he thought he could hear music and many voices that were very distant. 

  


“Luke?” 

  


The boy flinched and hurriedly grabbed the unit. He wanted to stuff it back into the drawer but before he could do so, his aunt had already opened the door. Hurriedly he held it behind his back instead and smiled up at Beru. 

  


“Yes, Aunt Beru?”, he asked as innocently as he could. 

  


“I told you twenty minutes ago that you were to clean the...” In that moment Beru seemed to notice his nervous shifting. “Luke, what's wrong?” 

  
“Nothing”, he said immediately. 

  


“Luke...”, the woman repeated and gave him the _look._

  


Luke sighed. Hesitantly he revealed the small unit he had hidden behind his back and put it on top of his bedside table. 

  


“What is that?”, Beru asked curiously and leaned forward to see the oddly shaped device. 

  


“It's the old receiver unit from that old mecha droid uncle Owen got last year. Remember, it was the only mecha the Jawas had but it was way too expensive. We stripped it down and sold some of its non-essential parts in town.” Amongst those parts Luke had helped to remove was a ranged transmitter that was used to relay messages over distances. As the mecha would only be working on the farm there was no need for it to communicate with anything farther away then a few miles. 

  


“But Luke, we could've fetched a good price for that transmitter, why did you keep it?” She looked at him hurt and disappointed and it made Luke cringe, he knew they weren't the richest people. 

  


“I know but... I had been working on that unit and the transmitter was just what it needed. Look what it can do!” 

  


With no small amount of pride, Luke adjusted the unit. Now that he no longer had to fear that the noise would alert his relatives, he pinpointed the right frequency. Now one could clearly hear the noise of hundreds – no thousands! - of people cheering and clapping. The imperial anthem played in the background and the voice of a reporter described the colorful celebration going on in the background. 

The Lars Farm could not afford its own access to the holonet but there were a few people in Anchorhead who could. With the transmitter and some careful tweaking, Luke had been able to pick up and intensify those signals. He still only got one channel; Imperial One that broadcasted news galaxy wide. 

  


“That's nice, Luke, but you can listen to it later. I need a helping hand in the kitchen.” 

  


“But Aunt!”, Luke whined. “Can't I listen a little longer? The man said that the Emperor is going to hold a speech in a few minutes.” 

  


Beru scowled. “Why would you want to listen to a speech of that man anyway? The Empire does not concern us.” 

  


Luke looked down, he knew that his relatives didn't like the Empire. He should've known better then to ask. 

  


“Luke?” Beru sighed. She sat down on Luke's bed and pulled the boy towards her. “Luke, what's wrong.” 

  


“It's just... It's my birthday today”, he muttered. “It... it kinda feels nice to know that people all around the world are celebrating it, you know? That maybe... Maybe my father is out there celebrating my birthday as well. I mean, it's hard to miss Empire Day, right? If he ever thinks of me, he's sure to do it today.” 

  


Beru became very still. When that weird man, Kenobi, had first brought Luke to them, he had told them that his mother died in childbirth and that his father was unable to take care of him. What with the war and everything, Luke had to be protected so nobody must know he was here. But years had passed and Anakin Skywalker never came to pick Luke up. They heard terrible rumors that all the Jedi were being hunted down and they figured that was the reason they had to hide little Luke. One day Owen cornered Kenobi and asked where Skywalker was. The boy was beginning to ask about his father. The Lars would even be willing to hide the man. Obviously nobody had discovered Kenobi living on Tatooine so why couldn't Anakin move in with them? It was then that Kenobi admitted that Anakin stood on the other side, that his true identity was that of Darth Vader and that Luke must never, ever fall into the hands of his father. They had argued the issue. Beru has been appalled that Anakin didn't even know he had a son. She had been this close to seeking contact to the man. But then Kenobi had shown them news footage (something they very rarely got on this planet) of exactly what Vader's role in the Empire was and they had quickly changed their minds. They had learned to love Luke and they knew that such a monster was indeed not fit to take care of a child. 

  


Luke knew that his mother was dead and because he could not know about the Jedi, they had told him his father was a pilot on a spice freighter. They had not told him the truth after finding out and were avoiding the issue whenever they could. 

  


“Luke, I.... I'm sure your father thinks of you every day”, Beru tried awkwardly. 

  


The boy looked away. “But then why does he never visit? Or even just send a message...?” 

  


“I... I'm sorry, my boy. I... I don't think he's out there anymore”, Beru whispered. “He would've taken you in for sure if he were. The galaxy is a dangerous place. I think it is time for you to accept that he is no longer amongst the living. But I'm sure wherever he is, he still thinks about you.” 

  


Luke's eyes widened and he stepped away from his aunt and the hug she offered. “You mean... he's dead? That can't be!” 

  


“Luke!” 

  
“He can't be dead! One day he'll come and he'll take me away from here, you'll see!” 

  


Beru called after him again but Luke had already run out of the room. Anger and sadness filled him as he ran outside. Shortly after he collapsed under the blazing suns of Tatooine and began to sob. 

  


His father couldn't be dead! He refused to believe it. The thought felt... wrong. He couldn't explain it but somehow he _knew_ that his father was alive. 

  


Determined Luke stood up again. He wanted to go back inside and tell his Aunt just what he thought. However when he came to the kitchen, something urged him to stop. The door was open a gap and he could peak inside where Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen sat at the kitchen table together. 

  


“He talked about his father again today”, Beru said and Luke leaned a bit closer to not miss a single word. “I didn't know what to tell him, Owen, I felt so helpless!” 

  


“It's better if he doesn't know anything, we should just forbid him to talk of it again”, Owen growled. “Nothing good comes out of it!” 

  


“But he's his father! It's only natural for the boy to be curious. Maybe we should tell him. Not now, of course”, she said when Owen started to protest. “But when he's old enough. The boy already dreams of leaving Tatooine. We won't be able to hold him here forever. And what if he gets himself into danger because he doesn't know?” 

  


“His father was a Jedi. He was killed by the Empire and thus he must never mention his name because the Empire would hunt him down. What's so difficult about that? He doesn't have to know the truth.” 

  


Luke's breath caught, his father was a _Jedi!?_ Or was he? His uncle's words were so confusing. 

  


“If we tell him that he was a Jedi, he will be only more determined to know more about him. If we just told him the truth about Vader-” 

  
“I will not hear that name in my house!”, Owen called out. “It's nothing but trouble!” 

  
“But-” 

  


“What do you think the Emperor's second in command would do if he knew we've been hiding his son from his for the past nine years?” 

  


“He would be mad but that doesn't mean... You're his brother after all!” 

  
“Not by blood!” 

  
“And I'm not saying he has to find out. I'm just saying Luke has the right to know.” 

  


Owen sighed. “Let's... just see how he turns out, alright? Maybe we'll be lucky and he'll take over the farm then it will never be an issue.” 

  


Silently Luke closed the door and went back to his room. His head was spinning. Did his relatives really mean what he thought they meant? His father... His father was not only alive but he didn't even know that Luke was on Tatooine? And Vader... Did they talk about _Darth Vader?_ Even here in the Outer Rim, people had heard about the black armored nightmare of a warrior. The image of a menacing, towering black figure appeared in Luke's mind, so unlike the picture of the daring pilot he had always imagined. That couldn't be right... could it? Unlike before when Beru had said that his father was dead, Luke did not feel such... _wrongness_ at the thought. 

  


Luke didn't know what to think. On one side he was happy that his father had not abandoned him. How could he if he didn't even know where Luke was? His relatives – who were not even related to him by blood, whatever that meant – had hidden him. They... they had _lied_ to him. On the other hand, the thought of having _Darth Vader_ as a father was... quite terrifying. Luke couldn't imagine that man wanting to give him a hug. But, he tried to tell himself, it wasn't like he knew all that much about Vader – about his _father._ He was working in the military. Pretty high up, from the sound of it. What he remembered of his sneak peaks into the holonet, reporters talking about him always seemed to be quite nervous. People were afraid of him. But he was making the Empire win many battles. Luke, like every boy who didn't know his parents, had always wished that his father would be a hero and he supposed it wasn't entirely impossible that for some people in the Empire, his father _was_ a hero. So that was good, right? ...it didn't feel right. 

Deep down in his heart, Luke knew that what his father was doing was very, _very_ wrong.

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got around to opening an account on AO3 and this is my first story so, hello everybody!  
> English is not my mother tongue and although I do have a beta, you'll have to excuse the occasional mistake. I'm still learning. The punctuation will not be changed, it's from my own tongue and it's how I'm used to writing.  
> I have knowledge of Episodes 1-7, the Clone Wars Cartoon, a few SW Rebels episodes and of course Force Unleashed I-II. Everything else, including Palpatine's resurrecting act vial cloning techniques, will be ignored should I ever get to that point of time.  
> In my story, Starkiller is only two years older than Luke. Also, for the plot's sake, the Lars family is a bit poorer than they probably are.  
> Tidal Wave already has over 75.000 words at this point. The first few chapters might get rather long so I will catch up quickly while updating every 3-4 days. Feedback is much appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

**9 BBY, Kaal**

 

It was loud in the _Fresh Meat,_ a diner located in Nefron, one of the major cities on the small planet Kaal. Most of its customers were locals but as Nefron had one of only three space ports of any relevance on the planet, one could see a number of other races as well. One of them stood out a bit more then the others, if only for the gray armor he wore. It was a Bothan and he got a lot of odd looks from the rest of the crowd. His appearance screamed scoundrel and nobody really wanted to have to do anything with him. Or with whatever made him so nervous as the Bothan frequently looked over his shoulder as if he expected someone to rush in and shoot him down.

 

The reason for this nervousness sat two tables further. An outsider wouldn't detect anything out of order about the human boy eating lunch in the diner together with his father. They looked quite ordinary altogether, faces that you would forget quickly. Maybe the father sat a bit rigidly and maybe it was odd how the twelve-year-old totally ignored the sweets the waitress droid had brought together with his tea but really nobody would guess at who these two really were.

 

The boy was not a boy but a trained killer, code name Starkiller. His father was not related to him at all, he was an assassin droid with a holounit pretending to be human.

 

The boy was just motioning for the waitress droid that they were ready to pay just as he had seen the other customers do. It was the first time he had ever eaten in a public diner. Even if he had known about the concept of tips, he would be determined not to leave any. Starkiller hated the food served here. Not because it tasted bad. In fact, it was the most delicious meal he had ever gotten. But that was the point, Starkiller was used to living off rations and nutrient powder like that provided for long-term stationed soldiers. Food like this – real eggs and bacon and bread – it made people weak. Delicious food was luxury and luxury was not for people like Starkiller. Not that there were any people like Starkiller except for Starkiller himself.

 

The waitress droid came to remove the plate on which half of the food still remained. To keep up appearances Starkiller had to eat at least some of it. He also had to eat some of his 'father's food before inconspicuously switching their plates so that made for a full meal. A meal that made him feel warm and full and slow and lazy. Starkiller had to close his eyes and recall all his frustration and anger in order to strengthen his connection to the dark side. It was coincidentally the same method he used in his interrogation training in order to shake off the effects of deteriorating drugs.

 

“The target is moving, Master”, PROXY said. His face was blank but Starkiller recognized from his clipped voice that he was disappointed. On the plate that the waitress had taken away also laid a piece of egg that PROXY had poisoned. Starkiller had noticed this immediately as the Force had warned him with the fork halfway to his mouth so he had pretended to cough and drop it.

 

“Don't call me that”, Starkiller hissed alarmed. He needn't have worried as the Bothan had already left the diner.

 

The two assassins followed him outside. Starkiller felt the Force flow around him, urging him to the right where he could just barely see the furry creature turn a corner.

 

“Over there”, he pointed out and together they followed the Bothan at a respectful distance. They were leaving the more populated quarter of Nefron and Starkiller looked around nervously. Their disguise as father and son worked well in a crowd but out here they were more conspicuous.

 

“PROXY, return to the hangar and wait for me. I'm going to finish this alone.”

 

“Master, this man is a bounty hunter. Not a very well-versed one but he is still more then a match for you. Are you sure you don't require assistance?”

 

“Why, PROXY, I didn't know you cared”, Starkiller returned with a lopsided grin.

 

“Well, if you were to be killed then how am I to ever complete my primary programming?”

 

The boy scowled a bit. PROXY's frequent assassination attempts didn't bother him anymore. They were mostly harmless anyway, a little poison here, a hidden blade there. Of course PROXY always went all out on him when they sparred as well but then he was restrained by his training program. Starkiller knew that he had several modules installed that he was not ready for yet and every time his Master visited and removed some of his restrictions or added more modules, Starkiller had to fight for his life for a few weeks before he got used to them.

 

No, the attempts were just part of his training. It was moments like these when PROXY casually mentioned his one true goal that the boy felt how truly pathetic his social life was. His only friend was a training droid who wanted to kill him.

 

Starkiller pulled himself together. He didn't need any friends, they only made you weak anyway. He didn't need love or friendship. All he needed was the approval of his Master and to get that he had to fulfill his mission.

 

This was his first trial, his first true test. His enemy was stronger then him, bigger then him, more experienced and better armed. He would have to use his brain to get rid of him and that's exactly what he planned on doing.

 

“You know what to do”, he told his droid.

 

Starkiller waited until PROXY was gone. Then he went into a side alley and nimbly climbed up the wall of the next building. Once he was on the roof he easily caught sight of his victim again.

Owing to his small form and the darkness that slowly settled over town, it was easy for Starkiller to blend into the shadows. He followed the bounty hunter, running across the roof and jumping to the next when it ended. The alleys in between weren't very wide and he could use the Force to further enhance his jumps. It got a little harder when it began to rain and the tiles became slippery but it was nothing compared to the course of catwalks and steel beams and flying TIE's, partially covered in motor oil that he had to go through on the _Executor (_ secretly nicknamed the _Ex)._

 

The Bothan had stopped and Starkiller took a moment to wonder why, suspicious that it should be so easy. Then he recognized that he was seeking shelter from the rain under the small roof of a hover taxi station. While Starkiller knew objectively that one had to avoid cold weather in order to not get sick, he was quite sure that someone who traveled as much as the bounty hunter would've gotten the necessary medical vaccination to avoid such. It never crossed his mind that the Bothan might only stop because the rain was _uncomfortable._ Starkiller would never be bothered by it, unless he was undercover and had to pretend to. Especially not if he already suspected he was being followed, as this guy clearly did. PROXY had left a message in his ship, informing him of his upcoming death. Starkiller was still angry at him because of that. The droid really must be worried that he might die in the upcoming fight. At least when the bounty hunter was warned ahead of time his victory over Starkiller might be partly PROXY's as well so he wouldn't have completely failed at his programming.

 

Normally the droid wouldn't dare to sabotage Starkiller's missions. The boy had been in other systems before, playing courier for Lord Vader's spies or gathering information himself. But the hunter wasn't one of his Master's enemies. Starkiller was not to kill him because had done something wrong or was an enemy of the Empire. This was merely a test of Starkiller’s abilities and thus PROXY felt entirely justified in making his job as difficult as possible.

 

Well, the Bothan obviously hadn't taken the threat seriously enough. After deciding that he would take the risk of it being a trap and not receiving a warning of the Force, Starkiller dropped down on the low roof. He had timed his landing perfectly with the growling thunder in the distance and thus the Bothan didn't notice him. Even if he did he wouldn't have had much time to react as Starkiller immediately grabbed the rim of the roof, swung himself downwards in an arc and buried his vibroblade deep in the Bothan’s chest. He took a millisecond to check that yes, he had hit the heart before he ripped out the blade again and jumped several steps away. He crouched on the ground in the empty street, watching as the hunter's eyes widened in shock. He grasped his chest, looked at the blood on his hands in surprise – then slowly, he fell over, face first on the street.

 

Starkiller continued to watch him like a hawk for almost a full minute. He was waiting for the catch. There had been blood so clearly his armor had no hidden upgrades that averted the blade. The surprise had been real, he could feel it in the Force together with the pain. Maybe his target was waiting to stand up again, surviving because of a second implanted heart or a cybernetic one if Starkiller was just stupid enough to come within his range?

 

But nothing happened. Chances to be found with the corpse grew but Starkiller had to check if his victim was dead. He knew his Master wouldn't hesitate to punish him if he failed this simple mission.

Carefully Starkiller rounded the body, approached from the opposite side. He listened to the Force but it was silent. Not calm, the dark side was never calm, but it was momentarily content with the blood that had been shed.

 

The twelve-year-old quickly reached out to check the pulse, ready to pull back anytime if the Bothan came back to live just as the training units on the Ex did four of five times. But nothing happened.

 

“Well done, Master.”

 

Starkiller whirled around. His vibroblade was caught by PROXY's raised hand though and for a moment true fear woke in him. He had been so focused on his victim he hadn't noticed his training partner approach. If PROXY had tried to kill him now, he would've most likely succeeded. But PROXY knew that the Force warned him if any true killing intent was directed at him. Occasionally it was fun for him to just scare his protégé a bit even if it did mean passing up a perfectly good opportunity to kill him.

 

“What are you doing here?”, Starkiller asked as soon as he had his wits about him again. “I told you to go back to the hangar.”

 

“I have orders from Lord Vader to monitor your progress on this mission, Master. I am happy to inform you that you passed the test expertly.”

 

“Really?”, the child asked with wide eyes. A big bubble of happiness and pride swelled in him. He had passed his Master's test without problems. Maybe... Maybe the next time he saw him, he would actually get a verbal praise? Normally all he could hope for if he did well was a nod or a long, contemplating stare followed by some rigorous training and new modules for PROXY. But just once, just one time Starkiller wished his Master would acknowledge his efforts with more then that. Not much more, just a simple 'well done'. He just... He just wished so much to know that his Master actually _cared._

He knew he must. Lord Vader was the Number Two in the whole galactic Empire. He had thousands of duties that Starkiller didn't even know about and yet he still took the time to visit Starkiller and provide him with training devices and droids even though it could mean serious trouble if the Emperor ever found out. So naturally, Starkiller knew his Master cared. He just... he didn't know if his Master cared about him as a _person_ or if he just saw him as a tool.

 

“He wasn't much of an enemy”, Starkiller said even as he drew back, following PROXY into the labyrinth of alleys. They would head back on another way in order to shake off possible but unlikely pursuers.

 

“I mean sure his record was alright but he was average and clearly not used to being the prey.”

 

“Oh this test was never about your fighting abilities”, PROXY replied. “It was quite obvious that the preferred method of elimination in this case would be stealth and you are more then adequately trained in this area.”

 

“But then why did my Master call it my first true test? It was easy!” Or it would've been if Starkiller hadn't expected something to go wrong at every turn and thus wasted time in being extra careful.

 

“Well, it _was_ the first time you ever killed a sentient being, Master.”

  
Starkiller scowled. “So?”

 

“Most beings, humans included, have natural reservations about harming, much less killing other people. Even if they are mentally prepared beforehand, most would still fail at the critical moment and find themselves unable to carry out the deed during to moral issues.”

 

Starkiller stared at him honestly befuddled. That thought had indeed never crossed his mind. He had trained all his life to kill, had done so thousands of times in simulations. He had never considered that doing it in real life would be any different – and honestly, it wasn't.

 

“So that means... Master thought I might not be able to kill the Bothan because... Because what, I'd suddenly turn light or something?”

 

“As ridiculous as it sounds, it has been recorded to happen before.”

 

That... kinda hurt. To think that his Master thought so lowly of him. Maybe he shouldn't have killed the Bothan with a quick blade in the heart. Maybe he should've drawn it out and tortured him a bit beforehand. But no, his Master wanted an assassin not a savage. His work was quick and efficient.

 

They had reached the hangar. The _Rogue Shadow_ stood ready and their pilot in front of it with a cup of caf. He hadn't noticed them yet. Starkiller and PROXY were just entering the hangar when out of nowhere, the boy felt an almost painful sting in the back of his neck. He recognized the feeling as a warning from the Force and without thinking he threw himself behind a crate. Only half a second later the hangar was shaken by a fiery explosion. As soon as the initial flash from the fireball did no longer hinder his sight, Starkiller was on his feet. His first impulse was to look for PROXY. The droid looked a bit scorched but he seemed to be working fine as he was already chasing after the fleeing figure of what was most likely the attacker.

 

Starkiller wanted to go after them too but a nudge of the Force caused him to take one last look around first. It was then that he noticed the pilot - Corton he thought his name was - writhing on the ground in obvious agony. Ignoring the rest of the screams and the civilians running around, Starkiller headed for the man. He had no idea how to fly a ship, much less one as modified as the _Rogue Shadow_ and he doubted PROXY did either. They needed Corton or they would be stranded on Kaal.

 

Unfortunately, Starkiller knew next to nothing about medicine either so he had no idea if the burns covering the Imperial were serious or not.

 

For a moment, he hesitated. But the mission went first. PROXY would get the assassin but he had to get Corton medical treatment.

 

That decision made, Starkiller searched for a medic. Everyone seemed to be busy as there were multiple civilian victims. Still he managed to get one to help him through the use of some subtle Force induced compulsion. He wasn't capable enough for a full mind trick yet but it wasn't particularly hard to make a person do something that he was going to do anyway.

 

Ten minutes later PROXY was back, cheerfully announcing the death of the attacker. Apparently the bounty hunter had called a friend when he had received the threat and the man had picked their ship out

as suspicious. Kaal was not often visited by outsiders and their ship had no cargo listed and was not a frequent visitor either. It was a relief to hear that their cover hadn't been blown but there was still a major problem in the form or Corton.

 

Starkiller stepped to the improvised stretcher provided for the wounded on which his pilot laid.

"Captain Corton?", he asked with pretended respect and worry. Corton thought he was the son of the head instructor in charge of the battle station in Scarl, that PROXY was a below average protocol droid and they were here to visit their aunt. It wasn't a very good story but then again, Starkiller's pilots were exclusively picked from the 501th, Lord Vader's personal legion. Those people learned very quickly not to ask questions. Also between accompanying Starkiller on his trips, which weren't all that much yet, the pilots were also sent on the most dangerous missions so if there was the slightest suspicion that there might be a leak, it would be easy to discretely 'loose' Corton.

 

"Captain, are you alright?"

 

Corton coughed and visibly flinched when he tried to sit up.

 

"It... It looks worse then it is", he said weakly.

 

"Will you be able to bring us home?"

 

A look of panic flashed over Corton's face. His orders were clear, get the boy to where he wanted to go, then take him back. No delays. He couldn't afford to spend days or even weeks in a hospital on Kaal. He was not stupid, he recognized that the missions he'd been on lately had a raised danger risk. He was already suspecting that he had messed something up and that maybe his superiors wanted to get rid of him. Such a mistake even if it wasn't his might be the perfect opportunity.

 

"I... I can't do any precise piloting", he said. "But we could enter the Rimma Trade Route with some help from the navi computers of the space port. From there, the autopilot can take us into hyperspace. We would have to stop at Yag'Dhul to switch onto the Corellian Trade Spine. That would cost us a few hours but by the time we reach the Tapani Sector I should be well enough to take us the rest of the way."

 

Starkiller thought it over. If Corton got worse on the way they'd be screwed. For security reasons he could not very well contact the Ex, even if there had been anyone to answer him. But there were a few bacta tanks on board the Super Star destroyer (mainly used on Starkiller on the rare occasions he got the honor to spar with Lord Vader) and those would be better in healing Corton then anything Kaal had to offer.

 

"Alright, PROXY help me to get him into the ship."

 

In a hangar full of civilians he couldn't reveal his Force abilities so he was stuck relying on PROXY to carry the injured captain onto the _Rogue Shadow._

 

Starkiller helped Corton to sit up and the Captain managed to get the ship starting. He pre-programmed the autopilot before sinking back onto his stretcher. The computer took ages to analyze the coordinates for the hyper jump but finally the light of the stars faded into the distance.

 

Starkiller looked at the Captain with worry. The Force was prickling in his neck uncomfortably. He had a bad feeling about this.

 

XxX

 

**9 BBY, Tatooine**

 

Luke fought against his tears as some sand managed to get past his goggles once again. He pulled his scarf a bit tighter and leaned against the wind, fighting for every step forward. At last he reached the vaporator. For a moment he allowed himself to rest in its shadow. The sandstorm was tugging at his clothes fiercely and unrelenting. He had told his relatives that something bad was coming but they hadn't paid attention to him.

 

Luke took care that his scarf was in place, protecting his nose and mouth, before he took a deep breath and stepped out of the vaporator's shadow. The wind hit him like a ton of bricks and he was almost thrown off his feet. Yet he still managed to pull out the leather cover from his pack. He fixed the hooks onto the machine until the entire vaporator was covered and thus protected from the storm. Then he felt for the steel cable that was attached to his belt. It went back to the first post of the farm and was to ensure that he wouldn't get lost in the sand storm. However, Luke couldn't find it. Frantically he moved his hands all over his belt but the rope wasn't there. It must have come loose on his way here!

 

Fear crawled up his spine. He knew all too well how dangerous sand storms were. If he got lost or went in the wrong direction, he might never find his way back. Well, maybe not never but certainly not before not sand people or a hungry krayt dragon found him.

 

But he couldn't stay here either, out in the open and completely unprotected. He might be able to slip under the cover of the vaporator but then the machine might get damaged and he knew how his family relied on them for money.

 

Luke turned around, he was fairly sure in which direction his farm laid but how often had his Aunt told him that he was to not move but seek shelter if he was surprised by a sand storm.

 

Luke closed his eyes. He tried to decide what to do, he wished so badly someone would tell him.

Suddenly the child felt the slightest nudge, just a boost of confidence really. He was sure that he knew in which direction his farm laid and that he could make it back there safely.

 

Determined to trust that feeling, Luke prepared himself and went to face the wind again. His entire body was covered by cloth yet he still felt the biting of the sand as it rained down on him. He couldn't see the light of the farm until he almost hit his nose at the front door, the vision was that bad in the storm.

 

"I'm back", he called out as soon as he was safely inside.

 

"Luke! What took you so long, we were worried", Beru said as she rushed over, covered herself in rags from head to toe to protect her from the wind.

 

"I had some trouble with the wind but I fixed the cover to the vaporator", he answered.

 

"Good, now let's sit down and have some milk."

 

They waited until Owen too came back, bringing with him a small landslide of sand.

 

"The wind has ripped off two of our vaporators on the east side", he growled as he peeled off the rags from his face. "Two others were already heavily damaged when I got to them."

 

"Oh no", Beru moaned. This meant they would loose almost half of their vaporators and the sandstorm season had only just begun. They weren't going to make the cut this year. "What are we going to do?"

 

"We can't do anything, not today anyway. Let's just sit this storm out. We can talk in the morning."

 

Diner was a very subdued affair that night. Luke didn't know all that much about moisture farming yet, but he did know that the vaporators were very important and without them there wouldn't be any water.

 

In the morning their worst fears were being confirmed, they had lost five out of nine vaporators. Luke was fairly sure that one of them could be repaired but the other four were beyond hope. Not even the Jawas would buy them in that condition.

 

Luke spent most of the day in the backyard tinkering with the salvageable vaporator. When he was finished he went inside, intent on telling Uncle Owen which parts were needed to get it working again. Out of habit though he stopped in front of the kitchen door when he noticed that his relatives were both inside. Ever since learning about his father, he had developed the bad habit of sneaking around a bit before coming up straight at them in hopes to catch a conversation that he wasn't supposed to hear. He had done some research about Darth Vader but no report he saw painted him in a very good light. Darth Vader was ruthless, cruel and hardhearted. Luke supposed he should be happy that he never got to meet him personally but... he couldn't help but wonder. When he asked his aunt she never talked about him as if he was the monster the media made him out to be. Darth Vader appeared together with the Empire, there was no mention of him before Luke was born so naturally, Luke assumed that he had been different before. His Aunt must have known him then, that's why she could smile at Luke when she said she was sure his father loved him. After all his Aunt was a very bad liar, she wouldn't say that if she didn't believe it.

 

So Luke wondered what had happened to make his father so cruel. He remembered when he came to his Aunt crying because Charlie Stubbs had laughed at him in school and they had ended up fighting and Luke lost and had to go home with his nose bloody. He'd been very angry then and hurt because the other kids had cheered Charlie on and he'd cursed Charlie and his whole family. Beru had been angry too and she went to Charlie's parents to complain. When she came back she had been very silent. Later she told Luke that Charlie's mother had just died, his father was taking to the bottle and the boy was going through a very hard time because of that. Sometimes people did bad things not because they were evil but because they were hurt and felt like nobody loved them and they let that anger out on other people. What Charlie had done hadn't been right but it was not Luke's place to judge him without knowing all the details. And of course after hearing that sad story, even through his nose still hurt Luke couldn't be angry and Charlie anymore. He didn't feel like being friends with the boy so he managed to avoid him and forget about the incident.

 

He wondered if something like that had happened to his father too. If so, then maybe he just needed someone to tell him that he was loved. Luke told his Aunt and Uncle that he loved them many times and it always made them smile. He wanted to make his father smile at him like that as well. Maybe that would make him hurt less and then he wouldn't want to hurt other people as much either.

But his father was very far away and didn't know where he was and so Luke was stuck listening in on his relatives if he wanted to have any information. It was like that today too. The door was closed but if he leaned against it with his ear he could hear them talking behind it.

 

"...some water from the neighbors", Beru was saying in that moment. "You know the Darklighters still owe us one."

 

"I'll take the speeder and check it out but I don't have high hopes. The storm came very early and suddenly. They probably have similar damages. Water is going to be very rare soon. We'll be lucky if we survive the season with what we have but we won't be able to sell much. And if we're not selling, that means we have nothing to cover our other expenses."

 

"And that means more debts." Beru sighed. "I hate to say this but maybe we should take a loan from the Hutts."

 

"There's no way I'm doing that! You know the interest is crazy and if we can't pay it off they'll come and raze this place to the ground. They could kill us - or worse!"

 

"What could be worse?"

 

"They could sell you and Luke into slavery - don't look like that, you know it's happened before!"

 

"But then what can we do?"

 

"I suppose... we could take Luke out of school. That would spare us some money and the boy can help on the farm."

 

"I'll run the numbers through again", Beru muttered clearly unhappy.

 

Luke very silently left for his room.

 

As it turned out, none of their neighbors had much to spare to help the Lars family. His Aunt and Uncle had a number of serious conversations. In the end Beru went to Anchorhead to ask some distant relatives she had in Mos Espa if they could help out. She came back with good news, her relatives had asked her to come and visit. At first Luke was confused and even hurt, how could his Aunt even think of going away when they needed her most. It was only later that he realized their family just couldn't afford to get all three of them through the season. With just Luke and Owen it would be one mouth less to feed and Luke could take over most of Beru's work in the household when he didn't have to go to school. Beru had to work and earn her food and shelter with her relatives but even so they couldn't afford to take in all three of them and anyway, someone had to stay to take care of the farm.

 

Luke felt terrible, he didn't like that his Aunt had to leave and he couldn't help but feel that it was his fault. Beru and Owen didn't really have the room or the money for a child, that's why they never tried to have one on their own. If it weren't for Luke, the two wouldn't have to separate and he could see that it was hurting both of them a lot even though his Aunt tried to smile.

 

Luke knew he couldn't ask one of his friends if he could live with them for a season, he wasn't that close with anyone and unlike Aunt Beru, he didn't have any other relatives that he could - oh!

And that's when it hit him. He _did_ have other relatives, he had a father out there, one that was probably searching everywhere for him. Sure, he wasn't the perfect Dad but he was _family_ and family, Uncle Owen always said, was very important. Surely his father wouldn't mind if he came to live with him for a few months. Just until the sandstorm season was over and his relatives got the farm up and working again.

 

That decision made, Luke quickly packed his things. He took with him something to eat, some precious water skins and a bit of pocket money. At breakfast the next day he took care to be extra nice to his relatives. They wouldn't allow him to go so he couldn't say anything but he said good bye in his own way. When it was time for him to do his chores he went to grab his bag instead. In the sand board, a basin filled with very fine sand used to leave messages, he wrote with his finger:

 

_Dear Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen,_

_I know we don't have much money and that you have trouble taking care of me. That's why I'm going to look for my father, I'm sure he'll have a place to live for me. I'll be back at the end of the season. I love you very much, please don't come looking for me._

 

_Luke_

 

That was all, he couldn't risk telling them himself. He put a dishcloth over the basin so the message wouldn't be discovered immediately and then he took the speeder to Anchorhead. He had flown the speeder before but never for such a long distance. It was really fun and even though he knew he was going to miss his relatives, Luke was excited at the prospect of leaving the planet and meeting his father.

 

Luke left the speeder with a school friend that lived in Anchorhead. He told him that his relatives were going to pick it up in the evening and if they forgot about it, it would be nice if he called and reminded them in the morning. All his pocket money was just barely enough to get him a ride to Mos Eisley, which was where the Imperial outpost on Tatooine sat. That was where Luke intended to begin his search for his father.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Trooper ME-7494 - his friends called him Marvin - really hated his post. He was sure there was no planet that was as dusty and hot and boring and hot and insignificant and did he mention hot? as Tatooine. Marvin often wondered what he had done to deserve serving on such a lame planet in the Outer Rim. Until he remembered that drinking game with the officer and that Twi'lek concubine and he remembered. Oh yeah, that's why.

It wasn't like there was nothing to do on Tatooine. There were hundreds of criminals and bounty hunters and bounties and other scum running around. The sad truth however was that the Empire was not all that interested in the dust ball. Certainly not interested enough to send the reinforcements that would be needed to organize a badly needed clean-up. Not to mention that such action would trigger a minor war with the Hutts and while the Empire was strong and could more then afford to wage such a war, it just wasn't worth it. Tatooine had nothing to offer and thus wasn't worth arguing over.

Still it was unacceptable to have a planet this near to one of the five major trade routes have no Imperial presence at all so there had to be an outpost. And the Stormtroopers, led by one very incompetent but high born officer, were an assortment of the worst. Not necessarily the worst shots or the worst pilots but the worst in keeping their mouth shut, in choosing the right woman to sleep with, in sucking up to superiors or something similar. To be stationed on Tatooine was one of the biggest punishments the Imperial Navy could dish out for troopers that hadn't actually done anything wrong. At the very least, it was very effective in killing your career.

Marvin and his troopers didn't bother to mess with the Hutts or any day to day killings on the streets if it wasn't happening right in front of their eyes. They did however take care that the school, orphanage and hospital that Imperial beneficence had founded was being kept safe and they kept the sand people from bothering the caravans. They had three lines open for those institutions and one for the general public. If someone called for help on the last line, help was sent out three hours late on principle and the people had learned very fast that the Stormtroopers were not city security and calling them for help didn't do any good if you weren't under their explicit protection. Still someone had to be there to watch these lines while most of the troopers where out patrolling and today, that was Marvin's job. He was quite happy about it too as it meant spending time in the shade while his friends had to bake under the two suns.

It was late in the evening when the door opened to reveal not one of the returning troopers but a little boy. He couldn't be older then ten, a native from the looks of it and he looked quite tired. Marvin, who had put away his helmet this morning and hadn't taken it up since as he was on duty alone with no superior peering over his shoulder, looked at the boy curiously. The child looked back at him with equal curiosity.

"Yes? Can I help you?", Marvin finally asked.

"Uhm...", the boy said. "I'm looking for my father."

Marvin scowled, the Outpost was one of the last places lost children came looking for for help. Most of them were actually quite scared of the white armored soldiers. Except for the children of Stormtroopers of course but Marvin didn't know anyone in his unit that had a son that age.

"Well, who is your father then?", he asked.

The boy seemed to hesitate. Marvin almost smiled, not so brave after all, hm?

"His name is Anakin... Anakin Lars. He's working in the Empire."

"Is that so", Marvin said with a bit of amusement. "I've never heard of him. You sure he's part of this outpost?"

"No", the boy returned. He scowled, probably having caught on that he was being made fun of.   
"He's not working on Tatooine. He's off planet but my Aunt and Uncle are in trouble and we need his help."

"Well, where are your Aunt and Uncle now?"

The boy looked down again. "They're home. They don't know I'm here..."

Marvin sighed. His gaze fell on the panel where four dead lights clearly showed him that he had nothing better to do. Oh, to hell with it. He'd joined the Empire to bring back order and help some people. He might as well kill some time.

The boy looked like he had traveled far today already. He was probably very tired as well.  
"Why don't I take you to the back and you can have some water while I look to see if I can find out anything about your father?"

The boy's face lit up. "Thank you Sir, that would be great! My name's Luke by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Luke. I'm Marvin."

Marvin showed him to the break room of the troopers and because the kid looked like he was starving, he got a sandwich on top of the water. 

"Now do you know where your father is stationed?"

Luke began to think. "Well, he's in the Navy, I know that for sure. He's not stationed on a planet, he travels a lot. I think... I think he was in some kind of special unit but I can't quite remember."

That was not much to go on. But all Marvin had to do was keep the boy entertained until his relatives turned up to get him so he played along.

"Is he a Stormtrooper like me? We're easy to recognize, same designer", he said with a grin.

"Nope, my father doesn't wear... white armor."

The way he pronounced the word 'white' stuck Marvin as odd but he let it slip.

"Alright if he's in the Navy, do you know which ship he's stationed on?"

"Uh... A big one? I don't know, I think he changes ships too."

"You don't change ships unless you're degraded or promoted frequently", Marvin informed the boy as gently as he could. "Didn't your father ever tell you how to contact him?"

Luke looked away again and mumbled something.

"What was that?"

"I said he doesn't know where I am..."

Marvin leaned back. At first he had thought the boy was just playing a trick on him to get something to eat or get out of the sun. Maybe he was a runaway or maybe he was even distracting Marvin while some of his dirty little friends went to look in the main room for something to steal. Not that they would find anything. But the way Luke had looked so hopeful when he'd promised to help and how he was slumped down now, admitting his father didn't know him... Marvin was beginning to believe it was no hoax.

But if that was the case, it was even worse. If he wasn't a Stormtrooper or a technician, then his father had to be at least an officer. Marvin seriously doubted the guy would be thrilled to have a dirty rat like that from a home planet he probably despised come up to him and ask for help for his poor family. Nope, not a good idea.

"Are we talking about a father that's desperately searching for you out there or one that doesn't even know you exist?", Marvin asked with all the tact taught at Imperial Academy.

Luke stared at him with his mouth open for a moment, thoughts racing. "I... I don't know", he finally admitted.

"Well kid... I hate to break it to you but an officer, especially a higher ranking one, might be a bit suspicious if a nobody like you comes up to him and claims to be his son."

"But... But it's not like I'm after his money or something!"

"You did mention your family needed some help. What with the sandstorm season and everything, it's not hard to guess what kind of help you mean." Marvin looked him up and down, the boy didn't look like he came from the richest sort.

"Why don't you contact your mother instead?"

"My mother is dead", Luke mumbled, seemingly becoming more depressed with each passing minute.

"Well, alright... Were they at least married?"

"What?"

"Your parents. Where they married? Even if you're as poor as a church mouse, your father might still help you out of obligation to your mother if they were on good terms."

"I..." And now Luke looked like he was close to crying. "I don't know..."

The boy had obviously never thought about the matter in this way. Never thought his father might not want him. That maybe he was lucky being pure human and not a half Twi'lek son of a whore.  
Marvin actually felt a bit of pity for the boy.

"Alright look... Just calm down, okay? We'll sent a message to your relatives to pick you up."

"They don't live in Mos Eisley", Luke sniffed. "And they... They're not connected to the..."

"Okay, I get it." His relatives wouldn't be able to pick him up today and traveling in the dark was very dangerous with all the sand people around. Geez, what a mess.

"Look, you can sleep with me in the barracks if you want. It's rather cramped and we'll have to share the room with thirty other sweating bodies but it's safer then out there on the street. In the morning, we can look up your relatives. How does that sound?"

Luke nodded hesitantly and mumbled a thanks. 

By now the first patrols had returned. Luke got a lot of curious stares when Marvin took him with him to the barracks and the trooper got a lecture from his superior but in the end Luke was allowed to sleep with the soldiers. He didn't pull a face at the bland rations and even joined in a card game with some of the troopers. It was during that card game (Marvin was losing miserably) that the boy noticed a poster hanging between the maps and wanted pictures littering the wall.

"Is that Darth Vader?", he asked with wide eyes.

Marvin turned to look at the poster. It did indeed show Darth Vader, red lightsaber held high and how he was rushing forward to battle with all types of Imperial troops behind him. It wasn't a real picture, just a well colored recruitment poster out of some backwater planet paper that one of the troopers had used to decorate their living room.

"Lord Darth Vader", the trooper next to Marvin (his name was Monger) corrected Luke with no small amount of pride. "That's right. Frightening, isn't he? I bet none of these disgusting sand people would dare to sneak up on him."

"I didn't know he was so tall!"

"They exaggerate a bit in the media", Marvin said, mistaking the boy's reverence for fear.

"No they don't", Monger said. "I heard he's well over two meters tall. Can look a Wookie in its eyes without having to look up."

"That's... pretty cool", Luke said and smiled a bit hesitantly. "He's fighting for the Empire, isn't he? Right now, out there?"

"He sure is, kiddo. Lord Vader is the best commander the Navy has to offer. People don't thank him often but because of him, thousands of worlds can sleep peacefully. The separatist scum, the Jedi traitors or just organized crime, somebody has to take care of them. That's what he does."

Luke looked back to the poster and Marvin wondered if he'd ever seen a comic before, he looked quite fascinated with the picture.

"Do you know where he's fighting now?", he asked in a small voice.

"Dunno, news don't get here regularly. Last thing I heard he was in Corellia."

Luke just nodded, looking very serious.

Marvin forced a smile and clapped him on the shoulder. "Now you've got him started, Luke! Monger is our local Vader-Fanboy, he won't stop talking about his idol for the rest of the evening."

"What - I - I am not a fanboy!", Mongar called out. He flushed red and everyone laughed.

"Hey, didn't you apply for Death Squadron before you were stationed here? Didn't work out so well, did it?", another trooper asked, laughing.

"Hey, if it weren't for that Duro asshole bounty hunter giving me a bad leg, they would've taken me!"

More laughing.

"Death Squadron only takes the best, you barely grazed through the academy!"

"That's the name", Luke said suddenly though in the general chaos and laughter, nobody else paid attention to him. "That's the name of the special squad my fa-"

Marvin hurriedly put a hand over Luke's mouth. He led the boy away from the card table.

"What were you going to say back there?", he asked angrily.

"The special squad my father works in! I remembered it's name, it's Death Squadron!", Luke said excitedly.

"You mean to tell me... That your father, Anakin Lars, works directly under Lord Darth Vader?"

The boy nodded happily but his face fell a bit when he saw Marvin's expression.   
"What about it?"

"Well, it's true, only the best get into that squad. Entire civilizations have surrendered just seeing that fleet in their orbit. I would take a guess and say they also get paid better in there. After all it's possible for a Lieutenant from outside to become a simple Officer in Death Squadron and consider it a promotion. Do you remember that talk we had about your father and how he might not appreciate the... situation you come from? If your father is really working there, a scandal like that could damage his career and get him thrown out. It wouldn't just be careless to contact him, it would be dangerous. Do you understand?"

"I... I think so..."

"Good. Now I don't want to hear anymore talk about that, alright?"

Luke nodded, a bit intimidated and they returned to the others. Soon after that the boy claimed he was tired and Marvin showed him where he could sleep.

The next morning Marvin fully intended to search for the boy's relatives. He went to look for their address. It was just one minute that he wasn't watching Luke, just one minute and the next time he turned around, the boy was nowhere to be seen. Marvin called for him and asked every Stormtropper that crossed his path but nobody had seen him. The child had slipped everyone's notice and had made his own way into the most dangerous city of Tatooine, Mos Eisley. He was searching for a ship that would take him to Corellia.

XxX

Hyperspace

Starkiller awoke with a start when he felt a shift in the Force. He was alert instantly, his body moving on its own. He rolled out of the hard bed into the small space between bed and door. Any assassin approaching was more likely to do so from the the side with the door so by moving this way he had a good chance to avoid a weapon rushing down at him and get the bed between him and the attacker. This instinct had saved his life before. It was only PROXY threatening him these days but Starkiller knew as his training progressed he would get more important missions and gain more enemies.

But the droid wasn't there to kill him this time and Starkiller could detect no other threat either. Remembering that they were still in hyperspace and he had examined the ship thoroughly with his senses before entering, no foreign threat could've invaded since he'd gone to sleep.

The warning from the Force must've been caused by other reasons. Unfortunately Starkiller could only think of one.

Feeling dread fill him, the boy quickly left the tiny living space and crossed the corridor that lead to the cockpit on the right side. Only PROXY would be there now in standby. They had taken Corton to the medical bay across from Starkiller's room. This was were the boy was heading now.  
The pilot looked really bad. He was sweating profusely and though his eyes were closed, they were twitching and darting behind his lids. Starkiller only knew the basics of first aid. They did have a small medical droid on board that had covered his worst burns with bacta patches but there hadn't been quite enough on board. In Starkiller’s mentality, if he failed he was expected to die. More precisely, he was expected to fight until he succeeded or died trying. Even then, injuries only caused pain and pain only made a Sith stronger.

But Corton was no Sith and the strength was rapidly leaving him.

Inexpertly Starkiller laid his hands on the man's chest. He knew, in theory, that the Force could be used to heal but he had never done so before and had never been encouraged to try. The boy concentrated, gathering his fear of failing his mission, of being stranded somewhere and being delayed because he'd lost the pilot and he held onto those feelings, using them as bait to summon the dark side. The power flowed through his hands. He felt the Force singing around him. Confident, he released the energy.

Suddenly, blue lighting sprung from his fingertips. The lightning coursed over Corton's body. It gave a violent tremble, the pilot's mouth opened in a silent scream – then he sunk back onto the stretcher. The Force gave one last twitch. He was dead.

Starkiller moved back. That had not at all gone as he had intended. He'd wanted to save the man's life. Instead, he had killed him.

The young Sith cursed and drew a hand through his short hair. He hadn't known Corton all that much and in the state he'd been in, killing him had probably even been a relief for him. Or it would've been if he hadn't died through Sith Lighting, which was one of the most painful ways to go. He couldn't even summon any joy at having used such an advanced technique as lighting for the first time with no instruction. His pilot was dead, he had killed a member of his own crew, a loyal Imperial. Putting aside the sheer wrongness of that (he was supposed to be a weapon of the Empire, to protect it not kill it's people) it also left him without a pilot in the middle of hyperspace with a ship he had no idea how to fly.

The Sith let out another curse and made his way to the cockpit. He ignored PROXY who stood at the entrance with his shoulders slumped, lights out to preserve energy. Instead he went to the control panel. Luckily he had to press no buttons to find the timer that told him he'd be arriving at Yag'Dhul in two hours. Corton had said the autopilot could probably handle the landing as long as there were no complications. Like people firing at them. Or too much traffic. Or a stray asteroid.  
Starkiller sighed, there was so much that could go wrong. He pulled out a datapad, intend on researching the planet of their destination. What he found wasn't very encouraging. Yag'Dhul had some serious gravity issues during to it rotating in the opposite direction as its three moons. It would not be advisable at all to set a foot on the surface. The only real relevance of the planet lay in it's position at a crossing of two major hyper routes. Corton had been too injured to take them the direct way to Scarl. The navicomputer had a bunch of security measures built in to prevent people from tracking its home port and thus the calculations for a jump into the system had to be made manually each time. As Corton hadn't been up to it, he'd done the next best thing which was turning on the autopilot. With it they were restricted to civilian routes, which meant taking the long way over the Yag'Dhul crossing. The planet had a rather big space station in orbit where civilian and trade ships could refuel. That was most likely where the autopilot would be taking them.

Once there Starkiller would have two choices. He could search for a pilot to take him the rest of the way or he could try to contact his Master. He did have a special code for emergencies but while being stranded in the middle of nowhere on a station over a planet he couldn't enter was certainly not nice, it wasn't a life threatening situation. Starkiller shuddered at the thought of disturbing his Master unnecessarily. He was a Sith student, he should be able to handle something like this! Yes, he would just approach one of the pilots of the civilian ships and lure him in with the promise of money. He did feel a bit bad about it, after all the pilot would most certainly have to be executed in order to keep the position of the Ex a secret but that couldn't be helped. With some luck he'd get a smuggler or a pirate intent on kidnapping and demanding ransom for him. Starkiller didn't like the thought of harming civilians, not after what happened to Corton. He would take the risk of a scoundrel trying to steal his ship (not that they'd manage) if it meant sparing an innocent life.

XxX

Yag'Dhul space station

 

“Out of here!”

“But I can-”

“I said outta!”

The guard struck out with his blaster and Luke barely missed being hit by ducking to the side.  
The boy had managed to get onto a public transport by looking cute and innocent and offering to clean the floor and sanitary units. He had been extremely lucky as the publics only stopped by Tatooine every six months. They stopped on almost every planet on the route, which meant that Luke had been on the ship for almost two days now. The crew had been eyeing him for some time now, despite the fact that he had lived off the food he'd 'borrowed' from the Stormtroopers and went the last day hungry in order to not anger them further. The ship was as clean as he could make it by now and as he wasn't paying, they wanted to get rid of him quickly. Then on the last planet they had passed they had picked up a fat woman and her chiwawa pet. She clearly had money judging from the jewels she wore and she had been rather adamant that she could not be asked to spend time around a dirty street rat like Luke. That's why the guards had simply thrown him out as soon as they docked onto the next station for refueling.

Luke looked around morosely. He didn't even know where he was. It didn't look like a planet, more like a space station. He could see the stars in black space behind the windows in the hangar.  
Without a single credit, hungry and incredibly cold so far away from his home planet, Luke was quickly growing depressed as he walked around aimlessly. 

Eventually he ended up slumped against a pillar not far from a table where the crew of some ship seemed to have their lunch break. Luke's stomach was growling at the sight of them but the men ignored him. He didn't dare ask for something to eat but he didn't want to leave either. Something told him to stay. He didn't know what or why but he had come this far trusting his feelings and it wasn't like it could get any worse.

“Just barely made my way out of that place”, one of the men was saying. Neither he nor any of his friends were dressed in uniform.

“I thought Woostri was a fairly safe planet”, another answered. “As long as you have working codes, you get in and out without problems. I made some good profit there before.”

“Yeah sure, the Imps there don't care who fills their pockets but you might want to stay away for a while anyway. Stupid Woostoids got behind in their production of some technology the Empire wants and guess who they sent out to speed up the process? I tell you who, that guy Vader.”

Luke perked up at that, trying not to be obvious as he listened more closely.

“Darth Vader? Isn't that this weird religious fanatic?”

“You mean, like a Jedi?”

“No, not a Jedi”, one of the pilots said. “Has to be a different branch or something, after all he works for the Empire.”

“I still don't get why that kept you from carrying out your business.”

“Are you kidding? He brought the whole freaking Death Squadron with him. Four Star Destroyers. Four! The Woostoids were scared out of their wits, I tell you. I dare say it will be a lot harder to bribe our way in there, at least in the near future.”

The other men cursed. Luke realized what they were talking about, they were smugglers who bribed the officers so they wouldn't have to pay taxes.

“What's he doing, bringing such a force for an issue this minor?”

“Dunno but you know the Imps, intimidation worked well for them in the past. Nobody really knows who that guy is or where he came from. I mean, does he even have a military rank?”

“The press calls him Lord, not General or Admiral so probably not. From what I learned in the academy, they're pretty proud of their rank in the military, more so then on any title they got by birth so if he had a proper rank, he wouldn't be called Lord.”

“But then why does he have his own personal legion? That's weird, isn't it?”

One of the pilots snorted. “Maybe he bewitched the Emperor into giving it to him using that freaky magic of his.”

Everyone laughed. “There is no such thing as magic, stupid. It's just a fancy mythos.”

“I heard he can kill people just by looking at them.”

“You're a pansy, that's what you are.”

“You don't get it. There are stories – from the Jedi-”

“Oh come on, leave us alone with that nonsense.”

“Killing people just by looking at them, right. How is he gonna do that, shoot lasers from his helmet?”

The crew laughed again but Luke noted that they were a lot more nervous. Somehow that pleased him, he didn't like them making fun of his father. It was like... like poking a sleeping krayt dragon with a stick and laughing at it. Not a good idea.

But the conversation had been very informative for him. He now knew that his father was no longer on Corellia. He was on Woostri, wherever that was.

Luke grabbed his bag and searched for the flyer he had picked up in the public transport. It belonged to a bigger company that offered transport all thorough the galaxy. It only visited planets that lay close to the five major hyperroutes and even then not every one of them but Luke got lucky. Woostri was mentioned on the flyer as being part of the Rimma Trade Route. Unfortunately, the public service didn't dock there during this season. He could get a transport to Wroona but from there it was still several light years to Woostri and he had no idea if he could even get on a ship there. That was if he ever got away from here.

Luke was just about to stand up and look for another public transport when he noticed a boy striding towards the group of smugglers. He was the only other child he'd seen in the hangar but that wasn't what drew Luke's gaze to him. He looked pretty ordinary, clad in leather and cloth for traveling. He was a bit pale but other than that he wouldn't stand out anywhere from poor Tatooine to the streets of Coruscant. Or so Luke assumed, it wasn't like he knew what the people on the city planet looked like.

No, Luke's gaze was drawn to the boy for no particular reason. There was just a general prickling down his spine, a sort of cold shudder. It was a bit disconcerting, as if the totally unremarkable boy had an aura of danger surrounding him. It was similar to the feeling Luke got when he saw some particularity brutish pirates at the spaceport of Mos Eisley but much, much stronger. He could compare it to the difference between a bantha showing you its horns and a poisonous scorpion lying low, waiting to strike. At the same time there was an air of energy and purpose around the boy. He couldn't be more then two years older than Luke but he approached the smuggling group with the confidence of an Imperial Admiral.

Luke's first instinct upon seeing the boy was to flee. But though the boy felt dangerous, there was also a strange feeling of anticipation. The boy could hurt him very badly, he knew that instinctively but he didn't have to. Luke couldn't think of what else he could do. But Luke argued to himself, he was on a quest to search for Darth Vader to tell the man who probably not only wanted nothing to do with him but would even be angry at him for daring to come up to him, that he was his son whose existence would probably cause him major trouble. His venture was very dangerous already and if he fled from some random boy just because he reminded him of a scorpion, he would never get to meet his father.

XxX

He could do it, he was sure of it, he had to be sure, confidence was the base on which to build his will and his will had to be stronger than that of his victim.

"Excuse me, Sirs", Starkiller said with what he hoped was a snobbish voice, "I am in need of a pilot to take away from this awful station. Is anyone here interested in earning some extra cash?"

The band of men that Starkiller had deemed suitably criminal to not be missed, looked up at him and laughed.

"Got lost, kiddo? Get going, I'm sure your Mommy is searching for you", one of them said, grinning.

Starkiller narrowed his eyes and looked at the guy that had addressed him. He raised his hand in a gesture as if to emphasize his words.

"You will pilot my ship for me."

He put all his will into the words, concentrating as much as he could just as his Master had taught him. For a moment the man's eyes seemed to glaze over and Starkiller almost dared to hope.... But then he shook his head and became angry.

"Now listen, who do you think you are, ordering me around?! I ain't taking you anywhere."

Blast it, that was harder than he had thought. Starkiller didn't have a lot of practice with the mind trick for obvious reasons and it had been a long shot to begin with. It probably would've been impossible to keep it up during the whole flight anyway.

"I will pay you", he tried instead.

"Yeah? With what money?", one of the others scoffed.

"My parents are rich, they will pay you royally once you get me home."

"No offense lad but you don't look like you'd be worth much. But if you're stuck, you can ride with us until we reach Dandoran." The smuggler grinned lewdly at him. Starkiller was seriously tempted to draw his blade on him. Dandoran was in Hutt Space and the man was insinuating Starkiller would be worth more sold as a slave.

The young Sith could feel the aggression level rising at the table. None of them seemed to take him seriously and if he pressed further he was only provoking more trouble. At least his arrogant behavior had covered the attempted mind trick. They didn't seem to suspect anything.

"Where do you want to go?"

Starkiller turned around as he was suddenly addressed not from one of the smugglers but from a little boy that was sitting a few steps back, leaning against a pillar. He hadn't paid the human much attention before but now he took the time to notice his ragged appearance, the defining tan that came from working long hours outdoors under the sun and his skinny frame. His hair was so dirty its color was indistinguishable but his eyes were a clear sky blue.

Starkiller wanted to dismiss him immediately when suddenly he felt the faintest shiver of the Force. It was so weak he wouldn't even have noticed it if it weren't for his senses being so high on alert because of the foreign environment.

Still, he had not meant to disclose his destination until he had gotten one of the pilots to follow him alone. 

"I'm heading down the Rimma Trade Route", he answered instead as vague as possible.

The boy's face lit up. "That's my direction too! I'm without a ship but I'm a good pilot. We could travel together!"

"Yeah, take the dwarf with you, that'll keep him from staring at our food too hard", one of the smugglers mocked and the little boy blushed.

Starkiller wanted to refuse immediately. There was no way that child could fly the Rogue Shadow and even if he could, he would have to execute him afterwards and that would be... unpleasant.  
But just as he was about to open his mouth, there was that odd shiver in the Force again, stronger this time. Pretending to take a deep breath, Starkiller closed his eyes to concentrate and tentatively reached out with his senses towards the boy.

Suddenly... he was in pain.

Starkiller had to gather all his strength not to violently flinch back. The feeling was equal to that of looking into a very bright light that burned your eyes. There was something like a massive coil of energy winding around the small boy like a cobra wakening from sleep. It felt like the Force but at the same time, it didn't. Despite the initial pain it did not show any signs of aggressiveness. Normally the Force was like a constant flow, ripping and tugging at him, wildly demanding. This energy felt lazy and calm, just laying there, waiting. It was with no small amount of astonishment that Starkiller realized what he sensed was the boy's natural Force presence. The reason why it felt so different was because the presence was light.

The boy was a Jedi.

The realization was followed by a quick spike of fear, followed by anger. The human boy coudn't be a fully trained Jedi but his Master was sure to be nearby. Why would the child ask to come with him? Starkiller always took care to repress his presence. Otherwise the Emperor might be able to sense him if he came a bit too close to the core on his travels. Still if the Jedi Master was as close as in the same hangar and capable enough of shielding himself (as Starkiller couldn't feel another presence) he might be able to see through the ruse. In that case it was entirely possible, if somewhat unlikely, that the boy had been sent to spy on him. That or he really had been separated from his Master and had no idea he was talking to a Sith.

"Uhm, are you alright?", the boy asked when Starkiller spend several seconds just staring at him.

"Yes", he replied automatically, though a bit raspy.

"Well then, can I travel with you? Please?"

Starkiller’s thoughts raced. The boy didn't look like he had noticed that his true nature had been discovered. He could use that to his advantage. The boy was two, maybe three years younger than him and Starkiller had been trained since... Well, ever since he could remember. The dark side was naturally stronger then the light so even though he had never faced a Jedi before, he should have no trouble killing this one if it became necessary. Lord Vader would want to know about this boy. He would have to be interrogated to find out where his Master was. He couldn't risk taking him to Scarl of course, but with some luck PROXY should know where Lord Vader was right now. If they came as close as the same planet, Starkiller could call him using their training bond and so receive orders on what to do with the brat.

That decision made, the young Sith straightened his back and said: "Well, it seems I don't have another choice. Come along then."

"Woohoo!", the child cried out in joy and jumped to his feet. "Thanks a lot! I'm Luke by the way, what's your name?"

"Ramon", Starkiller answered shortly. It was the first name that came to his mind, the name he'd told Corton as part of his cover story.

Luke followed him through the hangar. Starkiller was walking deliberately slow to keep an eye on his unknowing prisoner and see if he gave any secret signals to a Jedi hiding in the shadows. He couldn't detect anything but that didn't count for much.

"Is that your ship?" Luke exclaimed once they had reached the Rogue Shadow. 

“That's right.”

“Wow...” The child gazed at the ship with wide eyes. “Is that.... is it an interceptor? Or a starfighter? I can't... I've never seen a design like that.”

Starkiller would be very surprised if he had. The Rogue Shadow was a unique craft, a prototype of the Imperial Navy and it got upgraded almost as much as PROXY when his Master stopped by.  
Starkiller entered his code to open the ramp but stopped the boy when he wanted to rush in.

“Wait”, he ordered and quickly made his way to the front.

“PROXY”, he whispered and the droid activated upon hearing his voice.

“I have a prisoner, a Jedi student that may or may not be here to spy on us. He doesn't know I'm onto him yet but we're keeping to our cover story.”

“But Master, what are you planning to do with the Jedi scum?”

“That's for Lord Vader to decide, I just have to get close enough to get a message to him.”

“Did you have success at finding a pilot?”

“No, I'll have to go down and search some more but that will have to wait. The boy pretends to be a pilot and I played along to have an excuse to keep him here. Just try not to contradict me.”

“Master, I am programmed with over two million behavioral roles for infiltration purposes, I do believe your worries are unfounded.”

Starkiller nodded and went back to get Luke. The boy bounced around the whole ship for some time and was very disappointed when Starkiller wouldn't let him look into the adjacent rooms.

“Don't you want to see the cockpit?”, he tried, intent on getting the tour over with so he could get an actual pilot.

“Of course! I can't wait to see it.”

“Hello, I am PROXY, human-droid relations mediator”, PROXY introduced himself in an overly friendly manner when Luke entered.

“Oohh, you have a protocol droid! I've never seen one, there wasn't much use for them on the farm.”

“He does his job”, Starkiller said with a shrug. “Now can you fly the ship?”

“Sure”, Luke claimed and dropped down in the pilot's seat. “Where do you want to go?”

“PROXY”, Starkiller said and the droid answered the unspoken question.

“Our first destination would be Woostri, Sir. It is a planet located in the Expansion regions down the Rimma Trade Route.”

“Awesome, that's where I hoped to get dropped off”, Luke cheered.

Starkiller scowled, that did sound awfully convenient. “Exactly why do you want to go there?”

“Oh, I'm searching for my father”, Luke replied. He started examining the control panel, pushing random buttons and driving the navi computer nuts. “I heard that that's where he's been sent.”

The boy was probably talking about his Jedi Master. Well, Starkiller intended to see just how much he'd thought his story through.

“Is he a businessman then?”

“Nope, he's in the Navy. I dunno what he's doing exactly but it looks like he's making life hard for smugglers.”

The Navy? Starkiller almost scoffed. A Jedi couldn't possibly know enough about the inner workings of the Imperial Navy to pretend to be part of it. They were too busy surviving to do any serious information gathering. Starkiller might not be an expert himself but PROXY was. The droid would be able to find every mistake in the boy's story.

“My father has some friends in the Navy”, Starkiller mentioned as if he was interested in small talk. “Sometimes they come over for lunch. Maybe I know your family. What's your last name again?”

Luke's hands faltered a bit in flurrying over the panel.  
“Uhm, the name is... Lars. I'm Luke Lars and my father's name is Anakin.”

“Never heard of him. Who does he serve under?”

Luke mumbled something.

“What was that?”

“I don't know if I'm supposed to tell. He... He doesn't know about me, you know? It's gonna be a surprise. And maybe it's a bad surprise but I... I just want to get to know him.”

That... actually was a better cover story then he had anticipated. Luke was dropping enough hints that you could anticipate the delicate story behind it and pressing further would be very rude and tactless. It would be easier to fool the boy if he had his trust so for now, he would let it pass.  
Suddenly the ground began to shake and Starkiller was thrown against a wall when the Rogue Shadow made a sudden lunge.

“Yes, I got it!”, Luke cheered.

“What the hell are you doing?!”, Starkiller exclaimed as the ground was rapidly becoming more distant.

“I figured out how to fly this thing. It's harder then I thought but I'm pretty sure that with this lever-”

The entire ship jumped forward and Luke let out a shout of surprise as they sped forward.

“That's incredible! Look, look at that!”, Luke shouted and pointed to a random display. “Look how fast we're going! And we haven't even entered hyperspace yet! Can you believe that!?”

“Yes I know, it's my ship after all!”, Starkiller growled. He just moved to get to the front again when Luke whooped in joy and flew in a loop for no apparent reason. The artificial gravity kept them from being thrown around but the view of the dancing stars in front was quite disconcerting.

“Quit playing around, you act like it's the first time you've ever flown in space!”

“Well, it is”, Luke declared proudly.

“What!? But you said you were a pilot!”

“Uh, I piloted my uncle's speeder occasionally and I was really good at the simulator games in Anchorhead.”

“Alright that's it, get us back to the station this instant!”

“Aw come on, I'm sorry! I promise I won't play around. See, the navi already found us the coordinates. We're ready to jump whenever you'd like.”

Starkiller stilled for a moment. It would be incredibly inconvenient if they had to drag another pilot along, especially while dodging Luke's Jedi Master. The Sith stretched out his senses, wincing at the strong light coming from the other boy and listened for a warning of the Force that might tell him they'd be ripped to shreds upon entering hyperspace because of the boy's stupidity. But there was nothing and in the end he grudgingly allowed Luke to make the jump.


	4. Chapter 4

Luke was feeling giddy as he pushed several buttons in quick order. He had already found out how to start the hyperdrive. Now he just had to wait until the computer finished the calculations. But his new friend didn't have to know that. So Luke pretended to be busy with preparations when really he was calling up all kinds of information about the ship on various displays. Several times he hit a block when some kind of password was required but he got the basics. It had not been his imagination, the ship really was faster then any other spaceship model he knew. And - by the stars, was that a cloaking device? That was so awesome!

"Everyone hold on", Luke exclaimed cheerfully when the computer was done. "We're going lightspeeeeed!" The stars blended together and Luke stared with wide eyes and a grin so large it nearly split his face in two. He really was flying in space, rushing past thousands of stars! He had always dreamed of doing this and now that dream was becoming true. And soon, soon he was going to see his father.

"It's incredible", Luke muttered, eyes fixed on the window.

"It's just black space", Starkiller complained. "What is supposed to be so great about it?"

"But it's so wide! It's endless - and we can go anywhere! Isn't that wonderful?"

The other boy just muttered something too silent for Luke to hear.

"How long until we reach Woostri?", he asked then.

"Uh, let me check." Luke pushed another few buttons to get back to the original setting. "It's thirteen hours."

"Very well. Send PROXY to get me when we're about to land."

With that Starkiller left. Luke was a bit disappointed, he would've liked to talk with the other boy some more.

Instead he turned to the droid and began asking questions. PROXY told him a bit of the various foreign worlds he'd been on but his tone was always rather clipped and though Luke was very interested in other planets, he soon grew bored.

"Where are you going, Sir?", PROXY asked when Luke stood.

"I'm just gonna do a bit of exploring."

"But Master said to stay in the cockpit."

"We're just going to fly through hyperspace for a bit, there isn't anything to do here", Luke said with a bit of a whine. "I wanna see the rest of the ship."

"No you can't, Master forbade it", the protocol droid said rather strictly.

For a moment Luke was intimated. But he was in such a good mood because he got to fly a rare ship, he didn't want to slip into boredom.

"Your Master hired me as a pilot", he argued. "So that means it's my right to visit the crew quarters, isn't it? Really, since you're a protocol droid, shouldn't you show me my quarters?"

For a moment PROXY looked like he wanted to object but in the end, he gave in.

The crew quarters weren't much to brag about but the bed was more comfy then the one he'd had at home, which was a bit sad. The droid left when Luke complained about wanting to use the fresher without anyone peeking. That was his cue to go exploring on his own.

The first room Luke came across turned out to be a medical bay. It smelled of disinfectant and Luke found a small medical droid that was turned off. There was also a large stretcher in the middle of the room. What was strange was the long shape on it that was covered by a white sheet. Curious as he was, Luke stepped closer and lifted the sheet up.

Immediately he recoiled as he saw the white face of a man that was clearly no longer alive, judging from the burns covering his body.  
Luke let out a gasp and dropped the sheet immediately that now matched the color of his face. The boy felt his heart racing in his ribcage. He turned around quickly and stormed out of the medical bay across the corridor and into the room he had seen Starkiller disappear into.

"Ramon!", he called out in fright. "There is a-"

But he never managed to get the words out as he was violently thrown out of the room and against the wall of the corridor. All air was pressed out of his lungs as he slumped down. His back ached from where he'd hit the wall but after shaking his head to clear it from all the stars dancing around it, he saw Starkiller standing in the room beyond, one hand outstretched as if to reach for Luke. Startled, he realized that the other boy hadn't actually touched him. He'd just been thrown through the air by some kind of invisible force.

"What... How did you do that?", Luke asked with wide eyes, his pain forgotten.

Starkiller's eyes narrowed to slits. He hadn't meant to reveal his abilities, it was just an instinctual reaction to someone bursting through his door. In most cases it was PROXY trying to kill him.  
The Sith was at Luke's side in an instant and pulled the younger boy up, roughly shoving him against the wall. 

"What did you think, barging in on me like that, huh?", he asked with a feral snarl.

"I-I'm sorry", Luke stammered, completely taken off guard. "I found this man in the medical bay and - and I think he's dead and I was scared and - and... ugh, that hurts!"

Starkiller loosened his grip but just a little bit and his gaze lost none of its coldness. He had completely forgotten about Corton. Originally he had wanted to make sure the body got shipped back to the man's family as soon as they reached Scarl but with the detour they were now taking and no way to preserve the body, it would've been wiser to get rid of it.

Anyway, Starkiller's cover was now blown. That meant there was no reason to tiptoe around the boy anymore.

"Who sent you? Where is your Master?"

"M-Master? I..." Suddenly Luke began to struggle, his brown furrowing in anger. Starkiller responded by pressing him against the wall even harder, making him wince.

"Look, I know I don't look like much", Luke ground out, "but I'm not a slave! I'm a free person."

"What..." Starkiller shook his head before he realized what Luke was talking about. Abruptly he dropped the boy to the ground.

"No stupid, I'm talking about your Jedi Master!"

"I don't..." Luke coughed, rubbing his chest which was now hurting as well, "I don't know what you're talking about. I've never seen a Jedi..."

"Don't take me for a fool. I can feel that the Force is strong in you."

"The what?"

Starkiller growled and Luke tried to evade him when the older boy lunged for him again. He wasn't fast enough though and soon was stuck in the other's hold again.

"Stop your pretending, I can tell it when you're lying!", Starkiller declared, staring at him intently. He concentrated on the Force. It was harder in his presence, the light blinding him but his mind was unprotected.

"Well, then you should know that I'm telling the truth!", Luke returned. "I don't know about any Jedi Master or what the Force is."

Starkiller held him still for a few moments, waiting for the Force to give the tell-tale shiver that indicated a lie. But there was nothing. Technically it was possible that the boy would only project the thoughts and emotions he wanted him to see but that was advanced stuff. Starkiller himself could only protect his mind in a basic manner by building up shields. He was able to withstand a casual probe of his Master so he couldn't tell what he felt or thought or when he was lying but the shields were still very much detectable through a notable emptiness and he could feel none of that in Luke's head.

"That... doesn't make any sense", he said at last. "You're completely untrained? But then who are you searching for?"

"I told you, I'm searching for my father!"

"Then your father must be a Jedi!" That would at least explain his ridiculously strong presence.

"I..." Luke bit his lips, he remembered Owen mentioning the Jedi together with his father but that had been just another lie they were going to tell him, right?

Starkiller took his hesitation as confirmation and shook him. "That's it, isn't it?"

"No! I mean... I'm not completely sure. I never met my father before."

Starkiller sneered. He could detect no lie but just because the boy was unknowing didn't mean that his suspicion couldn't be right. Luke could still be useful if only in luring this father of his out in the open. Maybe it wasn't worth the trouble but Starkiller did need a pilot. Might as well keep his current one.

“Alright, I believe you”, he said at last.

Luke sighed in relief but didn't dare stand up yet.

“Why are you so mad at me?”, Luke wanted to know when it appeared the older boy had calmed down somewhat. He was hurt by the rude behavior, he'd thought they could be friends.

“I thought you were a Jedi or at least, training to be one”, Starkiller replied. “Jedi are traitors to the Empire, they are dangerous and threaten the peace of the galaxy.”

“Why did you think I was one?”

“You have a noticeable light presence in the Force.”

Luke tilted his head, contemplating those words. “What is the Force?”

Starkiller rolled his eyes and folded his arms in front of his chest. “I can't explain every detail to you. We're talking about secret arts here. Only a select few Imperials are allowed to know about the Force. The Jedi are misusing it. You're probably better off not knowing.”

Luke scurried to his feet. “But you said I have a presence! Is that a bad thing? Like a sickness or something?”

“Wha – no! No, it just means that you're sensitive. The Force is a natural energy field, it exists everywhere but only some people can feel and even less use it.”

“Is that what you did when you threw me out of your room?”

“That's right.”

Luke's eyes began to glow. “Can I learn to do that too?”

“No you cannot”, Starkiller snapped. “Now get back into the cockpit. This conversation is over.”

“But-”

“Over!”

Luke pouted but obediently left for the cockpit. Starkiller sighed and returned to his meditation chamber. However, it wasn't long until Luke found the courage to leave his post again. This time Starkiller had been keeping an eye out for him and so he did not overreact when Luke opened the door just a tiny bit to peek inside.

“What is it now?”, he growled. The young Sith had to remind himself that he could not inflict permanent harm onto the boy, not unless he wanted a second corpse next to Corton's and end up dead in space yet again.

“I'm cold”, Luke whispered timidly.

“The temperature is fine”, Starkiller returned impatiently. 

“I think it's cold”, Luke muttered and averted his eyes.

Starkiller sighed deeply. What had he done to deserve this?

The Sith student stood and motioned for Luke to follow him. There were some spare blankets in a small storeroom.

“Are you hungry?”

Luke nodded.

Since they were here already, might as well prevent the boy from coming complaining to him again at a later time. Starkiller pulled out some rations for the child and as he hadn't had anything himself yet, they sat down to eat together.

“Your name isn't really Ramon, is it?”, Luke said after some time.

“What makes you say that?”

“You wouldn't tell me your real name. You're some kind of secret agent.”

“Wha – how do you...?”

Starkiller saw Luke's grin and knew he walked right into that one.

“You said only a few people were allowed to use the Force. Since you can do it you must be special.”

Starkiller felt an odd little spark of pride in him. His work required absolute secrecy, it wasn't often that he got to show off his abilities. In the routine of his life it was easy to forget that he did indeed hold a very special position as Darth Vader's only student.

“It's not my real name”, he admitted, his lips twitching in what was almost a smile.

“I knew it! Then what is your real name?”

Could he tell him? The boy already knew so much. In the wrong hands, that knowledge could destroy both Starkiller and his Master. There was no doubt that Luke would have to be killed once he had served his purpose. Well if that was the case... it wouldn't hurt if he told him a bit more.

“My name is Starkiller.”

“That's your last name but what do I call you?”

“You call me Starkiller. It's a code name, I don't have another one.”

“But what about the name your parents gave you?”

“I don't have parents.”

“Everyone has parents. I do, even though I never knew them.”

“Well, I don't.”

Luke played with the edge of the piece of bread he was holding. “My real name is Luke Skywalker.”

“You weren't named after your father?”, Starkiller asked, remembering that Luke had said his father's name was Anakin Lars.

Luke shook his head. “Lars is the name of my relatives. I live with my aunt and uncle. They never liked talking about my father but they made it sound as if I could get into huge trouble if I told anyone outside of Tatooine who he was so I kept it silent.”

Starkiller suspected that there was more the boy wasn't telling him. He didn't recognize the name Anakin Skywalker but it was entirely possible that he was a Jedi that had been evading the Empire since its foundation.

“What do you plan to do when you've found him?”

“I dunno. I met some Stormtroopers who said it might be bad for his job if I showed up and told everyone I was his son. He might not even want to get to know me. It's just...” Luke bit his lip and looked everywhere but at Starkiller. “The entire time, my relatives have lied to me about him. I guess I can see why they did it, they wanted to protect me. But I'd be happier if I knew the truth, even if the truth isn't pretty. Maybe my father doesn't want to have to do anything with me. But I think he should at least know that I'm here, that I exist. He has the right to know that just as I have the right to know who he is. What he wants to do once he learns about me, well... I'm going to find out, I guess.”

Now it was Starkiller's turn to look away. “I never wanted to know about my parents”, he said.

“Never?”

“No. It never really interested me. They were weak.”

“How do you know that?”

Starkiller shrugged. “Everyone is weak compared to my Master.”

Luke gave him a strange look. “Are you talking about a slave Master or a Jedi Master?”

The Sith gave him a slightly horrified look, though he was not sure which suggestion disgusted him more. “I... I'm talking about my mentor!”

“So, like a Jedi Master.”

“Not like a Jedi!”

“But he taught you about the Force, didn't he? Isn't that a Jedi thing?”

“It's a different order, alright? Very secret, I can't tell you but I'm not a Jedi!”

That was when Luke started to giggle and Starkiller realized he was being teased. Nobody had ever dared to tease him before!

“Tell you what, I'm gonna call you S.K. S.K., the not-Jedi.”

“You are so not gonna do that!”

“Am too!”

“Don't you dare!”

Luke laughed and though Starkiller glared at him furiously, he found he wasn't really angry at the boy. In fact, despite his light still shining so annoyingly bright, he found his presence to be somewhat less annoying.

XxX

Woostri

Darth Vader sneered and let the doors to his quarters swish shut with much more force then was normal. He was just coming from a meeting with the local Grand Moff overlooking the sector. He didn't know what angered him more, the obvious corruption that the man refused to see or the disrespect directed at him personally.

Darth Vader knew his own power. He knew he was the Emperor's most trusted enforcer. He knew one day he would be the one sitting on that throne. Sidious would allow only a Sith to take his place. That made Darth Vader his heir and the second most powerful being in the galaxy.

The problem was that the people did not know that. Vader had no official rank in the military. He was not hiding his Force abilities but the Emperor had a number of assassins and inquisitors who used the Force. That's why even to those who knew of the Sith, Vader's status as a Dark Lord was not well known. His fleet, generally known as Death Squadron, technically wasn't even his to command, through every captain and commander in it knew to obey him without question. It had build up somewhat of a reputation thorough the galaxy both through a series of overwhelming victories as well as being the fleet most often used by him.  
Still, his lack of proper rank caused Vader to get underestimated both by his enemies and allies. The only ones who recognized his true strength were the Stormtroopers. It was nearly unheard of in the Army and Navy alike that a commander would fight up front with his soldiers. This together with Vader's ruthless but fair management of his troops had gained him the respect of the foot soldiers. Higher ranking personnel however often tried to get the better of him by downplaying his accomplishments.

Of course Sidious said it was a good thing he was being underestimated as it gave him an advantage in battle. Also the Sith were still supposed to be a secret order. Nobody knew that the Emperor himself was a Master of the dark powers. All around the galaxy, the process of destroying every shred of information about the Force and the Jedi was still in progress. There would come a time when the people would have no idea what the Force even was. That's what the Sith aimed for. People feared what they did not know and the purges would turn Darth Vader into a truly unpredictable enemy.

But until he could unleash such terror on his enemies, time would have to pass still. The people had to forget about the Jedi first, to wipe out any analogy that could be drawn between them. His time would come. One day he would reveal his true strength to the galaxy. He would lead the Imperial forces from his flagship, the Executor. He would have his own personal assassin and right hand man at his side, his student Starkiller and nobody, not even Sidious would doubt his power then.

Until then, Vader had to restrain himself. How he would love to just strangle that Grand Moff. The production on Woostri was two months late but the man got his pockets filled by smugglers passing through the system, taking away the goods that were meant for the Empire. Vader's appearance had scared the local government enough that production would be sped up and his fleet had shot down a good number of escaping unregistered ships to set an example so there would be no further delays. Still Vader fully intended to write a report to the Emperor that would get that Moff fired and, if he was lucky, thrown in jail for his crimes as well.

….that meant paperwork. Ugh, sometimes he really hated his job. He'd gotten somewhat used to the murdering people part but the paperwork was driving him nuts.

“We're done here, Captain”, Vader snapped into a micro that was set on a channel connecting him with the Captain of the Star Destroyer Avenger.

“Get me off this damn planet.”

Darth Vader retreated to his meditation chamber. He had just sat down, intent on using his frustration and anger to delve into the Force when he felt a familiar tingle at the edge of his mind. It had appeared quite suddenly. There was no doubt, his young apprentice was close by.

Vader frowned. What was the boy doing here? He should be on Scarl right now, his latest trial shouldn't have taken so much time. Starkiller knew that he was not to approach Vader out in the open. It was a huge risk for them to be anywhere near each other this far away from the Executor.  
Suddenly Vader's private comm blinked, a Code A communication was being sent through. Code A did not pass Imperial security other than the actual code level confirmation, it was sent right to Vader. This code was reserved for absolute emergencies and there were only three people who even had access to it. One was the Emperor, one was Vader's personal adjunct and one was PROXY.  
Vader activated the comm.

“What is it?”, he asked, knowing who would be on the other side. Starkiller did not know that PROXY had access to this code. This could mean one of two things. Either the droid had called him on his own to report on some decisive failure of his student and to ask for permission to drop his restrictions and complete his primary programming. Or Starkiller planned on using PROXY's transmitter to send an encrypted message through the Imperial channels and the droid had simply called ahead of time. If it was the latter he would be rather annoyed, it was an emergency code for a reason.

“Sir, there is a situation”, the mechanical voice of the assassin droid said. “Captain Corton was killed during our last mission. Master Starkiller has hired a young pilot to help out. Unfortunately our cover was blown and the pilot seems to be Force sensitive.”

“Are we talking about a Jedi?” That would be bad, Starkiller wasn't ready for such a fight yet.

“No Sir, he appears untrained and not hostile.”

Curious. For a moment Vader contemplated meditating on the matter. He could sense Starkiller because he had trained the boy for almost a decade but he knew there was no hope of getting a decent reading of this pilot unless he headed down to the planet again. In the mood he was in however, all he really wanted to do was get away from this planet.

“Kill the pilot”, Vader ordered, if their cover was blown there was really no other way around it. “I will send a replacement down for you.” He went through a mental checklist. If Corton had died on the mission, maybe it was time to appoint someone more competent to the Rogue Shadow, someone who he wouldn't have to replace too soon. Starkiller was still young, too young to be considered an actual agent. Maybe he could appoint a younger pilot to him to make up for the difference, make it look like an easy job to get used to working in the Navy.

The connection to the droid was cut. Vader was already thinking of possible candidates for Corton's replacement and so he missed the small twinge of the Force that, had he noticed it, might have caused him to reconsider the order he'd just given to the assassin.

XxX

“Here we are... Woostri.” Luke smiled, he was very proud that he'd gotten it right on his first try. He hadn't told Starkiller but he had not been 100% completely sure that he'd put in the right coordinates.

His new friend had told him to come out of hyperspace at a distance and Luke cheered when he got to turn on the cloaking device. The ship was small and dark enough so that when they stayed a good distance away from any other craft they wouldn't be seen. The cloaking device didn't do anything as fancy as turn the ship invisible but it confused every known kind of sensor so their presence wouldn't get picked up. That was as close as invisibility as you got in space.

“Wow”, Luke exclaimed and barely fought off the temptation of pressing his face against the window when they passed the four giant starships that he knew had to be under the command of his father.

“Uhm, why are we sneaking past them again?”, the boy asked with a bit of a bad conscience.

“I'm a secret agent, remember?”, Starkiller answered, using the term Luke had set for him. “I'm not a part of the Navy officially and they are blockading the entire planet.”

“If you are a secret agent, may I drop this ridiculous pretense then?”

Luke and Starkiller turned to see PROXY walk up on them.

“Permission granted.”

“Thank my creator. It was getting really annoying.”

“You just hid in the crew quarters and let Luke wander around completely unsupervised”, Starkiller said with a frown. “What was up with that anyway?”

“You told me to adhere to protocol and a protocol droid couldn't very well bodily keep a guest from leaving his designed room in such a small craft.”

“Wait, he's not a protocol droid?”, Luke asked.

“He's my training droid”, Starkiller replied, carefully avoiding the word assassin.

“A training droid? For combat and stuff? Ooohh, do I get to see you spar with him?”, Luke asked with wide, excited eyes.

“No.”

“Aw, come on S.K.!”

“Don't call me that. Now prepare for the landing.”

Luke turned around to the panel again. The landing was quite a bit more difficult than starting from a station that was already in space. The atmosphere did some interesting things to the hull that he hadn't accounted for. Starkiller glared daggers at him when an alarm began to ring through the ship.

“Ehehe, one moment!”

Luke pushed some more buttons. To Starkiller it appeared as if he was just moving randomly but Luke did indeed feel like he was following a string of commands. He saw it clearly in his head, what he had to do and though there were a few lapses, he got the ship back under control again.  
At last the ramp touched the ground in an abandoned hangar a bit outside of the capital city and the two boys let out their breaths in relief.

“So... what happens now?”

Starkiller walked out of the ship, secretly thankful to have hard ground under his feet again. He made sure nobody suspicious was around before turning back to Luke and PROXY who were coming down behind him.

“Now I will contact my Master. You will stay here with PROXY and not draw attention to yourself.”

“But I have to find my father! I know he's here somewhere.”

Starkiller rolled his eyes. “Yeah and what are you gonna do? Run up to the next Imperial you see and ask to see him? You told me you wanted to avoid spreading his name around because having you here could damage his reputation.”

Luke hung his head, he hadn't planned that far ahead.

“Tell you what”, Starkiller offered, “when I'm finished with my business, I'm going to look up your father myself. I'm an infiltration specialist, I can arrange for you to catch your father alone if you in turn fly me to my next destination.”

Luke smiled sadly. “Thanks S.K., that's really nice but I don't think you'll find him that easily.”

“Why not? I have his name and PROXY is a pretty good hacker, we can find out where he's stationed. And don't call me that.”

Luke shrugged, if he was being honest he wasn't in all that much of a hurry to meet his father now that it came down to it. He even dreaded the encounter a bit, he still didn't know how he would react after all. And he certainly wouldn't mind spending more time with Starkiller.

The young Sith turned his back on them. His Master was either on planet or on one of the Star Destroyers in orbit. A short range transmitter should suffice to get a coded message through.  
As he walked away from the Rogue Shadow, the first feelings of doubt started to creep into his heart. He was aware that it was possible, even likely that his Master would order Luke's death. After all Starkiller could only get a small message through security without revealing himself and it wasn't possible to explain in length why that course of action might not be advisable. Luke was... he was so innocent. It wasn't his fault that he was Force sensitive or that Starkiller had accidentally revealed his powers to him. He was just one of the billions of other Imperial citizen that Starkiller trained to protect. It was not right that he should be punished for something he couldn't control.  
And... loath to admit it but he may have grown on him just a tiny bit as well. Reporting him to his Master almost felt like betrayal. Even if he did not get the order to kill him immediately, his Master would insist he bring him to him for inspection. Luke would follow him oh so willingly too, all Starkiller had to do was tell him he was taking him to see his father. Then the boy would be shipped off to one of the Emperor's secret facilities to be trained as an assassin or an Inquisitor. He would never become fully enlightened to the wonders of the Force like Starkiller, who was an actual Sith apprentice but he would be trained and he would be alive. Just... They would also destroy his person, break him down into pieces to shape him anew and turn him into a puppet. Starkiller knew that this was necessary. He himself had been broken many times before his Master had been content with the solid foundation of pain and anger in his soul but Luke... Starkiller wasn't sure he would survive it. He didn't even know if he wanted him to. 

Starkiller reached the traffic control center. He sneaked inside easily, knocked out the single Officer in the control room and prepared his message, using predefined code words to describe both his need for a new pilot and that he had found a new recruit for the hunters. However when he moved to send the message, he couldn't find the fleet's signal anywhere. Confused he searched through the lists.

The young Sith swallowed when he saw that the legion had already departed. They must've entered hyperspace shortly after Starkiller and Luke had landed on Woostri. His Master was gone and he had no idea where to.

Objectively Starkiller knew that this was bad news. He was once again stranded without orders but.... he couldn't help but think that this meant he wouldn't have to see the dejected look on Luke's face just yet.

XxX

Luke began to absentmindedly kick around some pebbles. He was so close to his goal, but S.K. was right, how was he ever to get close to his father without alerting everyone of his presence? The more he thought about it, the surer he grew that his father would not appreciate it if everyone knew he had a son. And that was if they even let him see him. It was more likely they just wouldn't believe him. For that matter, it wasn't certain that S.K. would believe him either but he had already promised he'd help.

Luke kicked another pebble and he did it so hard it flew against the wall of a nearby building. Suddenly the boy had the strangest feeling the pebble would bounce off the wall and fly straight back at him, hitting his head. Without really thinking about it, he ducked instinctively and just a split second later a thin vibrating blade flew over his head, barely cutting off the tips of his hair.  
Luke turned around and had just enough time to get a glimpse at PROXY rushing at him, a long blade sticking out of one arm and the barrel of a blaster canon out of the other when he was overwhelmed by the foreboding realization of coming death.

Instincts took over and with a scream of fright, Luke fled around the corner of the building. PROXY was hot on his heels and Luke was sure he could feel the killing intent roll off the wiry droid in waves. His long mechanical legs allowed him to run much faster than Luke so the boy crawled through a broken window of a building he passed. His skin got pierced by some stray shards still lying around but he didn't stop to consider the pain and instead ran through the abandoned house.  
While PROXY was outfitted with enough firepower to blast the entire building to the stars, he did try to stay inconspicuous if possible. He didn't fit through the same window but he was able to limply climb up the front until he reached one of the larger windows in the first floor.

But Luke didn't plan on hiding in the building, he left it through another window on the other side, this time one he had to smash in himself. He threw a frantic glance behind him as he kept running – and smashed right into another person crossing the street.

Luke cried out as he fell to the ground but before he could hit it, a pair of hands gripped his arms and pulled him back on his feet.

“Luke, by the stars, what has gotten into you?”

Luke looked up and sighed in relief when he recognized Starkiller.

“S.K.! It's PROXY, he's gone bonkers!”

“What?”  
The assassin droid literally dropped from the sky in that moment, unleashing a barrage of blaster shots as he did.

Starkiller cursed and pushed Luke out of the way. The boy hit the ground hard and winced but he scrambled to his feet fast, looking back at his friend. He did not know what happened to a human when he was hit with that many blaster shots but it couldn't possibly be good. They were in the middle of the street too, there was nowhere to seek cover. But when he looked back, he found Starkiller completely unharmed.

Luke gaped at the sight in front of him. An entire section of the street had been peeled off, a rectangular block of concrete curling upwards like the top of a tin can. One side of the block was blackened where the shots had hit. 

PROXY was still in motion. He was now landing on top of the makeshift shield. Starkiller had drawn a thin vibroblade from a hidden compartment in his leather jacket and PROXY was catching the strike aimed at him with the hull of his blaster canon.

“This is the worst possible moment”, Starkiller growled at the droid.

“I was not after you, Master”, PROXY replied. He pushed against Starkiller before unexpectedly jumping back – and rushing at Luke again.

Starkiller whirled around quickly. His eyes widened as he realized that this was not one of PROXY's normal murder attempts.

“No, not Luke!”

Luke stared at the maniacal assassin droid rushing at him. Starkiller's shout woke him from his stupor. However, his earlier fear had suddenly vanished. As soon as he saw Starkiller, he knew nothing would happen to him. He even felt happy when he heard the older boy cry out for him. Starkiller was so strong and cool, he traveled the whole galaxy and did secret missions. Luke wanted to be like him.

Luke thrust his hands forward just as he had seen Starkiller do and concentrated with all his mind on his wish to push the approaching death machine away. The result wasn't anywhere near as impressive as he'd hoped but PROXY was halted in his movement long enough for Starkiller to rush at his side and position himself between them.

“PROXY, stop it! That's a command!”

“Master, I have orders to kill young Luke.”

“What!? No, you don't! Without him we're stranded, remember?!”

“My creator has issued a new pilot for us. The boy is a security risk and has to be eliminated.”

Luke carefully glanced at the droid from behind Starkiller's protective figure. 

“That doesn't sound so good”, he muttered.

Starkiller licked his lips. PROXY had spoken with Lord Vader? His Master had ordered Luke to be killed? He knew that this had been a possibility but... He hadn't even gotten a chance to explain!

Luke tugged at Starkiller's jacket and the boy reluctantly looked at him. 

“S.K....?”

He met Luke's bright uncertain eyes and he knew he couldn't betray him.

“It's gonna be alright”, he whispered with more confidence then he felt.

PROXY attacked again in this moment but Starkiller was faster than him. He ducked and struck from below, hitting the holounit on the chest of the droid. His vibroblade stabbed through the electronics. The droid twitched for a moment, then he slumped over and fell to the ground. Starkiller knew from experience that the damage was easy to repair, he had just severed a few wires going to his energy core. In fact, in five minutes the emergency batteries would activate and PROXY would come back to life. Starkiller had hit the same place he usually aimed for when PROXY tried to kill him and doing so counted as a victory for him because with most sentient beings, it was the spot where the heart was.

“You did it!”, Luke cheered and hugged the young Sith from behind, which almost caused the boy to slit his throat purely on reflex.

“Yeah. But you better get back to the Rogue Shadow, he's going to wake up soon.”

“What!? Then we have to dissemble him. Destroy him!”

“I can't do that, Luke, do you have any idea how valuable such a droid is?”

“But he almost killed us!”

“He is programmed to kill me, he does it all the time.”

“What!? Why?”

“Luke, I...” Starkiller sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I am training to be a... high level assassin. I have to learn to be alert all the time. That's why PROXY has been programmed to randomly try to kill me. It's all part of my training.”

“But that's horrible!”, Luke exclaimed. “I mean... you would always have to remember to shut him off when you... go to sleep or have missions or stuff.”

Starkiller shook his head. “Assassins won't be considerate of how tired you are, Luke. The only thing that concerns me is that he said he was after you.”

“Well, he's obviously malfunctioning. Let's get rid of that thing, S.K., it's dangerous!”

Luke made a move towards the fallen droid but Starkiller quickly intervened.

“No, Luke, don't!” The young Sith quickly moved to stand between the droid and Luke just as he had done previously – but this time he was protecting PROXY, not Luke.

“It's just a droid, I know it's probably expensive but you can sell the parts-”

 

“I said no!”, Starkiller all but shouted. His hands were balled to fists, trembling.  
Luke stared at him with wide eyes.

“You... You don't understand. PROXY is my friend.”

“A friend who tries to kill you. On a regular basis”, Luke returned skeptically.

“I... He's programmed that way, alright? You don't... you don't know anything!”

Luke looked away for a moment. He couldn't understand why Starkiller would protect the droid. Sure PROXY had a lot more personality than the usual droid but he was still just a machine.

“I would never try to kill you”, he muttered.

Starkiller swallowed hard.

“I know”, he said. That's what made it so hard. He could stall, he could try to win his Master over for the idea of Luke becoming an Inquisitor but... The more he protected him, the more he argued his case, the more likely it became that his Master would order him to kill him himself, just as a test. And he knew he'd have to do it.

“Let's just... make sure he can't kill us the moment he wakes up again, okay?”, Luke asked.

Starkiller nodded. He used his vibroblade to dislocate a few defining wires in PROXY's joints so he would be immobilized.

“I'm sorry”, Starkiller muttered, addressing Luke but not looking at him. He didn't even know exactly what he was sorry for. PROXY was his personal training droid and his only connection to his Master, here so far away from the base. He had been given to him by Lord Vader, he and the Rogue Shadow and Starkiller knew they were very advanced technology that were proof of how much his Master had invested in him. To disregard such a gift and destroy it just to save some random Force sensitive child that happened to have helped him out would be folly. It might even count as traitorous.

And still... When Luke had said that he would never try to kill him... It had sounded like he offered his friendship if just he got rid of PROXY and though Starkiller knew he could never abandon the droid for a stupid ever smiling kid, it was the first time any organic being had ever reached out for him in genuine kindness. He was a Sith, he did not need friends. That's what he'd been taught, that's what he had always believed. But now that he actually had the chance to experience it... He found himself yearning what he must never have.

“It's alright”, Luke whispered next to him. “When... When I was little I had a small bantha toy figure. It was really ugly but I still kept it with me all the time. Our farm was lying far away from the next city so that toy was my only friend. I kept it even when my Aunt offered to buy me a new one.” 

Starkiller looked at him strangely, what was the boy implying? He had to keep PROXY alive purely because he was a tool, a valuable weapon not because he was... Ah, who was he fooling, he had called the droid his friend himself not too long ago. But that was not in any way comparable with Luke's bantha toy. Starkiller wasn't a child after all, he didn't need comforting. He just... felt alone sometimes, that was all.

PROXY came back to life abruptly, pulling Starkiller out of his thoughts.

“Master”, he said, his eyes gazing from Luke over to him. “You have defeated me yet again. Excellent work.”

“I want to know why you targeted Luke”, Starkiller said without responding to the praise.

“I have orders from my creator.”

“You listen to me, your Master, not to your creator!”

“Yes but you listen to the Lord, Master.”

“This boy”, Starkiller said and pointed at Luke, “has a lot of Force potential. He can be useful to the Empire. I was going to explain this to my Master but the fleet has already departed. If you had the means to contact him, you should've let me speak to him!”

“The orders were clear.”

“He didn't know all the details! The responsibility for this mission and this journey lies with me. I make the decisions. My Master didn't order me to kill Luke, he would have if he really wanted him dead. But he didn't, he just ordered you to get rid of a potential security leak because he thought this would help my mission. I think differently and as I am the one with all the information, it is my right to override his decision in this point.”

PROXY was silent for a moment, his processor whirring. Droids did not have a conscience. You could not appeal to any emotions with them. You could however get a droid to change his mind if you could convincingly explain why a different course of action agreed better with its programming.

“Your Master will be very angry with you”, PROXY said at last.

“Maybe. I am still learning, I make mistakes. Maybe this is one but if it is, it is one of little consequence, one that I can learn from. You are programmed to help me train and learn so you should support me in this.”

PROXY hesitated but in the end, he agreed. “Very well, I will help you, Master. But I still believe this is a bad idea.”

Starkiller suppressed a sigh of relief – it would be a sign of weakness that he could not allow himself to show around the droid. He reached out to put the wires back into place, which allowed PROXY to stand up. Then the young Sith turned around to look for Luke. He found that the boy had backed away from him, looking wary.

“Luke? Is everything alright?”, he asked.

“You... You're not kidding, right? You're really...”

“What are you blabbing about?”, he wanted to know, growing annoyed.

“I... I know that what you do is secret... But... The people you work for want me dead! And... And they might even ask you to kill me!”

Starkiller swallowed, Luke looked like he was going to bolt any moment and if he did, he knew he could not let him escape. Trying to find him a position in the Empire was one thing, letting him escape with his knowledge was another matter entirely. Starkiller might be able to talk his way out of loosing him, that wasn't the problem but PROXY would shoot him down without hesitation.

“Look, I'm doing what I can”, he said. “The Emperor has a secret academy where people like you – Force sensitives – are trained to become agents. With your potential you'll be a promising recruit, maybe valuable enough to overlook... certain secrets you shouldn't know about.”

“An agent... like you?”, Luke asked hesitantly. “Would I be working together with you?”

“...no, Luke. I... I work alone. If you do manage to get admitted, you must never speak of me, to anyone.”

“But you don't know if they'd even take me. And if they don't, they'll kill me”, Luke complained.

Starkiller hung his head, he didn't have the heart to lie to him.

Luke's thoughts were racing. He had promised his relatives that he'd be home by the end of the season. Starting a career as an Imperial secret agent hadn't really been part of his plans. On the other side, that way it might not be so embarrassing for his father to learn about him. The prospect of maybe being killed if he didn't pass their tests though did not appeal to him at all. He might've been more willing to take the risk if at least he'd have Starkiller there to help him but it didn't sound like the older boy was supposed to even talk to him. Maybe if he could find work with the Empire and his father accepted him, he would then be trusted to keep Starkiller's secret and could return home. But Luke did understand that he needed that permission. He'd been too curious and now he was stuck, he didn't want to lead any hostile Imperials back to his home.

“Can't I... Can't I just do the same as you?”, he tried again. “I could help you on your missions. I would tell nobody.”

“That's... not possible, Luke. I'm sorry.”

“But you could at least ask! Couldn't you?”

“Luke, I'm...” Damn, he couldn't tell him that he was an apprentice – and that Sith only ever had one apprentice. Luke already knew too much.

“I can't, my Master is very strict. He wouldn't take you in.” He didn't care that it sounded rude, didn't even care about the hurt look Luke threw him. Even if there was a chance his Master would take Luke in, Starkiller knew he wouldn't speak in Luke's favor to Lord Vader. In fact, he would probably set everything on discouraging the idea. The training of a Sith apprentice was no less harsh than that of the Emperor's agents, in fact it was probably even harder. Starkiller was proud to say he had fulfilled his Master's expectations until now and he would not have anyone threatening that position, not even Luke. Even if the Sith would allow two apprentices, it would only be for the purpose of pitting them against each other, rivals that fought each other more than they fought against the enemies of their Master.

“This Master of yours... This 'Lord'”, Luke said, remembering what PROXY had said. He had a suspicion but it couldn't be, could it? On the other hand... it would explain the huge coincidence of both of their destinations being Woostri and Starkiller had said his Master had departed with the fleet, the fleet that Luke was pretty sure belonged his father.

“Who is it again that you are working for?”

Starkiller contemplated his answer. Of course he was not allowed to tell anyone but if he did, it could discourage Luke from the idea of wanting to work with him. People, especially innocent ones like Luke, tended to fear his Master – and they had good reason to. Then, if Luke agreed to trying to become an Inquisitor, Starkiller would have to take him to his Master anyway. He was his only contact that could even arrange for Luke to get transferred so he would learn who he worked for anyway. The hardest part would be convincing his Master but as Starkiller had just passed his first trial, maybe he would grant him this favor. He would probably still search Luke's mind and lock away every memory of Starkiller. Luke would forget him... But he would live.

Starkiller stood straight, his decision made. “I am working for Lord Vader.”

He saw Luke's eyes widen momentarily and felt smug at knowing that the seriousness of the matter had finally gotten through to him.

“If I... I came with you... Would I get to see him?”, Luke asked nervously.

“Yes”, Starkiller replied seriously, “he would be the one to test you.” Or to kill you, he added mentally.

Luke nodded and bit his lips. “I... I'll come with you. I want to try it.”

The answer itself wasn't surprising, it was literally the only way how Luke would get out of this alive. What surprised Starkiller was the determined look in his eyes, his earlier nervousness had vanished completely. If he was being completely honest, Starkiller had hoped that mentioning Darth Vader would scare the boy enough that he'd try to run away as soon as Starkiller and more importantly PROXY turned their backs on him. That would get the young Sith into a tremendous amount of trouble but Luke would be free to go back whether he'd come from and hopefully scared enough not to ever talk about his little adventure ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note about Darth Vader's status. It's been ten years since the Empire was founded so you would think he's a very well known figure. Partly, you would be right. However, note that when he's hunting Jedi, he almost always manages to kill them and everyone who helps them gets arrested. That means no witnesses. There were a couple of rebellions on some planets that he helped to 'clean up', acting as a general so that's where most people know him from. However, these rebellions happened shortly after the Empire was founded. It's pretty quiet now, we have an era of peace so the glory has dwindled down a bit. He's mostly hunting Jedi and posing as a tool of intimidation these days. From the way he was treated in episode 4 on the Death Star, I guess that his enormously important position as Sidious student is not well known. Vader assumes that as he's Sidious' apprentice and a close friend of him, this means he will inherit the throne but Sidious has never confirmed this. After all he wants Vader to keep doing everything to please him, it wouldn't do for him to feel safe. However I do believe Sidious really would prefer a Sith to be his successor. His not telling anyone of Vader's right is meant to be a life lesson and to keep him from getting too arrogant. Despite having 20 years of time, Sidious never replaced Vader as his apprentice. He's over 80 when he dies so for me it's clear that despite his injuries, he still saw Vader as the most powerful apprentice he ever had (or would get, with the possible exception of Luke/Starkiller). No doubt he had him tested against many Jedi and possibly assassins. (Note that I will now and forever ignore any schemes of Sidious's clone, I think the idea ridiculous and will not accept it as canon for my fanfiction.)
> 
> Since Vader often fights at the front or goes on solo missions hunting jedi, I assume that Death Squadron has a fleet commander of it's own. They are not reserved for his personal use but when Vader needs a fleet he calls up that one because he's most familiar with them (his former Clone Wars 501 legion was included in it after all). Of course this all changes after the Death Star is destroyed and he gets declared Supreme Commander (which might or might not happen now, who knows?). I am not completely familiar with Imperial hierarchy so if anyone knows the names of the fleet commander or captains of the Stardestroyers, feel free to tell me. I might even include them as secondary characters later on. Wookiepedia is rather unhelpful here so if you don't, I might end up just making names up.
> 
> In the end, Vader is the second-in-command of the whole Empire and heir to the throne. However, nobody knows this. People frequently complain when Vader storms in and takes over command but he keeps doing it because he knows exactly that Sidious will listen to those complains, nod and smile and later praise Vader for his good work.
> 
> Please continue to comment!


	5. Chapter 5

Warren Lokey watched a young couple enter the cafe across the street with envy. He had been waiting for three hours now and was slowly growing hungry. The first two hours he had obediently stayed at the hangar, waiting for his contact to arrive. After all his orders came directly from Lord Vader. To have been appointed to a special mission by him personally was a great honor but it also brought with it a great responsibility. It was entirely possible that he was being left waiting in order to test his endurance and discipline. Lokey had left the hangar to breathe some fresh air outside but he stayed close to the entrance and did not dare enter any other building where he might miss his contact.

With a shudder, Lokey remembered how he'd gotten the mission.

Lokey was a rather young pilot, only 22 years old and it was only thanks to his amazing scores in the academy that he had earned through hard work and training that he'd managed to get into Death Squadron. He was a simple officer but with the legion he served in, even that was a respected position. He began as a simple TIE-fighter pilot but was often chosen to fly shuttles or landing transports as well. He accompanied Lieutenant Praji on various missions and as Praji had recently been promoted to being Darth Vader's personal aide, Lokey assumed that it had been him who had recommended him.

Being so new to the Navy, it had come as quite a surprise for him when he'd been called to the infamous 'Dark Lord' himself. On the entire way he had tried to calm himself that he couldn't have possibly screwed something up so badly as to punished by the commander himself, he didn't hold a position important enough to do enough damage in.

Then Vader had offered him this mission, that could last anything from a few days to entire years. He was to become the Captain of a ship that served as a transport for a special team. In the beginning he would continue to serve in Death Squadron if there weren't any missions but with time he would be required to stand ready any time. This meant he would have to commit his entire life to the job, not being able to visit his family or found his own for the next twenty years or so. Because his job also required absolute secrecy, his pay would only be moderate and his rank would remain that of a Lieutenant, effectively cutting off his career.  
Tentatively Lokey had asked if he even had a choice in the matter. If the mission was that secret it was entirely possible that he'd be killed just for knowing of it in case of refusal. Vader had declared that yes, he did have the choice. Despite what rumors said, he did not throw away talented officers for refusing a job offer and he didn't want anyone for the mission who would not be dedicated.  
Lokey did not have living family. Born on a planet in the Outer Rim, he'd become an orphan during the Clone Wars. The Imperial Academy had been his only chance to ever get any education at all and he honestly thought the Empire was the best thing that could've happened to the galaxy. He grew up knowing the horror of war that came from a galaxy torn apart and he saw that the Empire brought back stability and peace. He was not overly fond of the Empire's policy of investing billions of money into bigger ships and deadlier weapons; in his opinion the money would be better spent building up those worlds that had been destroyed during the war. But he kept his opinion secret. He had declined two early promotions into the fleets of Generals that were known for working with inhuman weapons of mass destruction or preferred to utilize terrifying droids that reminded Lokey far too much of the separatist armies. In fact, Lokey had been treading on thin ice and people had been questioning his loyalty to the Empire when he hadn't taken either post. Then the offer to serve in Death Squadron had come in.

While the (unofficial) Commander had a reputation of dishing out severe punishments for everyone who disappointed him, he was also an idol and example for everyone striving to be a good pilot. He was famous for flying out at the front in his modified TIE Advanced and easily overpowered his enemies both with the raw strength of his fleet and its elite soldiers as well as his tactics and battle strategy. He believed in his men and fought side by side with them instead of relying on machine monsters. In Lokey's eyes, that was what the Empire was supposed to do, they were 'only' human and yet they were still considered the best even without the help of terrifying new inventions. In short, Darth Vader was a Commander Lokey could be proud to be working under.

That was the reason he had agreed to the job. He was a good pilot but he knew he was not exactly a leader. He could best serve the Empire by flying and if he was given a mission by Lord Vader, even not knowing exactly what it was, he could be sure that he'd be working for a greater purpose and maybe even help to make a difference in the galaxy.

After agreeing to the job, Lokey had been dropped off by a shuttle on the same planet they had been currently orbiting. He'd been told to wait at the hangar in the spaceport and that the team would approach him shortly. He was responsible for their health and maintenance while on the ship, the Rogue Shadow, that was apparently already planetside. The choice of words gave him a hint that at least one team member must be a droid but other then that he had no idea who belonged to the team or how many members there were. His mission was to fly them to wherever they wanted to go and to report back to Death Squadron once he was dismissed.

That sounded easy enough except for the fact that the team wasn't showing up. He already considered that maybe he had missed them but he was the only one in Imperial uniform in the hangar so that wasn't very likely.

Lokey was just contemplating if maybe he could go over to that cafe and get something to drink, just a cup to go, when a young boy came up to him and brazenly tugged at his sleeve to get his attention.

“Are you the guy who's supposed to take us to the stars?”, the blonde boy asked innocently, watching him bright blue eyes.

“Ah, no I'm afraid not”, Lokey said, having no idea what the child was talking about. Maybe he'd never seen a Navy Officer before and was curious about his job?

The boy tilted his head. “You're not the pilot that Vader sent?”

“What? Ah...” No it couldn't be, did this child belong to the team he was supposed to fly? Or maybe he was just the cargo, the son of a rich Senator maybe that the team was transporting? But what if he wasn't, could he disclose his secret mission like that?

Lokey straightened his back and glared a bit at the boy to downplay his nervousness.   
“You will speak about Lord Vader with the proper respect, boy. And what makes you think I was sent out for you?”

The child looked at him for another second, then he merely turned away, formed a cone with his hands over his mouth and shouted:  
“S.K., I think I found him!”

Lokey actually flinched, he was on a secret mission after all and this boy was drawing attention to them like that. He already had one hand on his blaster when he saw another boy, barely older then the first, jogging towards them with a holodroid in tow.

“Luke, dammit, are you trying to call in the whole neighborhood!? Why are you making such a ruckus?”

The boy, now identified as Luke, pointed at Lokey. “I found your Imp.”

“Excuse me?!”

The older boy rolled his eyes and turned towards Lokey.  
“I'm sorry about him, Luke is a bit grumpy about being replaced. He flew the ship all the way here from the Inner Ring and now he thinks it belongs to him.”

“I don't! I just don't see why we would need outside help, we were doing fine on our own!”  
“Are you going to go to the local Outpost and buy us new rations, medical supplies and ammo? Most of the stuff we need they don't even sell to children.”

“PROXY could do that, he can turn into different people.”

“PROXY needs to return to the ship and repair his energy core.”

“The Master is right, unfortunately I only have three hours of mobility left.”

Lokey watched the banter of the two boys and felt that little bubble of pride burst that he'd been floating on for the last few hours. He'd thought this to be a honorable mission but it seemed all he was going to do was to babysit two brats. Oh joy.

The older boy suddenly turned towards Lokey sharply.

“I wouldn't worry about too little action if I were you, Captain. You're the third pilot that's been appointed to me and the chance to get terminated by our superior is just as high as getting blasted by random bounty hunters because you don't take your mission seriously enough.”

Lokey stood frozen for a moment, it almost was as if the boy had answered directly to his thoughts. But that couldn't be, could it? And had he just implied that he was working directly for Lord Vader? What business did the Lord have with these brats anyway? They must be of some importance but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what it meant.

The two boys and the droid led Lokey to the ship he was going to be the Captain of. It had been landed a bit outside of the city in an old abandoned hangar. It was illegal to leave your ship here but once he'd gotten in and examined the ship, he quickly realized that it was built especially for infiltration and no sensors that he knew of would be able to find it here if one did not want to be found.

“That's an impressive ship”, he allowed. In truth, he was amazed by the high quality of all the equipment. The whole job might be worth it just to fly that thing. “Where do you want to go with it?”

“First we have to get rid of your predecessor”, the older boy said. “Then we leave for M'haeli.”

“Wait, get rid of my predecessor?”

“Yeah, well”, Luke said with a grin that said he very much enjoyed how uncomfortable Lokey was, “We still kinda have that corpse lying in the back room.”

The other boy threw him a shrewd look. “You know, maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe you do have it in you.”

Luke merely smiled shyly. “I try.”

By the Stars, what had Lokey gotten himself into here?

XxX

“I don't get it”, Luke huffed. “I can't feel anything.”

Starkiller had to reign in his own frustration. After two hours of persistent begging, he had finally agreed to show Luke how to use the Force. They sat in the meditation chamber alone, PROXY was in standby mode and Captain Lokey was keeping to the cockpit. They had left Woostri without any complications after delivering Corton's body to the next Imperial Outpost to be shipped back to his family. Now they were in hyperspace. Lokey had banned Luke from the cockpit after the boy had annoyed him with 'advice' on how to best do his job. Which meant Luke had wandered off to bug him instead.

“You have to concentrate”, Starkiller said to the millionth time. “Close your eyes. Not like that – close them really tight. Sit a bit straighter. You have to be rigid.”

The young Sith rolled his eyes when Luke puffed out his chest ridiculously. He stood and circled the boy before giving him a sharp slap on the back of his head.

“Ow! What'd you do that for?”, Luke complained, his posture forgotten as he clamped his hands down on his head and looked at Starkiller.

“I said concentrate! Do it again.”

Luke obediently closed his eyes but before he could even take a breath, Starkiller hit his head again.  
“Ow! Stop doing that!”

“Or what?”, Starkiller asked. “Will you get angry at me?” He gave him a pointed look, the entire purpose of the exercise was to concentrate and channel your anger.

Luke seemed to remember that too and his eyes lit up in understanding. He grinned promptly closed his eyes to try again.

Starkiller shook his head. “No, no, no! You're... You're enjoying this too much! You will never be able to touch the dark side like that.”

“But I'm doing my best!”, Luke whined. “There's just... nothing to be angry about.”

“Surely there is something. You can draw your strength from fear and turn it into anger as well. You are going to train to be one of the Emperor's hands. But you aren't doing so willingly. You are forced into this position by threat of death. You will never see your home planet or your family ever again. There is still the very real threat of failing and being killed hanging over your head. Doesn't any of that make you angry or at least afraid?”

Luke scowled, he tried, he really did but he couldn't seem to find any fear or anger in him. The problem was that he still very much hoped his father would make an exception for him and wouldn't allow him to be killed simply for knowing Starkiller's secret. He was his father, surely he would see that he could trust him? And then, if he still insisted Luke should train to become an agent then that would mean Luke would get the chance to prove himself to his father and though he would miss his family, the thought of one day flying to his own missions and visiting all those planets out there was exhilarating for him.

Still, he'd been trying for two hours now without any visible result and that did make him frustrated. Maybe that frustration could be turned into anger?

Luke thought hard about the many times Starkiller had scolded him already for not getting it right and his own feelings of helplessness and bitterness. If he pushed everything else away he could even harbor a spark of desperation and fear that he might not have enough talent to be worth training and that his father wouldn't want him because of that. Then, holding onto that thought, Luke opened himself to that strange tingling feeling at the edge of his mind.

“That's it”, Starkiller's quiet voice sounded through the fog of his concentration. “You're getting closer.”

“Really!?” Luke opened his eyes and grinned widely. He was immediately filled with joy at making some progress after so much time.

Starkiller groaned. “Yes, for like two seconds! Now you've lost it again!”

“But I did it! I felt something.... I think.” He scowled a bit. “It just... didn't feel very dark.”

Starkiller had explained to him how the dark side felt painful when you first touched it, like ice cold water that was slowly covering him from head to toe, burning him with its biting coldness and yet it was not clear like water but sticky like blood.

“That's because you concentrated so much on the darkness within you. You touched the Force but you didn't draw it into you. You have to fill your heart with intense emotions, then you connect to the Force and draw it into you. That way your emotions find their way into the Force, they fill it up and call upon the power of darkness. Once the connection is established, it will become easier to draw upon its power with every time.”

Starkiller tried to explain it as best as he could, using almost the same words his Master had spoken to him years ago. 

“Try again.”

Luke tried again but he was far too happy about his small success to find the needed frustration in him. But he did want to feel that tingling again. Maybe if he did it backwards, first draw the Force in then connect to the dark side, it would work better for him?

Luke reached out with his senses. This thing that Starkiller called the Force, it had always been there even if he didn't know it. He'd thought of it as his instinct, as luck or sometimes as the power of will but it was so much more than that. It was easy enough to touch, now what did Starkiller say? Draw it inside of you. Luke reached out with mental fingers, poking and stroking that soft bubble of something more. Hesitantly he pushed a bit farther – and suddenly it was as if the bubble was bursting. From one second to the next, Luke was in the middle of everywhere. He was in the air around, he was in the vast space beyond, he was between the engines of the ship, he was with Lokey in the cockpit, feeling his boredom and slight nervousness – and he was with Starkiller who was enshrouded in a tightly wound cloud of darkness with small tendrils lashing out at Luke aggressively. For a moment Luke recoiled as one of the tendrils cut into him painfully (and how was that even possible, he couldn't even feel his body!) then it happened again and again until Luke just wanted to get away from the pain. He could feel Starkiller's anger, potent and aggressive but there was also... There was fear. That fear was hurting Luke even more in its own way though he couldn't explain why.

Just as sudden as it had happened, it stopped again and Luke found himself in his own body.  
There was pain again but this time it was a very real one as Starkiller hit the back of his head again and Luke instinctively reached out to clutch his head with his hands.

“Ow, ow, ow! That was really mean.”

“You thrice cursed son of a Hutt, what have you done!?”, Starkiller shouted and grabbed Luke by the collar of his tunic. “I said to draw the Force inside of you, not to get lost in it! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is!?”

“Uh... I'm sorry?”

“And you damn well should be!” Starkiller dropped him to the ground and sneered. “Lessons are over for today!”

“Wait! What do you mean dangerous? What did I do wrong?”

“You entered a meditative state. Luke, you were gone for almost four hours.”

“H-Hours?”, Luke repeated a bit fearfully. “But it was just a moment!”

Starkiller shook his head. “Listen Luke, this is important. You can't enter meditative state on your own. You need a Master with you, someone to guide you and keep you connected to the real world. You are too inexperienced to do it alone. It's especially dangerous in hyperspace. When you're that close to the Force you can easily get distracted by random asteroids or something and I don't have to remind you just how many we pass at those speeds. You're lucky that I was able to find you and drive you back.”

“I didn't know it was that dangerous”, Luke said a bit subdued. “I can't believe I was away for four hours.”

“It was even worse because you didn't concentrate on your anger hard enough”, the young Sith added. “Anger gives you purpose, it gives you direction. You can reach your goal a lot faster with it. It was especially hard for me to find you since you were dabbing in the light and naturally, that wasn't where I was looking for you... The dark side is stronger than the light. It's not too much a stretch to say that darkness is the natural form of it, that's why the whole galaxy is covered by it.”

“So it's easier to navigate through the Force if you use the dark side”, Luke said.

“Exactly. It's easier to connect to other people using the dark side and to find your way back to your own body.”

Luke contemplated that. “But if the whole galaxy is covered with the dark side... Doesn't that mean there is a lot of anger and hatred everywhere? Isn't that... kind of sad?”

Starkiller merely shrugged. “It means that only the strongest will win. Now go and get some sleep. We'll arrive at M'haeli soon.”

“What is at M'haeli?”

“It's a planet with a position between some major star systems. A lot of ships stop there for fuel, including the fleet of my Master. I was there two times in the past on a mission to deliver some information. I left a transmitter there that emitted a coded signal that would only be picked up by a frequency used by the intelligence division of Death Squadron. We'll leave a message, stay on M'haeli for a few days in case we're lucky and the fleet stops by after their next mission and if they don't... Well, we'll think about it then.” The alternative was still to bring Luke with him to the Ex but... That was Starkiller's territory, his home. He did not want Luke to invade there, not if there was anything he could do about it.

“When we're on the planet, will you show me more of the Force?”, Luke wanted to know.

“Look, I really think you should keep away from the Force for the time being.”

“What? Why?”

“You weren't exactly subtle with your earlier display”, Starkiller snapped. “I wouldn't be surprised if every Jedi along our route felt it.” If just Luke didn't have such a ridiculously strong presence. Then again, it had probably been that deep connection to the Force that had allowed the boy to return to his body so quickly.

“But I thought the Jedi were just a legend.”

“They were crushed under the power of the Empire a long time ago but some still remain in hiding. They are dangerous and they wouldn't hesitate to kill any user of the dark side, even one as young as you who's only starting to learn.”

Luke grimaced. “Sounds nasty.”

“Well, we repay them in kind. Now go and get some rest before we land.”

“Alright”, Luke muttered. He understood now why Starkiller had felt so afraid in the Force. He was worried for Luke, he didn't say it but Luke was sure that was the reason. Unfortunately, that meant Luke couldn't find a hint of anger in him about the many times he'd been hit by the older boy.

XxX

Ava Monds had her concentration violently broken by a knock on the door. She opened her eyes and sighed. She had spent the last two hours in meditation and yet she had been unable to pinpoint the bright flare that had disrupted the depressing cloak of darkness that laid over the whole galaxy. It could be nothing but she couldn't shake the feeling that it was important.

Maybe one of the Empire's evil plans had been disrupted. Maybe one of Ava's former comrades was extraordinary happy about something. Maybe a promising young talent had awakened. There could be a number of reasons for the brief flare of light and hope that she had felt in the Force. It had been the first time in such an awful long time that she had felt something like this but she feared whoever was responsible for it would soon find himself cornered by the agents of the Empire and without any way to contact or even just locate the presence, there was nothing she could do to help.  
The door to her chamber opened just as Ava stood. Nolan, the pilot of their ship, stuck his head in.

“We have a mech here with a message”, he said. “He comes from Custrix.”

“I'm coming”, Ava said and grabbed her jacket. She missed her woolen robes and felt a stab of pain at the memory of burning them – together wi  
th the thin braid that she had been forced to cut off. They were identifying features that she could not risk showing around. The only thing that still remained from her past was her weapon, her life. Most of the time she had to leave it hidden in the ship as it was a bit hard to conceal without a bag that would hinder her movements but she would never part from it. Never.

Ava left her chambers to meet the rest of her crew in the middle of the freighter. Nolan, the Zabrak, was the only one who knew her secret. He had fled his home planet and the tyranny that ruled over his clan only to discover that non-humans like him were not looked upon very highly in the Empire. As he had never finished the warrior training his yellow skin lacked the terrifying black tattoos his species was famous for and though he wasn't weak by any means, he still had a hard time to find his way in the galaxy all alone.

When Ava offered to hire him she had been quite desperate for a bit of security and over the years the Zabrak had proved to be a loyal friend. The other crew members – Snoops, Geimann, Emerson and Ritchie were all human, with the exception of Ritchie, who was a Rodian. They were a loose group of like-minded people, most of them with a history of getting into trouble. Ava was the one who kept the group together. She was only 18 years old but her training gave her a confidence and charisma that made it difficult for people to resist her.

Nolan showed her to the astromech waiting for her. Custrix, the smuggler he came from, had little use for impractical things so mecha droids where probably the only ones he employed on his ship. The fact that he didn't send one of his men meant he didn't quite trust them yet, which was good. It meant he saw them as a potential threat and would think twice before setting them up.

“Show the message again”, Nolan ordered and the droid let out a series of beeps before he activated his holounit and spewed out a small blue image of a human male whose most defining feature seemed to be his filthy long hair.

“Captain Monds, the goods are ready for transfer. We are awaiting the agreed payment in two hours of time. You will find us at the given coordinates.”

The droid opened a small compartment to reveal a datastick. Nolan took it and copied the coordinates into the navi computer before he gave it back. The coordinates were a good distance away from Keglan, the city in which spaceport they were docked now. That was to be expected, Custrix was an experienced smuggler and knew how to get past the customs officers.

The droid was released from the ship and Ava gave orders to launch. They arrived at the meeting point early. When Custrix' ship appeared, Ava took Nolan and Geimann, who looked intimidating in his own right with his height and muscular statue, with her.

“Captain Monds”, Custrix greeted her with open arms and Ava recoiled at seeing – and smelling – his filthy appearance. “It is always such a pleasure to see you.”

“I'm sure”, she replied curtly. She had done business with the man only twice before and she seriously considered never doing it again. She hated the way he looked at her. But he did offer good prices and had been reliable in the past.

“Shall we complete our business?”

“Aw, why so impatient? You're a fiery one, aren't you?”

“Enough of this”, Nolan growled who probably felt her growing unease. “Do you have the goods?”

“Of course. If you have the credits.”

“We'll transfer them to you as soon as we see the weapons”, Ava said.

“Well then, you are welcome to enter.”

The three of them were led into the cargo bay of the smuggling ship. Custrix' guards stood ready with their blasters, though they weren't pointed at them. Two large boxes and one smaller one were presented to them. Ava moved to inspect the goods when she noticed a door to an adjacent room open a bit. She caught sight of what appeared to be a little green skinned Twi'lek girl who looked at her with wide fearful eyes. Before Ava could do anything, the child was roughly pulled back and the door slammed shut.

The young woman felt an icy shudder run down her spine and something in her suddenly felt hard and cold. She could only think of one reason why Custrix, who was somewhat known for his brutality towards clients who couldn't pay, would keep a little Twi'lek girl on his ship. Weapons weren't the only goods he was smuggling.

“Twelve blasters, small enough to be wielded two at a time, in top condition and at a reasonable price”, one of Custrix' men advised the content of the first two boxes that Geimann had just opened.  
The blasters were white in color and all looked the same, it wasn't hard to guess where they came from.

“Five radio disrupters, one time use only. It will cause a nasty buzz on up to 500 frequencies.” The small box was opened to reveal the tiny devices.

“That's all”, Ava said and motioned for Geimann to hand the datapad over to one of Custrix' men so the credits could be transferred.

Once they were outside again, Nolan said: “With those disrupters we can send the Stormtroopers to their knees. If we time it right, that will give us the advantage we need to enter their speeders.”

“Before we go ahead and attack an Imperial convoy”, Geimann cut in, “we should make sure that we have a buyer for the weapons. And it better be a rich one, our ship isn't as armored as Custrix'.”

“Oh, I already have a buyer”, Ava replied. “And we're counting on speed and mobility rather then damage absorption. Nolan is a far better pilot then any of Custrix' men. We will be able to leave them behind easily.”

“Them?”

“Yes”, she confirmed with a grim smile. “There has been a change of plans. Forget about the convoy. Our next target is Custrix' ship.”

“What? Wait a minute, you can't decide that on your own! We prepared for this coup for weeks and now you want to change plans? Custrix might be a slimy bastard but he's a good business partner to have and if we go against him none of his friends will ever trade with us again either!”

“He's transporting slaves, Geimann, I saw it! I don't know about you but I don't want to do business with a man like that ever again.”

Geimann was silent for a moment but Ava could feel that he was not convinced.

“Even if you're right”, he said at last, “that will draw too much attention to us. We're doing a good thing here – taking from the Empire and giving them some of their own medicine. That will be over soon if we can't hide amongst the lower classes.”

“Nobody is asking you to help us”, Ava answered though you could hear the pain in her voice. “I know it's difficult. There aren't many people who dare to stand up to the Empire. But what we're doing – we're not doing it for money like Custrix and his thugs. We're doing this because it is the right thing to do. If we just look the other way when people are stripped of their family and their freedom then we're no better then the Empire.”

She knew she'd hit a nerve, Geimann's wife had been killed by Stormtroopers during a demonstration. The man knew how to look after himself and his love for alcohol meant he very much wanted to know where his next credits would come from but he accepted a lower pay and dangerous conditions to work with Ava and her crew who made a habit out of robbing Imperial supplies and technology. Over the years they had specialized in weapon smuggling. Sometimes they sold goods they had stolen from convoys, sometimes they just brought some from regular smugglers and moved them to the next buyer.

Geimann let out a curse but he didn't protest further and was silent for the rest of the way back to their ship. After this stunt he knew, they wouldn't be able to show to their faces in the M'haeli underground for a while.

XxX

Luke jumped down the ramp and looked around the hangar with wide eyes. Yag'Dhul had been a dull, gray space station and on Woostri they had landed in an abandoned hangar away from civilization. This time however they had landed in the middle of a busy city. Luke had never seen so many people at once and he couldn't whirl around his head fast enough to take in all the new sights.  
Starkiller stepped out behind him. He wasn't nearly as impressed with the sight of the skyscrapers and buildings made of metal and glass instead of stone and sand.

“How many people do you think live on this planet?”, Luke wanted to know, watching the different races cross streets and walk around. Growing up on Tatooine, he knew his fair share of alien races but most of them took to walking around disguised with rags and cloth against the suns.

“I don't know”, Starkiller growled, “and I don't care.”

Their new pilot, Lokey, was now coming out of the ship as well together with PROXY.

“Will it do me any good to ask what we're doing on this planet or how long we will be staying here?”, he asked somewhat sarcastically.

Starkiller glared at him, he hated having to work with new pilots. Since he couldn't very well tell them who he was, he was stuck thinking up stupid excuses for almost all of his actions.

“I will go and... explore the city.” He had to find a good spot to hide the transmitter at.

“Oh, I will come with you!”, Luke said immediately. “It will be so much fun!”

“No, Luke, you will stay here with Captain Lokey.”

“What? No, I will not! I want to come with you.”

“Someone has to stay and watch the ship”, Starkiller tried.

“Oh come on, the Imp can do that. Don't be like that.”

“The 'Imp' is standing right next to you”, Lokey said wryly. “And he doesn't believe it would be all that wise for two children to head into an unknown city on their own.”

Starkiller rolled his eyes. “It's not unknown, I was here before.”

“But I wasn't! And I wanna see the town”, Luke insisted.

Starkiller let out a sigh. “Fine, you're coming with me.”

“Master”, PROXY spoke up, “in this case I would advice-”

“No, you're staying here and that's final!” The last thing he needed was PROXY changing his mind and trying to kill Luke when he wasn't looking.

Luke whooped in joy at being allowed to accompany his new friend and soon they made their way into the bowls of the town.

Unbeknownst to them, their departure was watched closely by two humans, a woman hiding her face with a scarf wound around her head and a helmeted man. For a moment their interest was equally divided between the modern and quite exotic looking ship and the two children heading into town alone but after speaking a short message into hidden comlinks in their sleeves, they chose to follow the latter.

Starkiller began to look out for good places to position a transmitter in, somewhere where it wouldn't be found by accident by someone who wasn't supposed to. His mission was made somewhat more difficult by the young Luke who wanted to go into every shop, look at every showcase and gawk at every passing speeder. Three times Starkiller had to save him from simply being run over because he didn't look out when crossing the street. He started to get a real headache but at the same time he felt an odd sort of... yearning, watching Luke like that. He couldn't remember the last time he got excited over perfectly normal stuff like that. Sure he'd been nervous on his first mission off planet but it was more the nervousness that came from the fear of getting himself killed (or worse yet, messing up his mission and having to return to live through the punishment). For the first time in his life, Starkiller felt that it was unfair how he had never gotten the chance to be that cheerful and innocent. He didn't want to be like that now but there was something about that unconcerned happiness Luke was broadcasting that made Starkiller wish he would've been picked up by his Master just a year or two later so he would've been old enough to remember his childhood.

Then again, it was probably better that way. He couldn't truly miss what he'd never had. Unconcerned happiness was just another expression for naiveté, which was the same as stupidity, short: weakness. It was silly of Starkiller to wish he would've ever been like that, the thought should be disgusting. And sure, the idea of being weak did repulse him but Luke jumping around showing everyone what a fool he was... didn't. It just kinda made him jealous.

Stars, what was wrong with him?

The young Sith quickly dragged Luke away from the main streets into the more quiet areas. He passed many spots that he considered for his transmitter but he dismissed all of them as none gave him any sense of security. At one point he stopped, feeling frustrated with his search and instinctively reached out for the Force. It was then that he realized there was nothing wrong with the hiding places. The reason they didn't feel 'secure' was because someone or something was watching him – following him.

Starkiller stopped in his tracks, eyes wide and filled with fright. Now that he concentrated he could feel it clearly. He was being pursued and whoever it was didn't have good intentions.

How could he have been so careless as to not to notice this?! His training had prepared him for this, he should've realized it immediately. If it had been PROXY – he was pretty sure it wasn't, he had remembered to make sure the droid stayed with Lokey – he would've been dead ten times over.  
Starkiller took a deep breath, thinking fast. He wasn't dead yet, that meant either his pursuer wanted something else from him or it wasn't a professional and the people walking the streets were dissuading the assassin from striking in public.

Starkiller was always very careful on his missions and he didn't think that he had made enough enemies yet for someone to be out to kill him. Except for the Emperor's hands of course, if his secret had been uncovered. But those would've been professionals and wouldn't have wasted time following him this long.

If not an assassin, then who could it be? Nobody knew of his plan to position a transmitter except for Luke so it was unlikely that the person wanted to use it to trap his Master. Starkiller didn't have anything else of worth on his person either. A regular mugger wouldn't be this persistent – so what did he miss?

And then it hit him, there was another variable. It was possible that the pursuers weren't after him at all – they could be after Luke. What did he even know about the boy? He was from Tatooine, lived with his relatives but left to search for his father who, so he claimed, was a member of the Imperial Military. He also had the largest Force potential Starkiller had ever felt in anyone other then his Master.

It was unlikely that Luke had enemies on Tatooine but he could imagine the fool running around the galaxy telling everyone about his search and that his father had gotten wind of it and sent someone to shut up the annoying brat that could potentially get him into a very embarrassing situation.

“S.K.? You alright?” It seemed Luke had finally noticed that Starkiller wasn't following him any longer.

“I'm fine, Luke”, he answered and started walking again. There was only one way to find out who the pursuers were after. They had to spring the trap.

Starkiller walked ahead again and began to make his way through smaller alleys where less and less people passed. If the pursuers had any intention to attack them, it would be here. But Starkiller had no intention to fight his attackers while still having to keep an eye on Luke. He had to somehow signal the other boy that he had to get away.

After some minutes of thinking of a way to do that without alerting the enemy, Starkiller reluctantly concentrated on the Force again. Their pursuers had no presence so there would be no way for them to listen in on that conversation. But it was difficult and not at all pleasant. Luke's presence was not to be overlooked, he was shining like a small supernova next to Starkiller's dimmed, hidden shadow of a soul. Reaching out to him was... not nice, like stepping onto a frozen lake barefoot with a thousand little crystals digging into his skin. It wasn't really painful but it was so unfamiliar and he had the sinking feeling that one wrong step would send him plunging into the deadly depths of a mind so pure it would burn him alive.

Luke, can you hear me?

Luke stopped and Starkiller quickly grabbed his arm and turned him around so as to not make it obvious to their pursuers that something was wrong.

“Hey Luke, did you see that, uh, house over there? Looks like a restaurant, doesn't it?” He had a very hard time making up small talk while concentrating this hard to speak to the other boy in his mind but it was necessary to throw off their enemy.

“Uh, what?”, Luke asked, obviously confused.

I'm speaking to you in your head, don't react to what I'm saying.. We are being watched.  
Starkiller grimaced as Luke's mind began to inexpertly poke at him. It felt like a dozen needles stabbing through his scalp.

“I'm getting hungry and we have to find something to eat.”

I think they're going to attack soon. Once they do, I want you to run away as fast as you can. Head back down to the city center.

Luke was just stupidly staring at him so Starkiller gave him a nudge. Nod and say 'yes'.

“Uh, yes. Okay”, Luke said aloud, still staring at Starkiller with wide eyes.

“On second glance, that's no restaurant. Maybe we'll find one down this street.”

Starkiller didn't think he'd been very convincing, especially since Luke was looking at him as if he'd grown a second head but without further information, their enemies wouldn't be able to tell what something was up.

The young Sith pulled Luke down another dark alley. It was deserted except for three figures at the end of it, standing together, talking. Starkiller pretended not to pay them any attention but his danger sense was going haywire just looking at them.

Sure enough when they came closer one of the men reached out and grabbed Luke's shoulder.

“Hey kids, where are you going all alone like that?”

Starkiller glared at him. It couldn't be, was it just regular muggers after all?

“Uh, nowhere. But we're kinda in a hurry, so...”, Luke muttered and tried to back away.

“I think we should help you to find your parents”, one of the other guys said.

“I don't think you can help with that”, Luke returned and tried to free himself of the hold.

Starkiller's eyes darted between the three men, he was sure he could kill one of them before the other two could react, they wouldn't expect it. It would be two against one after that and they were taller and stronger than him but Starkiller doubted they were used to fighting against an opponent that was smaller and faster.

“We'll be fine, thank you”, Luke said but the man held onto him and another made a move for Starkiller.

“But we insist.”

The young Sith ducked himself under the hand that moved to grab him. His vibroblade was drawn in an instant and he struck from below, the blade burrowing itself into the chest of the guy that held Luke. In the moment of surprise, Luke managed to free himself and stumbled back.

There was a second when everyone stood still in shock.

“Luke, run!”

Starkiller pushed against that painful white presence. He managed to get Luke out of his stupor and the boy began to run but the contact had dazed him momentarily and he wasn't fast enough to react when one of the men painfully pulled his arm behind his back.

“You crazy little barve, what do you think you're doing!?”

Starkiller suppressed a scream when the muscles in his arm protested at the rough treatment. He stepped on the man's foot as hard as he could but he didn't release him. The pain in his wrist was growing unbearable and he was forced to drop his blade. However, he still had the other hand free and he used it to grab the blaster that was hanging from his captor's belt.

“Oh no, you won't!”, guy number two said. He'd been busy helping the wounded one to stop the blood flowing from the wound but now he threw himself at Starkiller and tried to get the blaster from him. The young Sith quickly raised his knee and hit him where it hurt most.

The third thug had clearly not expected such serious resistance but that merely meant that now they were pissed. Whatever their original aim had been, they now fully intended to kill Starkiller. The young Sith could feel the shift of their intention. Their hatred and anger was potent but what they didn't know was that it was strengthening Starkiller. He'd been surprised by their crude attacks and worried for Luke but now that the other boy was out of sight and his own life in danger – he was back in his element. With the threat of death hanging over his head, his senses felt sharpened. He fell back into his training automatically, he drew on the dark side and this time, he held nothing back. The three humans became targets in his mind, threats to be eliminated and he would destroy them at all cost.

Without regards for his own body, Starkiller twisted around. The sound of bones breaking could be heard as the boy fought against the grip one thug still had on his arm. The pain didn't even reach him, it was immediately used to fuel the power of the dark side. With his speed and reflexes improved, Starkiller slipped behind his captor and kicked him in the hollow of his knee. Guy number two was now raising the blaster he'd taken from Starkiller. Guy number one went down just as he began to shoot and the young Sith used the moment when his opponent was off balance to grab the body of the bigger man and use it as a living shield. Two blaster shots hit him in shoulder and chest before his friend realized what had happened. Guy number one went down with a ragged scream and Starkiller used the shock of his friend to grab his vibroblade from where it had dropped to the floor. He whirled around, blocked the punch of guy number two and slashed him across the throat.

His victim stared at him wide eyed, making one last gurgling sound and then fell over. Starkiller watched him with cold, detached eyes. Then he turned the body over with his foot, raised his blade and delivered one precise stab into the heart. He didn't bother to take the time to enjoy his victory, not until it was certain. Instead he immediately went over to the guy that had been shot. He was still alive, breathing hard and he tried to speak when he saw Starkiller approaching but he never managed more then a gasp before the blade was buried into his heart as well.  
The boy then turned to the third man, the one he had downed at the very beginning. He really must have been distracted. The strike had obviously been carried out sloppily, it had met the lungs but not the heart, causing the man to twist around in agony.

“Please... Please, have mercy! Please don't kill me!”, the man begged.

“The dark side knows only one kind of mercy”, Starkiller whispered. “That of a quick death.” His blade came down and there was no more begging.

The boy looked down at the three corpses with disgust. He'd managed to defeat them all and without revealing his powers but they would probably prove to be more of a problem dead than alive. The city he was in now was much bigger then the one on Kaal where he'd had his first kill and leaving the corpses to just rot like that for everyone to find wasn't an option. Starkiller looked around. He had struck precisely so there was little blood on the ground. If he could get the bodies off the street so they'd be hidden for the moment he'd be off planet when they were found. He doubted anybody would care enough for these men to organize a search. Not that they'd find him but he didn't want his finger prints and DNA in some kind of galactic database and be labeled a serial killer. For a trained assassin that would be highly unprofessional.

Starkiller eyed the buildings around. When he concentrated really hard he thought he felt a nudge of the Force that led him to a small window at the ground. With a little force he managed to open it and jump into the cellar. He appeared to be in an apartment but the cellar was only used for storage. It was quite dusty down here so whoever lived here probably didn't come down often.

Starkiller couldn't help a small smile. He knew that technically the Force didn't think, it was life but it wasn't alive. Still in moments like these, it felt like the Dark side had quite a bit of black humor. He certainly didn't envy the inhabitants when in a few days they would discover where that horrid smell came from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read up a bit on the Inquisitors and the Emperor's hands. It looks like the former are trained by Vader, they are somewhat well known and concentrate on Jedi hunting. The latter are trained by Palpatine, their abilities extremely specialized and they concentrate on intern affairs and silent assassinations, which means nobody knows about them.
> 
> Since it does collide with the subject of Force Unleashed for Vader to have a couple of hundred apprentices, I'll say that while he may have trained the first batch of them, he only visits the few central places where they're trained seldom these days, with full Inquisitors training the new recruits. Starkiller is essentially an Inquisitor as well just without the official privileges. He is of course vastly more powerful but his training is just as polarized. He can't even fly his own ship, for example. He knows that he is being trained to kill Jedi and so he calls himself an assassin but he's not into stealth at all like the Emperor's hands. Basically Vader gives him Inquisitor training. He does however plan to teach him more when he's a bit older and passed all his trials - ergo, when the Emperor's dead and he'll officially become an apprentice. Only then will he learn a bit about actual battle strategies (other then go in, kill everyone, go out), politics, vision interpreting and what else a Sith needs to know.
> 
> The reason why Vader's doing this is because Sidious would not allow such a powerful Inquisitor to live, he doesn't want them to get any ideas so Starkiller had to be kept secret anyway. His training focused on combat so much not because he was to be a Jedi hunter but because Vader wants him to be able to defend himself against the hands and eventually, the Emperor himself. The actual Jedi hunting from a game is just a test to see if he can take on Sidious.
> 
> Because of this specialized training, Starkiller, while aware of the existence of Inquisitors and hands, does not know how they're organized, where the differences in their missions is, who trained them or even where. It's just a random bit of information he remembered and that he now clings to as his only hope of saving Luke.
> 
> Of course, I don't actually plan on including those two groups in any major way anytime soon. When Vader meets Luke and learns who he is, sending him to either group won't be an option he'll consider so in the end, Starkiller's ignorance won't be an issue. This also means that you, as the reader, don't have to have watched Star Wars Rebels or read any books about Mara Jade (is it possible to despise a character simply because her name sounds stupid?) to know what the hell Inquisitors or hands are beyond the basic description given in the fanfic.
> 
> Please continue to comment!


	6. Chapter 6

Ten minutes later the place was as cleaned up as it would get and Starkiller made his way back to the ship. However, the closer he came to the hangar, the more he was bothered by a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. After the assault on the street he was being extra careful, listening for a warning of the Force as much as he listened for any sign of further pursuers. He should be able to feel Luke's overbearing presence by now but Starkiller arrived at the hangar and everything was dull and gray.

“Welcome back, Master”, PROXY greeted him when he entered the ship. “Have you finished the task you came for?”

Starkiller stopped for a moment – because he had not. The transmitter had completely slipped his mind and that... that shouldn't have happened. Yes he'd been attacked and yes, he'd had to look out for his... new little sidekick but that did not excuse the fact that he'd completely forgotten about his mission. In fact, that was outright unforgivable.

Starkiller swallowed thickly. He really had to get a grip on himself. There was still plenty of time to position the transmitter, that wasn't the problem but he simply could not allow himself to mess up like that.

“Has Luke come back yet?”, he asked without answering to PROXY's question.

“No Master, I thought he was with you.”

“He was... But then we got separated.”

In that moment their new pilot came down the corridor. “Is there a problem?”

“It's about Luke”, Starkiller said with a scowl. “He... got lost.”

“Well, we have to... Wait a moment, is that blood on your shirt?”

“Yeah...” He wasn't going to keep up his cover for long at this pace. “I also kinda broke my arm. I think. I'll get cleaned up and then I'll have to go and look for Luke.”

“Wait up, boy! We need to get that wound treated, you have to go to a hospital-”

Lokey had moved to grab Starkiller but the young Sith, still quite jumpy, immediately blocked his hand. He only winced slightly when the movement disturbed his wound. In the rush of the fight he hadn't felt it much. Even now the pain was only dull and barely worth his notice.

“There is a fully equipped medical bay on board the ship. I will pay it a visit but I will not enter a hospital.”

“Don't be stupid, you are seriously hurt!”

“Captain!”, Starkiller called out angrily and got into his face. “I'm sure you haven't gotten this job by being a moron so I would greatly advice you to think if it is really appropriate for you to attempt to babysit me. Despite what your eyes may tell you, I am not a child. You are not my superior, you are my pilot and I will not have you jeopardizing my mission!” Starkiller took a deep breath. The Force was tugging at him and it took all his self control not to lash out at the pilot. 

“Have I made myself clear?”

Lokey stared at him for a couple of seconds. Finally, very slowly, he nodded.  
“Yes... Yes you did.”

“Good. Now help me to fix that arm so we can get back to work.”

With the help of the medi drone and Lokey, Starkiller got his arm fixed at least for the moment.   
Twenty minutes had passed and still there was no sight of Luke.

“We have to go and search for him”, Starkiller decided. 

“It might be useful to know what kind of trouble you ran into”, Lokey noted.

“Just a few regular muggers, they aren't a problem any longer.”

“Muggers?” Lokey looked skeptical. “Muggers don't target children. Especially not in groups.”

“Well, what else could they have been after?”

The pilot hesitated for a second. 

“What? What is it?”

“Well... I did some digging on the planet and the recent local news while you were gone”, he said. “It seems this town, Keglan, has a bit of a problem with smugglers.”

“So? They're a problem practically everywhere.”

“I'm not talking about spice smuggling. Not even about weapons – I'm talking about people.”

“You mean... like slave trading?” Starkiller scowled, slavery was outlawed in the whole Empire.

“Yeah. They're shipped off to the Outer Rim where the Imperial presence isn't very strong and well, children don't normally put up much of a resistance.”

Starkiller’s expression darkened. He remembered how Luke had felt the need to clarify that he was a free person, not a slave. At that time Starkiller had wondered how he had ever misinterpreted his words like that but Luke was from an Outer Rim planet. It was entirely possible that he'd seen slaves before.

“Alright, Captain, you'll check the Outpost, see if he is there. It's possible he just didn't find his way back. PROXY, you will check the city center, see if you can get a read on those traffic cams. I will take the outskirts.”

“Master, I am afraid I can't do that”, PROXY declared.

That was the last thing he needed.

“And why, pray tell, would that be?”

“It goes against my programming, Sir. The boy is a dead weight and he interferes with your mission. My secondary programming states that I am to help you with your mission and to further your training. Part of that training includes isolation from other sentients. It would be better if you stayed away from this boy, Master.”

“I thought we talked about this before! I have decided to take Luke with me. If you're so sure that's a mistake, consider it learning by trial and error.”

“That is why I agreed to take no action”, PROXY agreed, “but it is another thing entirely to help you to risk your life in a fight with a group of armed enemies when the mission does not benefit from it.”

That was right, the only time when Starkiller could be reasonably sure PROXY wouldn't kill him was during missions as the droid was not allowed to endanger those. Technically a mission ended with their return to the Ex but Starkiller's last assignment had been labeled as a test, not a real mission and as such the assassin droid could still randomly decide he wanted to murder him. The travel to M'haeli to leave a message for his Master was probably official enough for the droid to recognize the action as more mission than test or training so he would support him in it but that also meant he would stop him from taking unnecessary risks until the deed was done.

“You really don't like Luke, do you?”, Starkiller asked. PROXY's AI was pretty well developed. He normally only checked his actions with the rules of his programming if he was confronted with a situation where Starkiller had no orders for him. A droid was outfitted with his orders and algorithms but the order in which it checked its actions with them was dependent on the personality it developed over time. It was a sign of his affection towards Starkiller that he had gone against Lord Vader's orders of killing Luke but it was also a sign of his dislike of the smaller boy that he was now deliberately interpreting his programming in a way that would let him avoid having to help Luke.

“Master, you know that I am incapable of feeling emotions”, PROXY said cheerfully. “However, if I were then I believe disliking somebody who wanted to disassemble me would be a perfectly natural reaction and I always strive to imitate those as part of my human relation protocol.”

“Sure you do”, Starkiller said dryly. He wondered how PROXY could even remember that, he had been deactivated when Luke had demanded his head. Well, his motor system had been, not his sensors.

“Fine, then you're staying on the Rogue Shadow.”

“It would be best if we searched for Luke together”, Lokey said.

Starkiller wanted to protest but the pilot quickly added: “If he did get caught by smugglers, I have the best chance of finding him by making contact with the Outpost. If you come with me you will know where to search faster than if you went alone on a blind search.”

“Fine”, Starkiller growled, “then let's go.”

XxX

Kira Emerson looked at the crude map her Captain had drawn with the touchpad to be displayed as a holoimage for them all. It showed the storehouse Custrix and his men had chosen as their hiding place. Their freighter just barely fit in the front of the hall, away from prying eyes. A few lines marked an area in the back where the smugglers kept the prisoners.

“How did you find out all of this?”, she wanted to know.

Captain Monds had been in the middle of a speech on how to best approach their target but she didn't look mad at being interrupted. In fact, she smiled kindly at Kira and said:  
“Snoops was so kind to check it out for us.” She looked at the lanky teenager who, despite or maybe even because his unassuming appearance was the best pickpocket she had ever seen.

“They have five children in there”, Snoops said with a scowl. “Some of them look really ragged as if they've been there for some time already. They range from age seven to fourteen, I would guess. There are two guards watching them at all times, armed with blasters. One more is at the front and one in the ship itself. The rest of the crew is usually here”, he pointed to a separated area on the map, “I would take a guess and say that's their break room.”

Captain Monds nodded. “Custrix' crew has 22 members. With four guards in the storehouse at all times and maybe five more during daytime in the break room, the rest is out doing business.”

“Like drinking and gambling”, Geimann snorted.

“Or hunting more children”, Nolan added.

“Alright, I'm all for saving those children”, Kira said, “but we're only six persons. If we do this in the middle of the day, we'll have all nine or even more on us and I bet they're gonna use the children as hostages. If we do it at night, it's less likely that we'll be detected but if we are, that's the whole crew we'll have to deal with.”

It was crazy of Monds to demand of them to take part in anything as suicidal as this. Kira was a mechanic, not a fighter.

“Maybe”, Nolan thought aloud, “if we pretended to steal their ship instead... We silently take out the guard at the front, sneak onto the ship, knock out the guard there and then use the ship's lasercanons to cause as much chaos as possible while a second team goes in from behind and frees the children.”

Captain Monds shook her head. “The danger of killing the children or even our own team would be too great. Those are just some flimsy booths the kids are being held behind, not actual rooms. They provide no cover.”

“If we don't use their ship ourselves, they're gonna use it against us”, Geimann said grumpy.  
“And if we attack their ship with ours? Fly to the storehouse, open fire and lure their ship and probably even some of the guards out?”

“Not gonna happen”, Kira objected immediately. “Our deflector shields are not strong enough to take on Custrix' ship.”

“Then we need a new ship”, Ritchie said. “Let's just... borrow one from the city hangar. I'm tired of this old thing anyway.”

“The city hangar only holds civilian vessels, they don't even have weapon systems”, Geimann returned.

“Well”, Kira said slowly, “I passed the hangars by this morning and I did see a ship there that might suit our needs.” She threw a quick glance at their Zabrak pilot. “I bet you'd love it, it looked quite exotic. Probably belongs to some rich dude out on a weekend trip. If we hurry we might still catch it.”

It wasn't the first time they had 'borrowed' a ship but in most cases it was Imperial vessels that they dumped at the next opportunity, only taking the cargo with them. The next convoy came in two weeks, Custrix could be gone by then so that wasn't an option.

“Alright, Nolan and I will secure the ship. Snoops, Ritchie, you go back to that storehouse and watch it. As soon as we draw their attention away, you go and free the children. Kira, you take our ship and pick them up when they come out. Geimann, you'll hide outside at a distance in case Snoops and Ritchie need help. Everyone fine with that?”

Kira nodded, she rarely got to actually fly a ship but she knew the basics and was excited for the job. Everyone else agreed as well and soon the group dispersed.

XxX

When Luke woke up with his head throbbing, his first thought was one of shame. He had run away like a coward when these guys had cornered Starkiller and him and now his friend was helpless at the mercy of those shady thugs. Even worse, Luke had run into some other men who seemed to belong to the same group. He didn't even have time to scream for help before one of them grabbed him, painfully twisting his arms behind his back. Of course Luke had struggled, desperate to get away but it had only ended with one of the guys slamming his head against a wall and the world had gone black.

Now he found himself with his hands tied behind his back in the middle of a group of five other children of various age. All of them were tied, dirty and looked quite miserable. Luke looked around to see a muscular man sitting at the entrance of the booth they were in, smoking. When he listened closely he could also hear footsteps from a second guy walking around behind the booth. The ceiling of whatever building they were in was very high and looked dirty too.

Luke nudged the child closest to him, a boy that was around Starkiller's age.

“Hey, what's going on? Where are we?”

The boy looked at him fearfully and shook his head.

“Why aren't you answering? What is this place?”

“Shh”, the boy made and nodded towards the smoking guard. 

“But what's going – ow!”

Luke winced when the guard threw a dirt lump at him. “No talking!”

A little girl to their right began to sob but was quickly and quietly comforted by an older one next to her in a hushed voice.

Slowly it dawned on Luke just where he had landed. The shady thugs, the bound children – he had heard many stories from his Aunt and Uncle about bad men going around in the bigger cities like Anchorhead or Mos Espa, stealing children and selling them into slavery. He'd always been taught to stay with his Aunt or Uncle when he visited the town because of that. M'haeli had looked so beautiful and busy, so different than Tatooine – but it was the same after all, even here.

Luke fought against his tears. He would not be sold! He refused to! He would escape this place, he would meet up with Starkiller again and he wound find his father. His journey couldn't end like this.  
But what could he do? He had no weapons and the guard was much bigger than him. Looking around he didn't think the children would be of any help either. There was nothing he could do. He wasn't Starkiller, he didn't have any special powers – wait a moment. Yes, he did! He did have the Force, whatever that meant. If he could just figure out how to use it to get out of this hopeless situation!  
But Luke didn't know how to use the Force. He didn't know how to push people away like Starkiller had done. He thought he'd managed a tiny bit when PROXY had tried to kill him but that was far too weak to do him any good.

But... There was something that he might be able to do. That meditation thingy, Starkiller had said people could feel it when he did that. Starkiller had also talked to him in his head. At least that's what he thought Starkiller might've tried to do, it was only general meaning that had made it through to him. Maybe if he meditated a bit Starkiller would feel it and he would be able to find out where he was. He was sure if given the chance, his new friend would help him.

So Luke closed his eyes really tight and concentrated hard. He felt that swirly energy around him but he was hesitant to touch it. It wouldn't do for him to black out for a couple of hours again. So instead of violently poking it, he just sort of petted it a bit. The Force flared like a living thing and Luke recoiled in fright but he soon found that it wasn't anything threatening. In fact, he imagined it was almost like the Force was waving at him in welcome. Luke looked a bit closer and he saw several bright spots around. He got a bit closer to one of them and felt sadness and desperation. He looked at another and felt tiredness and longing. Then even further and he came across a spot that was sort of grumpy and lazy. Luke realized that the spots were different people and the grumpy one was probably the guard. That made Luke scowl, he didn't like the guard, not one bit. He had to be a very bad person to enslave little children. And the smoke was really nauseating too, couldn't he stop with that?

Luke looked a bit further but he soon realized he wasn't getting anywhere. If every spot represented a person there was no way he would find Starkiller in such a big city this way.

The boy opened his eyes again and sighed. What else was he gonna do?

There was a crunching sound and Luke looked up to see the guard putting out his cigar under his foot. The man then gave Luke a very strange look as if suddenly he felt bad for having thrown dirt at him. The girl in the corner sobbed a bit louder but the guard didn't say anything.

Something about this struck Luke as odd, why would the guard look at them like he was suddenly feeling guilty. It couldn't be... Maybe he had heard Luke's thoughts when he'd connected to the Force?  
Quickly Luke closed his eyes again and concentrated anew. He found the spot that was the grumpy guard. It did indeed feel a bit guilty.

You don't like what you're doing to those children, Luke thought with all his might. It's wrong and you should stop.

Luke tentatively opened one eye to peek at the guard but the action lost him his concentration. The guard fidgeted a bit on his seat but didn't move. Luke tried again, this time with his eyes open to watch the guard. Oddly, he found it even easier to concentrate on him this way as he didn't have to waste time searching for his spot in the Force.

You can't look at all those miserable kids any longer. It makes you sick. You wanna take a break.  
Abruptly the guard stood up.

“Hey Barney, you mind taking over for a bit?”, he called out. “I'll just take a short break.”

“Sure”, came the sound of a second voice and before Luke knew what happened, the guard walking around behind the booth took Barney's place, watching the children with hawk eyes.

Well... So much for that idea.

XxX

Ava deactivated her lightsaber, breathing hard. She looked down at the holodroid, bare of any notable armor who now lay in parts in front of her. This was supposed to have been an easy job, yet when Nolan had finally managed to open the ramp to the ship, they had been attacked by this crazy droid. His firepower was ridiculous in its strength and when out of munitions he'd actually matched Ava in a duel with a vibroblade. He was so skilled with it he managed to never meet her lightsaber with it directly. As if to make matters even more disconcerting, the droid had flipped on its holo unit and randomly transformed into famous Jedi that had died during the Clone Wars or the following purges. Even his vibroblade took on the appearance of a lightsaber.

Ava had gotten many cuts and bruises from that fight, she was quite sure she'd broken her rib and well... The former Jedi looked down at the profoundly bleeding stump where her left arm used to be. Bloody hell, what kind of psychopath let a droid like that guard his ship?

At least, she had gotten him in the end. 

Nolan quickly moved over to her and she leaned on him.

“Damn, for a moment I thought that was it”, she muttered.

“Let us fix that wound. We have to stop the blood flow.”

Together they stumbled towards the medical bay – why was there a fully equipped medical bay on the ship anyway!? - and put a bandage over the stump and Ava's ribs.

“We have to get you to a real hospital as soon as possible-”

“No”, Ava objected and suppressed a wince. “The crew is... counting on us. We have to pull through with the plan.”

“But your arm-”

“Is not going to go anywhere. You're the pilot, you'll be doing all the hard work anyway. Custrix isn't going to stay on M'haeli forever and we're the only hope for those children.”

Nolan shook his head, sometimes he couldn't understand how his Captain could be so selfless and help those in need without any regard for her own life. He admired her for it but it could also be frustrating at times.

“Fine, in that case we should be going. The sun is going to set soon.”

Nolan helped her to lay down in the medical bay and then he headed for the cockpit. At least the fighting had taken place in the ship only so nobody outside should've noticed what had happened here.  
Damn that crazy homicidal droid.

XxX

Starkiller and Lokey stood pressed against the wall of a building, carefully peeking around the corner at the storehouse the smugglers were in. It had taken Lokey three hours of bureaucratic nightmares to get a look at the investigation and then two more to check five other places that turned out to be abandoned but now it seemed they had finally found the place where the slavers were hiding.

“I'll go and sneak in from behind, see if Luke is there”, Starkiller declared.

“That's too dangerous! What if they catch you?”

“All the better. Then they'll bring me right to him. In fact, if I don't find him on my own I'll have to let them catch me.”

“Wonderful, then you'll both be prisoners. How is that going to help us?”

“They don't know my face. I'll hide my weapons, they won't think to check me for it. Then I take out the guards once their backs are turned and-”

“I thought you already had a row with them, how can you be sure they don't know your face?”

“Because I killed all the witnesses”, Starkiller said as if talking to a very slow child.

Lokey gave him a strange look but was clever enough not to comment. He'd seen too much, gotten too many clues – he was ready to believe that Starkiller was in fact some kind of child soldier. Even though he didn't approve of the practice, he knew better than to condemn a project that clearly had Lord Vader's approval. He thought it was sad how such a young boy could talk about killing people this leisurely but there was nothing he could do about it except offer some comfort when asked for it.  
“Even so, you're still not recovered from your last fight. Going in there on our own would be putting your life at risk.”

Starkiller bit his lip. He knew he shouldn't do that, not even for Luke. Especially not for Luke. The boy would be gone soon anyway. He might have potential but he was still just a nobody from a desert planet. He wasn't even a friend, not really. They had just met three days ago after all. Stars, had it really been that short a time? It felt like ages. Still, Starkiller was training to be a Sith apprentice. He was too important for his Master, for the Empire to risk his life like that.

“Fine”, he growled, “what are you suggesting?”

“We need a distraction.” Lokey took out a pair of binoculars and scanned the surroundings for anything useful. “Look, over there!”

Starkiller took the binoculars and noticed a small freighter that was oddly being parked a little distance away on what appeared to be a field for sport. They could see it from their position on a small hill but it was separated from the storehouse by a few other buildings and trees.

“What do you think it does there?”, Starkiller wondered, it couldn't be legal to place your ship at a place like that. Sure, the neighborhood wasn't exactly what he would call law-abiding but still.

“Who cares? I could borrow that ship to attack the storehouse. The smugglers will flee and probably leave the children for themselves.”

“I don't know, it looks like a piece of junk.”

“We could head back and use the Rogue Shadow instead but then we'd be loosing at least two hours. I think that at this time there will be only a few guards in there but if we wait until nightfall, their number could double.”

“So... Scare the smugglers with the ship, maybe blast them a bit... What if the ship doesn't have weapons?”

Lokey shrugged. “Then we'll just have to ram the house itself.”

Starkiller smiled wryly. “I do begin to like how you're thinking.”

The pilot grinned. “It's not like it's our ship. And nobody who parks his ship like that is up to anything good.”

Starkiller didn't feel too comfortable being forced to watch from inside a ship and not being able to do any fighting himself but he was curious how his new pilot would handle the situation.

“Alright, let's do it.”

Lokey and Starkiller rounded the storehouse at a distance in order to not be seen. Lokey openly approached the ship.

“I am Lieutenant Lokey from the Galactic Navy of his Majesty the Emperor!”, he called up to the window of the cockpit. “You are illegally parking this ship outside of any official hangar. I have to ask you to leave the vessel and show me your ID!”

Starkiller used the distraction to sneak to the back of the ship. He had to wait some time and Lokey had to threaten to order backup from a squad to 'force cooperation' but finally the ramp lowered. A single woman was coming down. Before she could say anything to argue her case, Starkiller's hand met her neck and she was knocked out fast and clean.

Together they entered the ship and searched it for any other crew members but found none. They did however find a bunch of weapons and rations that bore the Imperial sign.

“They're thieves... And not just ordinary thieves either”, Starkiller said.

“They are deliberately targeting the Empire”, Lokey concluded darkly. “They're not just troublemakers, they're organized.”

“Radicals, terrorists... rebels”, Starkiller spat with disgust.

“Shall I go back and kill the woman?”

“No, we don't have the time to interrogate her and I don't want her to miraculously free herself and stab us in the back. If everything goes well we can still come back to get her later.”

That decided Lokey took his seat in the cockpit and soon they were in the air, leaving the unconscious woman behind.

XxX

It's cold in here. I would really like a nice hot milk right now.

What am I thinking? I hate milk. Though I wouldn't mind a coffee.

Yes, a nice hot coffee to keep me warm. I wonder where I would get any?

Probably in the break room. That is, if the others haven't drunken it all already.

That would be really mean of them. I should check it out.

But I can't leave my post. The boss would be so mad.

The boss isn't here. Those kids are too terrified to do anything anyway.

I guess I could just slip over and send one of the others.

I am taking Barney's shift anyway, I don't even have to be here. Barney should still be in the break room.

He owes me for helping him out like that.

Now that I think of it, it was really mean of him to push this onto me. I should go over there and tell him a thing or two about what I think of him.

I don't want to cause a scene...

But he deserves it.

He did steal my cigars the other day, I'm sure of it.

Now he's gonna pay for it. I'll go over there and punch him in the face!

That kid over there... Just staring at me like that. Kind of creepy.

It makes me angry. I wanna punch someone! I wanna punch Barney!

Fuck it, maybe I really should.

Nothing like a good beating to release some stress.

His face would be priceless.

Alright, let's do it!

Luke felt like laughing when the guard finally, finally stood and stomped away with a snarl. It had taken him an hour or so to convince the man to leave his post but finally, he'd done it. It hadn't been easy. Luke had to formulate his words as if they were the guard's own thoughts in order to not be detected and even then, he couldn't convince him to do anything too unlikely. The second guard had had a lot less pity for the children so making him think guilty thoughts just made him question his own sanity. Luke had drawn back and didn't dare to try again until he was sure the guy had forgotten about it.

As soon as the man was out of earshot, Luke nudged the boy next to him.

“Hey, the guards are gone! This is our chance to flee!”

The boy snorted. “Flee? Are you crazy? They will come back and we'll be punished!”

“They won't be back for a while, they're distracted”, Luke said with a grin. As if to confirm his words, screaming and cursing and cheering could be heard from somewhere in the distance. Hurried footsteps signaled another guard was heading to investigate the noise.

“Come on, this is our chance! Or do you really want to wait and see what those men are gonna do to you? I mean, can it get any worse?”

Luke looked at the children hopefully and slowly, the sad and desperate faces morphed into determined ones.

One of the smallest children managed to wriggle free of his bindings and helped the others to get rid of theirs. Luke led the group out of the booth and into an empty hall beyond. Well, empty except for a giant spaceship in the middle of it. Noises could be heard from the side and Luke saw an open door with one guard in it, shouting at the other men who seemed to cheer on two combatants.

“Quick!”, Luke whispered to the children and they made their way past the guard in the door who had his back turned to them. 

“Where is the exit?”, one of the girls whispered.

“It's over there”, another said and pointed to the front.

“Oh no, if we go there we'll be seen from the ship.”

“There doesn't have to be anyone on the ship”, Luke argued.

“But if there is?”

“If there is... Then we're six against one.” Luke smiled as a plan formed in his head. “Yes, that will work. We're gonna flee in that ship!”

“What!? But it's a spaceship!”

“We can't flee in it!”

“We don't know how to fly.”

“I do”, Luke reassured them. “I'm a pilot, you know. We sneak on board, take the guard by surprise – if there is one – and then fly out of here.”

The children began to argue, the plan was crazy but they had to do something. The guards could notice them any moment.

They got on board the ship without problems. All Luke had to do was smash the control panel, the emergency protocols of all ships would open the door in case of malfunction so the crew wouldn't be trapped inside. They were lucky, there was only one guard at the end of the ship in the cockpit and that one was soon pummeled into the ground by six children desperate to get their freedom back. One of them had kept the rope he'd been tied with and it was now used on the thug instead. One of the girls even found some tape to shut up his foul mouth.

Luke sat down in the pilot's seat and quickly brought the ship back to life. It was a freighter, bigger than the Rogue Shadow and with far more blinking lights and buttons but he had read about this model before and was confident that he could get it up into the air. He was just preparing to take off when suddenly the metal gate in front of them was blasted away, revealing one small attacking vessel in the air. It was a very familiar vessel.

“I don't believe it!”, Luke called out in surprise. “That's my ship!”

XxX

Starkiller growled angrily as he glared at the Rogue Shadow, a ship that had absolutely no business being here.

“What the hell is PROXY thinking!?”, he called out angrily. He was leaning over Lokey's shoulder as the man aimed the pitiful canons of their 'borrowed' ship against the other craft. 

Starkiller activated his comlink.

“PROXY, this is Starkiller, answer me!”

No response came.

“PROXY, dammit what are you doing!?”

“Sir, I don't think that is PROXY”, Lokey said slowly. “The Rogue Shadow is pretty unique and he isn't a pilot droid, he couldn't fly her like that.”

“What do you mean?!”

“I think she's been entered.”

Starkiller scowled. That wasn't possible, any entering crew would have to get past PROXY first and the odds of that weren't very high. It was more likely that Luke had found his way back to the Rogue Shadow but then why was she even here?

There was a way to find out that at least. Starkiller concentrated and stretched out his senses towards the ship. His eyes widened as he felt a strong presence in the Force but it wasn't Luke. It definitely wasn't an agent of the Empire either.

“It's a Jedi”, he gasped. “The ship has been entered by a Jedi!”

Lokey's expression immediately became cold and serious. “What do we do?”

Starkiller hesitated. The decision was a hard one to make. He didn't know much about spacecraft but the Rogue Shadow had been a gift of his Master and she was very valuable, both as a vessel and also personally to him. Still he would rather see her in pieces than in the hands of a Jedi.

“Destroy her”, he ordered.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes I am. I won't have anyone else have her”, Starkiller said grimly. “That is my ship!”

XxX

Nolan cursed when the enemy ship pulled up its shields almost immediately. He had hoped, even counted on finding the smuggler's vessel unprepared when he blasted through the doors with the ship's impressive laser canons but it appeared not only was their pilot ready but also prepared for take-off. He continued to fire at the much bigger freighter but the shield was swallowing his shots and the ship was slowly moving out of the building. He tried to block its way but the enemy pilot didn't seem to care much for his machine as it looked he had every intention of ramming his ship if it didn't move out of its way.

Reluctantly Nolan pulled back, firing a few wide shots to damage the storehouse but not the area the children were supposedly kept in.

Suddenly the ship began to shake and alarms blinked. They had been hit somewhere very close to their reactor. Nolan was confused for a moment, he had taken precautions to fly in a way that wouldn't allow the enemy freighter to get a clear view of his backside. It was then that he noticed he hadn't been shot from up front but from a third ship approaching from a distance. A very familiar small freighter that he knew like the back of his hand.

“Hey! That is my ship!”

XxX

Luke managed to get out of the wreck of a building and under much screaming and begging from his human cargo, he tried to flee from the Rogue Shadow that had... somehow gone rogue, firing at him.  
“Oh my god, there's another one”, one of the girls moaned and Luke looked in the direction she pointed at. There was indeed another ship flying by, this one firing at the Rogue Shadow. 

“Oh no, you don't!”, Luke growled and aimed his laser canons at the smaller craft. He was pretty sure that Starkiller and Lokey had come to save him with the Shadow, and that little thing was trying to attack his friends. If he shot at them, hopefully Starkiller would realize he wasn't his enemy and would stop his assault as well.

Now Luke fired at Starkiller and Lokey sitting in the rebel's ship, Lokey fired at the Shadow which was occupied by the rebels and Nolan fired at the smuggling freighter trying to save the children, who happened to sit in that same freighter he was trying to blow up...

To make matters even more confusing, the rest of the rebel team was now storming the storehouse and got into a fight with the guards. They were pretty much ignoring the three-way-battle going on over their heads as the ships headed farther away from them.

The rebel ship was the first to blow up. Starkiller and Lokey had to use emergency jet-packs to evacuate. The Rogue Shadow, heavily damaged, soon retreated. The plan was obviously blown as the ship that had been supposed to collect the saved children had randomly decided to attack them instead and been lost in the process.

It was then that Luke noticed the rapidly blinking light that told him they'd lost a steering unit.

“Oh no”, he groaned and under much horrified screaming and last prayers, he crash landed in a nearby sports field.

Luke quickly helped the children who'd been thrown around from the crash to get to their feet and out of the freighter.

"Is everyone alright?"

There were a few scratches and bruises but other then that, the children seemed to be fine. They were all still quite rattled though and so Luke took it upon himself to ask around. It turned out the children were all from M'haeli. One boy even lived nearby and immediately departed, eager to get back home. The rest had no idea where they were or how to get back.

"Okay, uh, I think we should find the next police station or Imperial Outpost or something. They'll be able to help us."

"You mean Stormtroopers?", one of the girls asked with wide, frightened eyes. "They won't help us, they don't care!"

"Sure they do", Luke answered, remembering the very nice troopers on Tatooine. "Besides, you're lucky I know a Captain of the Imperial Navy, if I tell them his name I'm sure we'll get help."

The Imperial Outpost at least was easy to find, they just had to walk a short distance until they met a Stormtrooper squad that had come to investigate the explosions. Two of them accompanied them to the next Outpost when they told their story. They also recognized the name Captain Lokey, since the man had asked around a lot to get the location of the smuggler's hideout earlier the day.

When the local Imperials first asked Warren Lokey to answer some questions for the investigation, he was less then thrilled. After all he was sort of on a secret mission (that he still didn't quite understand) and wanted to keep away from any official business. At least he managed to not mention Starkiller in his report and when they told him afterward of the little boy asking for him, he was even glad to have helped out. Finally, they had a clue where Luke was.

On the sports field behind the storehouse, Custrix and three of his men watched from a distance as the Stormtroopers inspected the wreckage of what had once been a proud smuggling freighter. His guards had been taken by surprise first by the three way battle over their heads, then by the attacks of the rebels. Even worse was that they had all escaped, the rebels and the children. And he had also lost four men. The biggest loss however was his beloved freighter.

"Look at that, it's a wreck!", he moaned. "And that was my ship!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luke's experiments with the mind trick are to be interpreted this way: He had absolutely no idea what he was doing so the fact that he influenced someone at all is amazing. On the other hand, he could only convince very single-minded people to do something that wasn't very out of character for them anyway. Even so he needed more than an hour to find the right motivation for the second guy to leave his post. Simply telling someone to ignore his job for no reason is still way beyond him.


	7. Chapter 7

Captain Lokey had enough credits on his person to get two rooms in a cheap little hotel at the edge of the city. Starkiller and Luke had to share a bed, which basically translated to Luke jumping on the mattress for two hours while retelling his tale of the totally awesome adventure he'd had until finally falling into an exhausted sleep. Meanwhile Starkiller decided he'd much rather spend the time meditating, the danger of accidentally killing Luke who would put his feet in his face while asleep was much lower this way.

In the morning they sat together at breakfast, intend on making a plan.

"So", Starkiller began, "let's see, we lost the Rogue Shadow because some kind of terrorist group ran away with it. They probably destroyed PROXY too since there is no way he would let them get away with her. Some of the slavers managed to free and are probably out for our heads. Did I forget anything?"'

"We also have no more money", Lokey supplied helpfully. 

That was right, Starkiller didn't really get any money from his Master. The pilots got pay and an additional allowance to maintain the Rogue Shadow and buy rations but that was it. Without the ship they didn't have access to that money. As Lokey was supposed to be Starkiller’s new permanent pilot, his identity within the Empire had been erased to ensure secrecy. He was still registered as a Lieutenant to avoid minor difficulties with the law but everything else had been deleted. Including all his accounts. His savings as well as his monthly pay was supposed to get transferred to a more secure account, accessible with a special ID card. Those were to be delivered to the Executor. When Lord Vader had appointed Lokey to the team, he had expected him to fly the ship back to Scarl immediately, not to tour around the galaxy and come in need of any money on short notice.

That's why, as of now, they were broke.

Starkiller closed his eyes and fought against the insistent screaming and pushing of the dark side, demanding he let out his anger and destroy something, kill someone, anyone, everyone. He had to keep a level head.

"We have to get the Rogue Shadow back", he decided. "That is our priority."

Not only would he almost certainly be killed by his Master if he lost both the ship and PROXY but he could also never allow those rebels to get their hands on such advanced technology.

Starkiller felt a pang of regret at the thought of his crazy training droid and personal ship. He wouldn't admit it to anybody, not even himself but those two where literally the most important things in his life. Except for his Master of course but his Master was so distant, even when he was close physically. His Master was an idol that he admired from afar but those two machines, they were with him every day and he couldn't imagine life without them.

"Getting the ship back could be problematic", Lokey said. "The thieves probably already left the system with it."

"Nope, I don't think they left", Luke said with a grin that immediately made Starkiller suspicious.

"Alright what did you do?"

"Well... I might or might not have copied some of the security protocols of the navicomputer and inserted them elsewhere."

"What? When did you do that?!", Lokey wanted to know.

"When we were in hyperspace on our way here."

Since there was not much to do while traveling in hyperspace, even the pilots usually left the cockpit to get some rest in the crew quarters if there were any so after Luke had ended his little Force lesson with Starkiller he had snuck in there.

"Wait, what does that mean?", Starkiller asked, who didn't understand that much of their technobabble.

"The Rogue Shadow's finer adjustments, life support and self destruct are all password protected", Lokey explained. "If this boy copied the protocols he could set his own password for all kinds of other things, essentially making him the only one who could properly navigate the ship."

"Yup and I set a password for the hyperspace entry. Since I did it while we were already in hyperspace, it means we could get out but not in again without the password. That means the ship can't leave the system. It might be a very fast sub-lightspeed fighter but even so it won't be able to reach the next inhabitable planet without going to hyperspace. They'll be forced to land on M'haeli again."

Luke sounded very proud of himself but his confidence shrunk when he met Starkiller's murderous glare.

"And why exactly did you see fit to set your own password on my ship?!"

"Uh, well..." Luke rubbed the back of his neck and smiled innocently but Starkiller was not in the mood for his games. The smaller boy seemed to realize that too and quickly explained:  
"It was just that... After Woostri I thought it might be good to have a backup plan... You know, in case PROXY tried to kill me again. Or you just decided to drop me on the next planet, since you had a new pilot and all. I know I'm weighing you down... We're in all this trouble just because the smugglers caught me. But... I just don't know what I'd do without you, I don't know anyone outside of Tatooine. So..." He was growing smaller with every word and his last ones where only whispered. "I just didn't want to be left alone..."

Starkiller felt a pang of regret, he knew that Luke's concerns were all too justified. He would have loved to leave Luke behind, in fact after they had heard that he was safe at the Outpost, he had deliberately walked slowly to get there to give Luke time to make a run for it. With PROXY out of commission, Starkiller could've let him escape and he'd be spared the torture of dark side training. Instead the stupid boy had obediently waited to be picked up.

"Do you even realize what you've done?!", he growled. "This is a dangerous galaxy! Just yesterday you were almost killed in a bloody three-way spaceship battle. This isn't just about dropping you somewhere, if something happened to you we'd be stranded here."

Luke looked to the side but he was pouting, clearly not seeing the problem.

Starkiller tried another approach. "You do realize that I answer for that ship with my life, do you? If it is destroyed - or if I prove stupid enough to get stranded with it on some random planet - my Master is going to kill me. Has that ever even occurred to you?"

Luke stared at him with wide eyes. "But... He wouldn't... what?"

"You are going to tell me that password and you are going to do so now!"

Luke mumbled something too silent for them to hear.

"What was that?"

"I said", Luke repeated and drew a deep breath, "the password is bantha poop."

Now it was Starkiller's turn to stare at him. "Seriously?"

Luke nodded, his face red. "With zero's instead of o's", he added.

Lokey let out a small chuckle. "I'm starting to like this one."

XxX

Starkiller and Luke lay side by side on the edge of a roof overlooking a big public spaceport, their binoculars aimed for the distinct shape of the Rogue Shadow in one of the smaller hangars. Finding the ship hadn't been very hard but still a piece of work. Since Lokey was pretty sure he'd managed to blast the shield reactor, all they had to do was search the handful of shops that sold the specific kind of reactor needed for the ship that was not only heavily modified but a mix of current ship models. In all honesty, it was a small miracle the rebels had had enough brains to find the correct reactor model in such a short time. It had only been three days since the crash. Three very frustrating days for the team, that is, days of running around and asking shop keepers if they had sold any Nubian shield reactors class AA45 lately. The whole issue had become unnecessarily complicated by the fact that they had no money. It was pure luck (more likely walking through the street following that instinctual whisper in the back of his head) that Luke had met one of the children he'd freed. Upon hearing of their misfortune (or the censored version of it, anyway), the parents of the girl had been overjoyed to give them food and shelter for a few days until they could find their ship.

The experience had been especially odd for Starkiller. It was his first time seeing a real, loving family be together. Luke took to the new environment like a fish to the water but Starkiller was stoic and rigid the whole time and felt like bolting every time someone smiled at him. The father had actually taken Captain Lokey aside and asked if Starkiller had been previously abused.

Altogether it had been an awkward experience but the parents were so glad to have their child back, they happily endured the odd company.

At least the thieves hadn't been stupid enough to return to the same hangar but they had stayed in the city. Starkiller suspected that they hoped to pick up the rest of their crew here. He had already identified one human and one Zabrak male that definitely belonged to the group they were searching for. They were a very careful lot, constantly watching out for something out of the norm. However, he could not say which one of them was the Jedi he'd sensed on the Shadow, if any.

"Can't we get a bit closer?", Luke whined. "I can't hear what they're saying."

"If we get any closer, they'll detect us."

"They don't know our faces and they won't be watching out for two kids", Luke returned.

"Still it will be suspicious if we hang around the place, watching them", Starkiller objected.

"Leave that to me. I've got an idea!"

"What - Luke!"

But Luke had already jumped to his feet and nimbly climbed down at the backside of the house.

Starkiller was indecisive for a moment whether to stop him or not but in the end simply decided to wait and see what the other boy was up to. Through his binoculars he followed Luke as he made his way through the crowd. He didn't go straight to the band of thieves. Instead Starkiller watched him stop and talk to several random people. In the end he walked up to the two males standing in front of the Rogue Shadow. As Starkiller had anticipated, they stopped their conversation when they caught him staring. Starkiller cursed silently, had he already been caught? But then, unexpectedly, Luke stepped forward and addressed the two. The young Sith saw him holding out his hands and he realized Luke was begging for money. Since he was still wearing his original clothes, which had only be washed once since leaving his home planet, he did look ragged enough to evoke some pity in the Zabrak, who dropped a bit of money in his hands. Luke's face lit up and he quickly stuffed the credits into his pocket but immediately held out his hands again, obviously asking for more. The men made patronizing gestures and tried to send him away but Luke wouldn't budge. Starkiller asked himself what the hell his plan was when Luke got more insistent and the men in turn got more adamant about sending him away. At the end Luke left when the human shoved him a bit but he only stepped back a bit and continued lurking around their position. The two continued to watch him suspiciously for a while but then picked up their conversation again, ignoring the child that stubbornly stayed within earshot.

Starkiller lowered his binoculars. He didn't know whether to be disgusted or amazed. He was a Sith student and though he got humbled by his Master regularly, he was very proud of what he was and what he could do. When a mission asked for secrecy, that meant keeping to the shadows, sneaking up from behind, maybe taking out one guard after the other silently before he reached his target - or so he had been taught during simulations. It would never occur to him to sink so low as to impersonate a thief, slave or beggar to get close to his victim. The mere idea was repulsing.

At the same time, he couldn't help but acknowledge that Luke's plan was working wonderfully. He was hiding in the open at bright daylight and yet people disregarded him completely and ignored his presence as if he wasn't even there. He had gotten himself into a perfect position to spy on their targets while keeping the risk of being discovered to a minimum. As disgusting as his chosen method was, it was very effective.

Luke continued to lurk around for a bit. It looked like he was about to make his way back when suddenly the Zabrak turned from his friend and approached Luke.

Starkiller was immediately alert. He'd caught the guy talking to what appeared to be a comlink shortly before. It seemed he had received a message from someone else. But what did he want with Luke all of a sudden?

The boy hesitated, torn between returning to Starkiller and waiting to see what the thief wanted. Starkiller began to chant in his head; come back here, quickly, get back here! But Luke decided to wait.  
The Zabrak reached Luke and seemed to say something to him. Again Luke looked unsure for a moment. His eyes flickered up to the roof Starkiller was hiding on and the young Sith had to quickly duck in order to not to be seen. When he looked up again, Luke was following the Zabrak into the ship.

"Damn him, what is that idiot doing!?", Starkiller growled. He had been caught by slavers once, hadn't he learned anything from it?

Starkiller’s own comlink beeped. He turned it on and was connected to Captain Lokey, who stood guard at the other end of the hangar.

"What is that kid doing?", the pilot asked without greeting.

"No idea", Starkiller answered. "He wanted to listen in on them to find out when the rest of the crew will arrive but he seems to have gone crazy halfway through his task."

"Then we have to strike now. They only have one guard left. One of us distracts him and the other enters the ship to-"

"No, we don't know how many of them are on board", Starkiller objected.

"But Luke..."

"Whatever it is they want from him, I doubt they brought him in there to kill him. We'll give him half an hour. Then we strike."

Starkiller turned his comlink off without waiting for an answer. He cursed the fact that he only had two comlinks with a third being installed in PROXY and of course replacements on the Rogue Shadow. He naturally hadn't entrusted Luke with one, though considering the kind of trouble he seemed to get in on a regular basis, maybe he should have.

XxX

Luke tried his best to look nervous and awestruck when the Zabrak led him into the ship. He tried to act as if this was new to him, as if he'd never been on a spaceship. Particularly not this one.

"There's plenty of food and water in here", the Zabrak said a bit clumsily and moved to the door that Luke knew led to the crew quarters.

"Thank you so much, I don't know when my last meal has been!", Luke exclaimed. He wondered if he'd overdone it a bit but the creepy yellow guy just smiled a bit nervously. He seemed to be as inexperienced at lying as Luke was.

For almost ten minutes Luke had watched him and his friend up close. He'd listened in on them and found out quite a bit about their group. They were missing only one crew member, a girl named Kira who had apparently been picked up by Imperials. Another two, Snoops and Ritchie, were busy finding out exactly where she was being kept and would return shortly to report their findings so the crew could make a plan to free her. They had also mentioned a sixth crew member, their Captain, though they didn't say where he or she was at the moment. Content with the information gathered, Luke had wanted to return to his friends when suddenly the Zabrak had approached him and asked if he was hungry and maybe needed a place to stay for a night. It was such an obvious way to trap him Luke almost scoffed at him. Growing up on Tatooine, he knew people were never nice to each other just out of the goodness of their hearts. After his encounter with the smugglers, he had an idea what they were after but he was also confident that they posed no real threat at the moment, what with the disabled ship and everything. Also this time Lokey and Starkiller knew exactly where he was.

The Zabrak opened the door for him. The crew quarters were unchanged but Luke's eyes quickly fell on a woman standing in the middle of the room. She had dark skin and long black hair bound in a braid. She wore a gray full body suit with some yellow armor pieces at the knees. Over the suit she wore a brown jacket but Luke noticed quickly that the left sleeve was empty.

"That's the boy", the Zabrak said but it sounded more like a question.

The woman closed her eyes briefly and when she opened them again, she smiled. "Yes, thank you, Nolan."

She motioned for Luke to come in and he hesitantly did so.

"Hello, little one. My name is Ava. May I ask who you are?"

"I'm Luke", he replied automatically. A moment later he scowled, it might not be the best idea to tell the thieves his real name. Then again, it wasn't like he was anyone important like Starkiller and his friend had said the thieves probably were a rivaling group to the smugglers so they never got to see his face before. They still must not know he was one of the caught children or that he belonged to Starkiller since they had blown up their ship and knocked out their teammate. Even Luke knew that wasn't a great foundation to build a friendship on.

"Hi Luke. Nolan told me you might need some food and shelter. I was just about to have my dinner, would you care to join me?"

The woman - Ava, he remembered - sounded quite nice but Luke wasn't fooled. It wasn't even 4pm, who ate dinner at this hour?

Still, he was playing the starved beggar so he eagerly agreed. Let's see what they were up to.

The Zabrak left them alone and Luke got a sandwich and some milk. He recognized them as being from the Rogue Shadow's rations and his dislike for the woman grew a bit more.

The woman then started to pose a number of innocent questions. How old he was, where he came from, what he was doing out there all alone and so on. Luke mostly stuck to the truth, knowing how bad he was at lying but very carefully left out anything to do with Starkiller.

It surprised him a bit however that soon, Ava started to talk about herself as well.

"There was a time when I was alone, just as you are now. I had nobody to turn to. It was hard in the beginning but eventually I found new friends and started to get back on my feet."

"Well, you made it. You have a spaceship and a crew and everything", Luke answered. "How long have you been flying with this ship?"

"This one, not for very long", she said with a smile. "But I've always traveled the galaxy a lot. More often then not, I had to leave fast. Got into a bit of trouble with the Empire, you see?"

Luke felt like he was being watched very closely but he concentrated on his sandwich and pretended not to notice. When he raised his head again, he said:  
"It's a great ship! I read some magazines at home about different kinds of starfighters and stuff but this looks a lot better than them. Did you build it yourself?" He knew how ridiculous that statement was, no way such a ship could be build by one person. But he wondered if the woman would admit to have stolen it.

Ava only smiled a bit. "No, I haven't. Is that the first time you've been in a hangar this big?"

Luke scowled, wondering where she was going. "Yeah..."

"It must be pretty exciting. Have you seen a lot of other ships before on... what was it? Tatooine?"

"Just a few smuggling ships."

"Sometimes Imperial shuttles or TIE-fighters fly over smaller towns", she tried again.

Luke just looked at her blankly. There was an awkward silence.

Suddenly Luke remembered that Starkiller had said the group wasn't just regular thieves, they were terrorists. They mainly stole from the army or attacked Stormtroopers patrolling the planet, he had found their weapons on their ship. The whole time Luke had tried to steer the conversation towards the Rogue Shadow but the woman had tried to talk about the Empire instead. She was trying to find out if he liked the Empire or not. Maybe she even wanted to recruit him. If he played her game, maybe he could find out some more about her crew and how they were armed or something.

"I saw an Imperial shuttle only once", he said, deliberately quiet and looked back down on his food. "There was a settlement of native people on Tatooine, a bit outside the bigger town. It flew in that direction. Later in the news I heard that they had raided the camp and killed almost everyone in it!"

Ava's expression became solemn.

"Yes", she said, "I have heard many stories like that. The Empire is ruthless and cruel to those that refuse to submit to them."

Yes, well, what Luke had left out was that Tatooine's natives, the sand people, were a barbaric, ruthless race themselves who frequently attacked travelers and caravans. When the Empire had taken care of them, everyone had been relieved. Even Uncle Owen had reluctantly admitted that the raid had been one of the very few good things the Empire had ever done for Tatooine.

"I'm afraid of the Empire", Luke declared maybe a little bit too adamant. "My relatives always said they're very bad people."

"The problem is that so many people are ready to just lie down and let them walk all over them", Ava said with a sigh.

"But you don't", Luke said slyly. "You do something against them."

"I try."

He pointed at her empty sleeve. "Is that how you lost your arm?"

Ava winced and Luke belatedly realized that that might not have been the most tactful thing to say.

"Yeah", she replied, "that wound... It's quite recent. I got it in a fight with an Imperial battle droid."

Recent? Battle droid? Luke looked around and now that he paid attention, he noticed the presence of the Imperial sign on the furniture, the Rogue Shadow was clearly an Imperial ship so the battle droid she had fought 'recently' could only be...

"PROXY", Luke muttered darkly. He still didn't like the droid, it had tried to kill him after all and it was more than a bit insulting that Starkiller still protected it after that. But at the same time it was also a bit satisfying to know that at least the thieves had paid a high prize to claim the ship.

"I'm sorry about your arm", he said aloud, "but I think it's pretty cool that you took this ship from the Imps."

Ava smiled again. "You're a clever boy, aren't you? That's right, we took it from the Empire. We didn't actually know it belonged to them, we were in a hurry and in need of a craft with more advanced weapons... We planned on giving it back afterwards. But then we lost our own ship and this one only needed minor repairs. We still have to fix a small software issue but then, I think we'll be able to put it to much better use than the Empire." She gave him a mischievous grin.

Luke responded with a nervous chuckle, inside he was scowling. The Rogue Shadow belonged to his friend Starkiller! His very life depended on it and these thieves just wanted to have it for themselves!  
Luckily he had already finished his sandwich and there was no more reason to stay.

"I wish you luck with your new ship", he said maybe a bit to stiffly, "and thank you for the food. But I think I have to go now."

"You can stay a little longer, I don't mind", Ava said.

"No, it's alright. Still have some money to earn today", he answered with a grin.

The woman just looked at him sadly. "Luke, that is no life for you. Why don't you come with us instead? My crew is very nice and we would take care of you. I hate to have to send you back to the streets. It's too dangerous on your own."

"I can take care of myself", Luke returned and stood.

"We could help you to find your father."

Luke stopped in the middle of the movement, staring at her. She must really want to recruit him. If Luke had indeed been all alone and begging in the streets, there was no way he would've rejected such an offer. And from the look of her face, she knew that. He needed a really good excuse to get out of here now.

So Luke acted intimidated, as if he was suspecting some nefarious ulterior motive in the offer. Which he kind of was.

"I... I'll manage, thanks. Uh, I must get going." He turned to leave hurriedly but Ava wasn't done yet. He was almost at the door when she pulled out the big guns.

"You are different from other children, aren't you? Sometimes you know of things that are going to happen before they actually do. You have better reflexes and instincts than others. Sometimes when you're in trouble, you just know what to do to get out of it."

Luke turned around with wide eyes. "How do you know...?"

Ava just smiled, kindly but sadly.

"I know because I'm like you. That little edge you have over others - you have it because the Force is strong with you."

"The... The Force?"

Luke couldn't believe it. Ava was like Starkiller and him, she could sense the Force! But she was a terrorist, working against the Empire... That could only mean one thing.

"Jedi", he gasped.

"So you've heard of us? I admit, I'm surprised. The Empire is trying its best to wipe out every trace of us. To wipe out the dark stain on their history."

There was an odd chant going on in Luke's head: Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, she's a Jedi, what do I do, she's dangerous, Starkiller has to know about her, but I can't leave without giving anything away, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!

"What do you mean with dark stain?", Luke asked, just to say anything while he tried to calm his racing heart.

"Ten years ago, our order included thousands of Jedi all over the galaxy. I was only a Padawan learner at that time, not much older than you. My Master and I didn't fight in the Clone Wars directly but still sometimes did some odd jobs for the army. And then..."

Ava looked away and Luke could see the tears glistering in her eyes. He was still very much cautious about her but he also felt that she was in pain and though he knew she was a thief and a Jedi, he still felt a bit of pity for her.

"You don't have to tell me", he whispered but Ava shook her head and wiped her tears away.

"No, I can't... I can't bear it, the thought that everything we stood for, for a thousand years and longer should just be forgotten. They said the Jedi betrayed the Republic; that we conspired with the Separatists." When Luke just looked confused, she explained: "The Empire was erected only ten years ago, before that there was a Republic with senators from every planet coming together to make the laws. Now there is only one man at the top."

"The Emperor", Luke said.

Ava nodded. "Some worlds weren't happy about the way the Republic was run and they wanted to separate. That's where they got their name. That's what the Clone Wars were about. They went on for four years and the Emperor, who at that time was the Supreme Chancellor, got more and more political power during the war. In the end when the Separatists were almost defeated, he used that power to declare all the Jedi traitors. He said that we had manipulated the Separatists to start the war but from the way that turned out, I'm pretty sure it was the other way around."

"Why would the Emperor want there to be a war against his own Empire - I mean, Republic?" That didn't make sense, shouldn't he try to protect it?

"In a time of war, the Supreme Chancellor got more and more power so he could act more quickly. Eventually he became so powerful that he was able to declare himself Emperor. And the Jedi... The Jedi were killed. Every last one of them hunted down and murdered. Many fell in the first wave. They say the clones they fought side by side with suddenly turned on them. The same clones that later laid the foundation for the Stormtrooper Corps. They even attacked the temple, they killed everyone, even the children. Many others were hunted down later by the Emperor's hands, his Inquisitors and assassins. The worst of them..." Ava shuddered and wrapped her one remaining arm around her torso. "The worst of them is Vader. He's the most ruthless of them all and the most dangerous. He killed my Master. He was taking him on all alone even though he knew he couldn't win just so that I could escape..."

Luke stared at her with wide eyes. He was sure he could feel the pain that was radiating off her but still she did not cry. Such pain and it was his father that had caused it to her!

"I'm sorry", he whispered and this time, he meant it.

Ava looked up again, swallowing her pain. "I've been on the run ever since and I won't lie to you, the life is hard and it's dangerous as well. But every time I meditate and feel the Force flow around me, I know that it is worth it. I know that I must survive and keep on fighting so that the Jedi will not be forgotten and my Master's sacrifice wasn't in vain. I know you know what I'm talking about. I have felt your presence. You have such a pure soul, such light in you. I don't know if you touched the Force on accident or not but you have incredible talent, Luke. You would make a great Jedi and if you would like to - I would be very happy to teach you."

Luke swallowed thickly. He would love to learn more about the Force. Touring the galaxy with a crew of adventurers sounded lots better then studying in some obscure place and become an Inquisitor only to hunt down nice people like Ava who had already suffered so much.

But... if he became a Jedi, his father would never accept him. He would be the very thing he fought against, he would be... he would be a traitor to his own family. What his father had done to Ava and her Master was wrong and Luke realized with an unsettling finality, that he never wanted to hunt down and kill Jedi, especially innocent children, just because they were, well, Jedi.

But just because he didn't want to kill them didn't mean he wanted to be one of them.

"I'm sorry, Ava. I really am, but...", and now he needed a good excuse, "I don't think that's what I want. I mean, to always be on the run... I can't... I can't fight the whole Empire. I'm... I'm too scared."

"You wouldn't be alone", she tried again. "And the streets are not much safer."

"Well, I have this place to sleep, I share it with some other kids... and I only work at places with large crowds, it's rather safe there. And as soon as I find my father, that won't be an issue anymore anyway so... I'm sorry, but I have to say no."

He hated that he had to sound like a coward but it felt like the most convincing excuse.

"I cannot force you to do something you don't want. But if you can overcome your fear... Well, we'll still be in town for a few days."

Luke smiled a bit and nodded. "Alright. Thank you."

Ava brought him back to the exit and Luke left the ship, his head cramped with questions and worries.

The Jedi had certainly given him food for thought.

XxX

Ten minutes later Luke met up with Starkiller and Lokey again.

"You saw the Jedi!?", Starkiller exclaimed in a mixture of disbelief and anger. "Are you sure?"

"That's what she said and she also said she could feel my presence. How else would she know that I have one?", Luke returned.

"If the Jedi is on board, that greatly complicates things", Lokey muttered. "We are not equipped to take on a Jedi. I could request help from the Outpost..."

"No", Starkiller objected immediately. "That would draw further attention to ourselves and they would probably keep the Shadow."

"Look, a Jedi is serious business. I get it that you value your secrecy but not reporting her would be a capital crime! We should have gone right to the Outpost when you first had the suspicion."

"It won't matter if we take her out ourselves."

"And how do you plan on doing that?", Lokey asked incredulously. 

"She's injured and never got any training beyond the rank of Padawan anyway. I can take her on."

Lokey snorted. "Not to sound disrespectful but I do doubt that."

Starkiller glared at the pilot coldly. "You know nothing of my abilities."

Luke fidgeted a bit. "Hey guys... we don't have to kill anybody. They still can't leave the planet and they're searching for their teammate. If they try to free her, Ava will surely go with them. Then the ship will be without a guard and we can take it back."

"If we report the Jedi only after getting back the Shadow, the Empire would have no reason to seize it", Lokey thought aloud. "They already know my face from when I asked about the smugglers so it's not like we'd be giving anything further away."

"The Stormtroopers can't handle a Jedi. She will flee", Starkiller stated angrily.

"Stormtroopers killed many Jedi when the Empire was founded", Luke muttered with just a hint of bitterness. "Didn't they?"

His teammates looked at him in surprise and even a bit suspicion.

"Right", Lokey said at last, "anyway, if we want to value secrecy over everything else, then this is the plan with the least amount of risk to it.

"So we just wait and do nothing!? We let the Jedi scum get away!?"

"We will inform the Outpost that a Jedi comes to free their captive. They will lay a trap for them and we will have enough time to get our ship back. That's the safest and fastest way."

Starkiller still growled in anger but in the end, he had to acknowledge that they were right. It was itching in his fingers to test his skills against a real Jedi, to do honor to the name of Sith and wipe out his enemy... and to avenge PROXY. But it was incredibly important that his existence remained a secret and taking off after random Jedi without his Master's permission or guidance was not a good way to ensure that.

"Fine, we'll wait", Starkiller agreed. "Captain Lokey will report to the Outpost, Luke stays with me. I take care of any guard they may leave behind and Luke flies us to the spaceport on the northern side of the city where we will meet you again."

"It might still be a day or two before they attempt to free their teammate", Lokey noted.

"Then we better get comfortable on that roof", Starkiller snapped.

Lokey left after that and the two boys got back to their roof to watch the Shadow. It became night and day again. Starkiller hadn't managed to get much sleep during the last few days and it was beginning to show. He was even more irritated and paranoid then usual but for the coming coup he had to be at his best. That's why he grudgingly accepted to sleep for a few hours, curled under some blankets on the roof with Luke keeping watch. Around four in the morning, when Luke himself felt like he was going to drop any second, the younger boy silently climbed down the building.

He knew that there was no way he could convince his friends to leave the rebel group alone. They were criminals after all and Starkiller had made it quite clear that he loathed all Jedi. But Luke had gotten to know their rebel leader at least a little bit and he couldn't help but feel with her. He didn't want her to get caught by the Empire and he figured there really was no harm done if she was not. Luke just wanted to have the Rogue Shadow back but he also knew that the rebels wouldn't just hand her over.  
So Luke went down to the deserted plaza and searched the bins for a piece of cardboard that he could write on. His message was simple enough: It's a trap, Kira is bait. The cardboard he put on the ground next to the ship where the guard would see it when he left over the ramp in the morning. From afar it just looked like a piece of trash.

His conscience a bit lighter, Luke returned to the roof and just barely managed to stay awake until Starkiller woke up. Around an hour later the ramp to the ship opened but instead of the two men from before, the human male was accompanied by a woman this time. Starkiller watched them closely through the binoculars and scowled when the Jedi picked up a random bit of trash. He didn't do anything though and Luke suppressed a sigh of relief. The two still continued on their way and after waiting another ten minutes just to be sure, Starkiller got up. There would only be one man inside the ship right now. It was almost too easy.

XxX

Luke took the severed arm and looked it over closely. Then he looked down to the other body parts lying at his feet. A grin spread on his face and he ran out of the room and down the corridor to the cockpit, waving the arm around excitingly.

"S.K., I found PROXY, I think I can repair him if-"

The words died in his mouth when he reached the cockpit. Starkiller sat in the pilot's seat, removing the blocks in the system with Luke's password. On the seat next to him, normally occupied by PROXY in standby, sat the slumped over body of a male Zabrak. There was a fine red line going around his neck, the blood painting curious pattern over his yellow skin.

Starkiller stood, his eyes gleaming. His relief was notable in the way his shoulders relaxed when he took the arm from Luke.

"You think he can be repaired? Is his head undamaged? And what about his torso? He needs both for his memory and protocols to stay intact."

But Luke didn't answer. He just stared at the body of the thief. He'd never seen a dead body before.

"Luke? Luke, what's wrong?" Starkiller looked from the small boy to the Zabrak and back again. "It's alright, he won't bother us again. It was easy to take him out, he didn't even see me coming."

Starkiller had snuck on board first and come out five minutes later, telling Luke to follow and search the ship for anything the rebels might have left there.

Luke finally looked back at Starkiller.

"You didn't have to kill him", he whispered.

"What?"

"You could've knocked him out or something, you didn't have to kill him!"

Starkiller's expression changed from confused to angry quickly.

"Why should I spare him? He's a terrorist, he stole from me and he helped a Jedi! If I had just knocked him out, Stormtroopers would have found and executed him anyway. Or worse, he could've fled and tried to come after us again."

Luke fought his tears, he knew that, he knew all that. Of course Starkiller would kill the remaining guard, how could he have been so stupid? But even though he knew it somehow he hadn't realized it in his head until he saw the body and - damn, he'd never seen a dead body before.

Starkiller wanted to give the severed arm back to Luke. He pushed a little when the other boy didn't take it immediately.

"Luke, see what you can do for PROXY. Okay? We have some time before we need to start. If you can connect his head, torso and arm, he can use his self-repair kit to do the rest. Luke? Luke, are you even listening?"

"I can't", Luke whispered and took a step back. "I... I can't do this!"

"But you just said-"

"No, not that." Luke was breathing faster and faster and Starkiller feared for a moment that he might start to hyperventilate.

"I can't do this... thing you're doing. This... killing people... and Jedi. I can't do this Inqui- Something!"  
Panic attack, the words shot through Starkiller's head. Luke was acting irrational. PROXY had mentioned something like this, that some people found themselves limited by natural reservations about killing other sentients. That didn't quite explain why Luke was freaking out now, after all it hadn't been him who killed the Zabrak. But that it affected him was obvious and not just in the way his eyes widened and his whole body was trembling. It was visible in the Force as well. Luke's light presence curbed and rose with the boy's distress, a wild and uncontrolled energy. Starkiller knew he had to do something to calm the other down, and fast.

Of course, being a Sith student, the only way he knew how to shut up a panicking young child was by using... well, force.

Starkiller gathered all his frustration coming from a good week of stress and sleepless nights together with his fear for PROXY, the Shadow and impending doom at the hands of his Master should he ever find out how he'd messed up and used these feelings to call the dark side to him. It replied happily, even eagerly and slammed against Luke's presence like a ferocious beast with bared teeth and claws.  
Luke screamed as the mental attack hit him and fell to the ground, clutching his head. There was no subtlety in the attack, just brute force. Seeing Luke writhe on the floor, Starkiller belatedly realized he could do some serious damage to the boy. His intention was to beat the other into submission so his painfully light presence would stop flaring uncontrollably but he didn't want to actually harm him.  
Starkiller stopped his assault when Luke started crying, curling together in a fetal position. He felt a mean little stab of satisfaction seeing him like this. It didn't matter how powerful the other's presence was, without training he was nothing. He hadn't even been able to defend himself.

"Luke", Starkiller said seriously and knelt down next to the boy when he didn't seem to notice him.

"Luke, you are weak. Not just your body but your mind as well. It is natural for your to fear the power of the dark side. It is the unknown that makes you run away but you have to embrace that power. You have to overcome your fear and pain and grow stronger through it."

"I... I don't want to", Luke sobbed. "It's ugly and scary and it hurts."

"I know. But you can either run from the power or become powerful yourself. You can be the prey or the hunter."

"I don't want to be either! I... I only wanted to find my father!"

"We talked about this, Luke. It's the only way you can survive."

"But I..." Luke was trembling, he felt like he'd gotten his first glimpse of exactly who Starkiller was, what he was and he was horrified. It wasn't just the darkness in his new friend but also the knowledge that his father would be much, much worse. How was he ever going to look at the man, much less talk to him if his presence was anywhere near Starkiller’s? His mind would shatter before the first word came over his lips. Why would he even want to make such an attempt?

...because it was his father. Because at one point in the past, or so he hoped, Darth Vader had loved him. Because he hoped that at some point in the future, he could again. Luke loved his Aunt and Uncle but he just never felt like he belonged with them and if he ever wanted to find out where his place was, he knew he would have to start with finding out about his parents. How could he know where he should go if he didn't know where he came from? But...

"I can't be like that", Luke sobbed, desperately looking at Starkiller and searching for some spark of... of humanity in his eyes. "I don't want to become an Emperor's hand or... Or an Inquisitor or something. I don't want to go and hunt Jedi, I... I can't do that!"

"It is the only way..."

"But maybe it's not! You said... You said that you could take me to Darth Vader. Maybe I can convince him that it's not necessary. There have to be other ways I can help. And if not... maybe he'll just let me go, I’ll go back to my Aunt and Uncle and never speak of it again, to anybody!" 

"Luke, that is not very likely."

"But you see... maybe it is because... Because Vader is... He's my father."

The last words were muttered very timidly. For a moment there was only silence and when Luke dared to look up again, Starkiller was meeting his gaze coldly.

"That is not funny, Luke", he said at last.

"I-I'm not joking", the boy replied. "And I... I know you can tell. In here", he said and tapped his chest. Starkiller had said before that he could detect it when Luke lied.

"He changed his name, I don't know why... He was Anakin Skywalker before, I heard my Aunt and Uncle talk about it. They wanted to make me believe my father had died but I found out the truth and came to search for him."

Starkiller's eyes began to flicker over his form as if searching for any resemblances to his Master that couldn't possibly be there.

"You can't be", he said and licked his suddenly dry lips. "That's impossible!" But he knew that it was possible. He sensed that Luke really believed it and... well, it would explain his ridiculously strong presence.

"Why... why didn't you tell me before?", Starkiller asked. He was unable to keep the accusation and... yes, hurt out of his voice completely.

"I can't go around telling people, I told you why!"

And suddenly all the pieces fell into place. Luke had said his father worked with the Navy, he'd wanted to come with him to Woostri because that's where he hoped to find him. Yet he was reluctant to approach him in the open because his father didn't know about him and he didn't want to ruin his reputation. Starkiller had even suspected his father might be a Jedi, well, he'd been right about him being Force sensitive at least.

"Why are you telling me now?"

"I... I want to know... I have to know if there's any hope. You... You know him better than anyone else I know. Will he... Will he even care? Or will he still want me to... do stuff?"

Starkiller’s reply came automatically with only the slightest hesitation.

"Of course he'll care. If it's true. If you're really his... yeah. Sure, he'll care." By the stars, he couldn't even say the word out loud!

For the first time since seeing the corpse next to Starkiller, there was a spark of his usual hopefulness in Luke's eyes again.

"You... you really think so?"

Starkiller nodded mutely. He felt overwhelmed. This had to be some kind of crazy dream.

"Guess you found yourself a third option."

The young Sith stood up abruptly. "I think we should take off now. You will fly us to the other hangar now."

"S-Sure..." Luke scrambled to his feet.

Starkiller was already half way down the corridor when Luke called him back.

"Uh, S.K.?"

The older boy turned around very slowly. His face was bare of any emotion. "Yeah?"

Luke looked to the side as if embarrassed.

"The, uh..."

"What?"

"The body!"

Starkiller sighed and raised his hand. He had absolutely no problem calling the dark side to his aid with all the confusing emotions carefully contained behind his cold mask and effortlessly used the Force to levitate the dead Zabrak and dump it the medical bay. They would throw it out later when they were in space. After that he left for his own chamber. He needed to meditate. Badly.

XxX

Starkiller focused on his breathing, drawing in the air powerfully. His mind was anything but calm. It wasn't supposed to be; meditating on the dark side meant to direct and funnel his emotions and use the direction they gave him to sort out his confusing thoughts.

Luke was Lord Vader's son. It seemed unlikely, ridiculous even and yet... it might be true. If it was... the implications were mind boggling.

Luke's fear was of course justified. The family bond he clung to would provide a base of loyalty to Lord Vader that would make up for the ten years he had spend out of his reach. The boy was powerful enough to make an exceptional apprentice, he could become just as strong if not more so than Starkiller, given enough training. 

His Master had already broken the Rule of Two that the Sith adhered to by training Starkiller. His Master could not risk keeping two apprentices together as it would pose the threat of them banding together against him. While Starkiller felt no desire to go against his Master, he knew that it was the nature of the Sith and that his Master would never trust him with his life. One day, he would even expect him to act against him. But having two apprentices in different parts of the galaxy could not be kept a secret for long.

That's why, this much was obvious for Starkiller, there could only be one. He liked to think his Master would prefer him over Luke. Luke would have to be turned in a long process that threatened to expose his Master on every step of it. Even then there was the danger that the boy would be broken and not stand up again. Even if he did make it, Starkiller had five years of training over him. He might not be a full Sith yet but he had already started to fulfill small missions, he had proved that he could be a valuable tool. On the other hand, this whole journey was a series of failures on his part that might be enough for his Master to dismiss him.

But those were excuses. Starkiller knew that the problem wasn't Luke's potential. It was his blood.  
He had told the boy that yes, of course Lord Vader would care about him. If he didn't Luke might have decided to run off after all and while before that might have been preferable to Starkiller, it was no longer an option. Luke had shown sympathy for a Jedi. A Jedi whose death was not yet confirmed. If they got the hands on him it could be disastrous. As much as Starkiller feared being replaced as the apprentice, he would never allow Luke to become an enemy of his Master either. Not that he'd ever have a chance against him but if his Master found out that he'd known and done nothing, he was a dead man.

His Master was a Sith. Sith did not have families, they loved no one and trusted no one. And yet... there was this disgustingly weak part of Starkiller that had dreamed and hoped of earning a special place in his Master's cold heart for years. This small part that hoped one day he could be more than a sharp tool to haul at his enemies. While this hope certainly was never encouraged there was something in his Master's behavior that didn't allow this small hope to die either. It was this part that now made Starkiller fear that his automatic reply to Luke was the truth after all. That his Master might prefer Luke over Starkiller simply because the other was of his blood. Because he was family.

The mere idea plunged Starkiller into despair. Blood relation was nothing he could ever compete with, nothing he could replicate or make up for. He was helpless, he was useless, he was... he was nothing compared to Luke.

If he brought the boy before Lord Vader, there were two possibilities of what could happen. His Master would undoubtedly try to turn Luke. If he was too weak and broke under the pressure, he would die. If he made it, he would become Lord Vader's new apprentice. Starkiller was reasonably sure that he himself would be kept alive until it was sure that he was no longer needed but if it came to that... His Master would dispose of him. 

If he brought Luke before Lord Vader, one of them would die.

Starkiller felt the dark side course through him with purpose. The answer came to him at once and everything was so clear to him. There was no doubt, the Force told him what to do.

He had to kill Luke.

He had to do it now and make sure that nobody ever found out about his relation to Lord Vader. It shouldn't be too hard. Lord Vader had given PROXY orders to kill the boy anyway. Even if he found out about the child accompanying him through Lokey, he may question why he had waited this long but that would be forgiven. In order to be completely sure, Starkiller would also have to search for the boys relatives on Tatooine. The fact that they had kept his identity a secret from his Master showed that Lord Vader would not care if he killed them and it would ensure that nobody else ever found out about Luke's true identity.

Something ugly tried to raise its head in Starkiller's stomach when he reached this conclusion but he quickly squashed the feeling. It was the only way he could ensure his own survival and supremacy, the only way he could cement his position at his Master's side. Starkiller did not fear death but the thought of loosing his position, of loosing his Master to someone else was making him quite desperate and... sad.

Calling upon the dark side, Starkiller quickly turned these feelings into potent anger, squashing all weakness that wanted to rise in him. His fury spiked and his eyes opened. He was ready.


	8. Chapter 8

Starkiller got to his feet and left his meditation chamber. His presence was concealed as best as he could when he made his way to the cockpit with deceptive calmness. Luke was not there. Starkiller checked the protocols and found that while he had been busy, Luke had already flown the ship to the designed meeting place. Stretching out his senses, Starkiller found his light in the crew quarters. The young Sith put one hand on the handle of his vibroblade and very carefully unsheathed it as he got closer to the door. It was unlocked. Too easy.

Starkiller entered to find Luke lying on the floor, fast asleep. Various metallic body parts were strewn around him. He had obviously fallen asleep trying to sort out what was left of PROXY. Starkiller remembered that since Luke had taken on the last shift of watch during the previous night and probably wasn't accustomed to sleep deprivation, he would be quite exhausted.

There was another pang in his heart. Luke had fallen asleep trying to repair Starkiller's only friend even though the droid had tried to kill him. He was selfless... innocent and tried to reach out for Starkiller. Not for one moment did he question whether or not Luke knew of the unbearable position he put Starkiller in. He didn't even know about the Sith and their rules, he didn't know about Lord Vader's plot to overthrow the Emperor and the resulting secrecy for Starkiller's position. He knew there were things Starkiller hadn't told him but he never insisted on getting answers. Because he.... he trusted Starkiller. And he was going to betray that trust. That was the way of the Sith.  
Starkiller almost laughed because his Master would be proud of him if it weren't his own son he was about to murder.

The young boy found his way between the many mechanical components on the floor. Soon he stood over Luke. He crouched down, one hand reaching out for his head to pull it up and put his vibroblade into the perfect position to smoothly slit his throat.

His hand touched the blonde hair, fingers curling to grasp the strands without waking Luke of his slumber. Indeed, the child seemed to almost lean into his touch.

Starkiller grit his teeth. He remembered how he'd first met Luke, the dirty lad that he'd mistaken for a Jedi Padawan. How they had discussed their past and families over a shared meal, the boy's joy at being able to fly the ship. His look of relief when he'd run into Starkiller when fleeing from PROXY and the one of hurt when he protected the droid still. The time they'd spend in town and with the family of the rescued girl. Starkiller had never been able to relax but Luke had, even so far away from home because he wasn't alone, because he had Starkiller at his side. And now... he was going to kill him.  
“Sithspawn!”, Starkiller cursed and let go of Luke, one hand curled to a fist as if burned from touching him, the other, still holding the blade, rising to his face, pinching his nose and trying to get his turmoiling emotions under control. Belatedly he noticed with dark amusement how fitting his curse was when directed at Luke.

A quiet moan drew his attention as Luke woke up.

"S.K...? What'cha doing?", Luke asked sleepily.

"Nothing", Starkiller answered dully, sheathing his blade. "Go back to sleep."

Luke turned around, not bothering to get into the bed and promptly fell asleep again. Starkiller stared at him for a couple of seconds, then he turned around.

He couldn't do it. He was a failure as a Sith, he... he couldn't even kill one stupid kid that threatened to destroy his world.

Starkiller closed the door behind him and drew a deep breath. What now? If he took Luke with him, he could die and do so in a way much more painful then a quick slitting of the throat, making sparing him today useless. Additionally there was the risk Starkiller would put himself at. He wouldn't - couldn't - allow Luke to take his place but it would not be for him to decide. He would be helpless.

He needed to get back in control.

Luke was already opposed to the idea of training as a Sith, whether he knew the name of the order or not. If he told him that Vader would not go easy on him but even insist that he be the most ruthless and cold killer that he could make him, he might convince the boy to flee and never come back. The only problem was the risk of him getting picked up by the Jedi. Walking down that path, he would undoubtedly some day be hunted down by Lord Vader. He would of course find out who Luke was and then they were back to square one.

If Luke left for Tatooine and stayed with his relatives, there was little to no chance he would ever encounter a Jedi. He could, however, meet one on his journey back and Starkiller couldn't very well take him there himself, he was still supposed to either kill or take him to his Master. Now that they had the Rogue Shadow back and with her a bit of money, he could make sure Luke could get a transport as soon as possible. Yes, that's what he'd do. There couldn't go much wrong with that plan except...  
Starkiller scowled when he remembered the Jedi they had taken the Shadow from. She knew Luke's presence. His Master had taught him many times to never underestimate a Jedi and always expect them to show up at the most inconvenient of times. The chance that the Jedi would find Luke was small but as the consequences would be disastrous, he had to minimize it as much as possible.

Starkiller left the ship and checked his comm. He tried to call Lokey and was relieved to get a signal, it meant he was close enough already to receive him. The boy then waited for roughly three hours until his pilot showed up in the hangar.

"How did it go?", he asked immediately.

"Do you want the good or the bad news first?"

"Let's get the bad out of the way."

"The Jedi escaped."

Starkiller was silent. He had already suspected that this would happen, they were talking about a Jedi after all. The trap had only been a means to an end to get the ship back anyway, it was probably too much to hope they would get rid of the Jedi as well.

"The hostage was executed before the rebels could get to her and one other member was killed when trying to flee", Lokey continued.

"With the guard that I killed in the ship, that leaves her with only two accomplices and without a way to get off planet."

"Don't tell me you still want to go after her. We have our ship back, why don't you just continue with your original mission and then we can get away from here?"

Starkiller raised an eyebrow. "What tells you that wiping out these rebels isn't my original mission?"  
"Five criminals and a Jedi? I do think that's a bit much, even for you."

"An unexpected complication but now that we've thinned them out like this, it should be easy enough."  
Lokey sighed, his charge always acted so mature but it was at times like these that he truly felt like dealing with a stubborn child.

"Alright and how do you plan on finding her?"

"She lost an arm during her battle with PROXY. If she's stranded on the planet with the Empire looking for her, she will want to get a replacement as soon as possible."

"Then I'll tell the Outpost to watch nearby shops that offer prosthetics."

"No. The Imperials lost her once, they have more then proved their incompetence in the matter. We will do this ourselves. You will search the holonet for the addresses and give them to me via comm."

"You want me to stay on the Rogue Shadow? I can help you with the questioning-"

"No", Starkiller cut in sharply. "You will stay here. Keep an eye on Luke." The young Sith scowled and his dark expression sent a shiver down Lokey's spine. "Don't let him out of your sight!"

 

XxX

When Luke woke up alone in his quarters and looked around the room that was littered with metallic body parts, at first he didn't know how he got here. Then he remembered, how they had taken the ship back and how Starkiller had killed the ship's pilot. The sight had driven home a point that had been waiting to be made for a long time now and it had triggered a wave of disgust and horror in Luke when thinking of having to do stuff like that. It wasn't even the thought of killing somebody - though that was bad enough in itself - but to do so coldblooded from behind, without ever giving the other a chance to defend himself. Defeating ones enemies in glorious adventures when they tried to kill you was one thing, stabbing an unarmed man in the back was another entirely.

Luke knew that Starkiller planned to convince his Master that he be trained in an attempt to help him but Luke really, really didn't want that. Not anymore. He had been hesitant before, hoping that his father might let him go just like that but seeing how cold Starkiller had been after killing that man, he had to wonder if his father even had a heart that he could move if he could make a boy barely older then himself do stuff like that. Luke had a weak moment then, a moment where he'd lost his hope. It was a spontaneous decision to tell Starkiller about his father. He just had to confirm that there was something to keep fighting for. His friend had assured him that he was right, that his father would care about him but though Luke wanted to believe it so very badly, there were still some doubts left.

Luke rubbed his eyes and tiredly looked at the droid parts. He picked up a vicious looking blade that was no longer correctly connected to the metallic arm. Luke was reasonably sure that he could put PROXY back together but that would need a few hours of work. He wasn't awake enough yet to start it. And anyway, he should make sure that Starkiller was close in case the droid tried to kill him upon activation. In fact, maybe he should keep that blade for himself. Starkiller carried one after all and Luke had been attacked by a maniacal droid and slave traders in less than a week. 

The boy left his quarters and peeked into Starkiller's room and into the meditation chamber. He knocked first of course, he still remembered what had happened when he first barged in unannounced. But Starkiller wasn't in either room and so Luke made his way to the cockpit where he found Captain Lokey. The pilot was operating a datapad, browsing through the holonet and occasionally speaking into his commlink with a quiet voice.

"Good morning, Captain", Luke greeted, suppressing a yawn.

"It's evening, actually", Lokey answered distracted. "You slept quite long."

"Really? Huh." Well, he had stayed awake the entire night before.

"Where's S.K.?"

"On a mission."

"Oh." That's right, over the whole trouble with the slavers and thieves Luke had totally forgotten that Starkiller wanted to place a transmitter here to store a message for when his father next stopped by. Luke was going to dismiss the issue and get himself some breakfast - or rather lunch - when he was suddenly hit by a feeling of intense... wrongness. His head snapped up and he looked around but there was nothing out of the ordinary around.

"Is everything alright?"

"No", Luke answered immediately, though he couldn't tell where the feeling came from. "I think... I think something bad happened."

"Could you be more specific?", Lokey asked and rolled his eyes.

"I don't know... Where did you say S.K. was?"

"I told you, he's on a mission."

"Yes, but where exactly?" Luke eyed the comm and, driven by that urgent feeling, made a lunge for it.   
"Is he on that? I need to speak with him-"

"No, dammit, go away!", Lokey called out and held the commlink high in the air so Luke couldn't reach it.

"You can't disturb him right now!"

"Why not? It's not like he's doing anything dangerous... or is he?"

The pilot hesitated a second too long to answer. Suddenly Luke knew exactly why he felt like this. Starkiller must be in danger.

The odd feeling lessened considerably once he had reached that conclusion, which reassured him that it was the truth. He didn't need any further urging from what he was sure was the Force to know that he had to find Starkiller. He had to help him or something very, very bad would happen.

“Where is he? Where did he go?”, Luke demanded to know.

“Now listen, that's got nothing to do with y- hey!”

Luke had lunged forward, practically ripping the datapad out of the Captains hand. He was lucky, it seemed the pilot had searched for addresses of some kind of shop. Luke picked the last one and before Lokey could do so much as blink, he was out of the cockpit.

“Damn, I need to get a raise”, Lokey muttered and ran after the boy. 

XxX

Starkiller jumped upwards, using the Force to give himself an extra push. The stool his enemy had thrown at him harmlessly passed under his feet but he was forced to dodge another one as soon as he was on the ground again.

Starkiller glared at the brown haired woman who was using both her organic and her new bare metallic one to direct the Fore and hurl stuff at him. They were fighting for almost five minutes now, longer then any fight he'd ever had against anyone other than PROXY or his Master. He'd followed her presence from one of the shops he'd investigated to a nearby general store. His initial stealthy assassination attempt had failed. It was to be expected, Force sensitives were notoriously hard to surprise. The fight had soon gotten out of hand, moving from the store to the open street. Starkiller's frustration of having to reveal the extent of his training this openly was only slightly mollified by the knowledge that once he killed the Jedi, all his mistakes since he'd first passed his trial would be forgotten.

Yet this Jedi was proving to be quite the opponent. The problem was that Starkiller could not risk getting close to her as he had no way to block her lightsaber.   
When sparing with his Master, Starkiller was given a low energy training saber to get used to the weight and feel of the weapon but on missions, he only carried his vibroblade. He would not get his own lightsaber until his Master had deemed him ready. It didn't matter whether or not he could match the Jedi in a sword fight because his blade would be cut in half if it met the lightsaber only once. Thus Starkiller was forced to keep his distance. He had brought a pair of blasters with him as he had suspected such a problem might arise but it was not his preferred weapon and against a Jedi it was useless anyway. His only chance was to catch the Jedi in a Force grip or hurt her enough to knock her out by hurling objects at her. Unfortunately the woman was quite apt with both techniques as well and was meeting him on equal, if not superior ground.

The Jedi leaped into the air and came rushing at him with incredible speed. Starkiller held out his hands and used a Force Push to keep her at a distance. His attack got her out of the sky but it wasn't strong enough to slam her against the wall behind her as he'd hoped. He tried to send a few blaster shots after her while she was down but she caught herself quickly enough to deflect the laser beams with her lightsaber.

“Is the Empire now sending children to do their dirty work?”, the Jedi spat at him when she was back on her feet.

“I'm sorry, didn't your people do the same during the Clone Wars?”, Starkiller returned. He was concentrating on a hydrant behind her on the street, if he could just get it to move...

The Jedi merely shook her head. “You're so young and yet I feel so much hatred in you... That is not natural. What has the galaxy come to?”

Just a bit, just a little bit more...

“Why are you doing this? You could be great, you could help people. I could show you the way.”

Now!

Starkiller closed his hand to a fist and the hydrant came loose, hitting the Jedi in the back and knocking her over. Her lightsaber fell out of her hand and the young Sith was fast to use the Force to let it float into his hand. With a snapp-hiss the blue blade ignited and Starkiller fell into the stance of Form V, the blade held behind him in the Shien reverse grip. With this form he could attack hard and fast but it was also easy to deflect blaster shots. At the same time he could quickly change into the other variant of Form V, Djem So, which concentrated on lightsaber combat and was the preferred style of his Master. With this form Starkiller was able to withstand both PROXY's deadly projectiles and his Master's relentless training. Starkiller knew a bit of all forms but due to sheer necessity he had focused on this one.

The Jedi's eyes widened when she saw the uncommon but clearly professional stance.

“You aren't just a misguided child... You're a Sith!”

Starkiller almost snorted. She was right, of course but he doubted she knew of his position. She was probably mistaking him for an Inquisitor trainee, which were certainly not Sith. 

The Jedi caught herself quickly enough and tried to use the same hydrant and throw it back at Starkiller. But the young Sith was determined to use his advantage and with a sprint closed the distance between them. The blue lightsaber came down but the Jedi jumped back just in time to avoid being cut in half horizontally. Starkiller whirled around and moved to attack again. The woman tried to wretch the weapon out of his grip using a mixture of hand-to-hand combat and the Force. However she severely underestimated his abilities. The forms and katas had been drilled into him until he could do them in his sleep. He had trained in these movements with PROXY. Unfortunately this meant he was used to wielding his vibrioblade. He had to target specific arteries with the blade to do the most damage, the lightsaber could cut through anything. Thus when he reacted instinctively, the lightsaber merely grazed her metallic arm instead of cutting it off. Suddenly Starkiller felt a warning in the Force. He noticed how the Jedi aimed a kick to his knee, which was foolish, she was just one swing away from loosing it...

Suddenly pain erupted in Starkiller's back. He cried out and lost his stance. In the last moment the Jedi changed her tactic and hit his wrist instead, sending the lightsaber flying. The young Sith was distracted for a moment. He glared hatefully at the muscled man who was partly covered by the corner of a building he was hiding behind, blaster in hand. He knew he should've taken out the accomplice first.  
Through the pain clouding his mind, Starkiller tried to assess the damage. He could still move but the pain was everywhere and he couldn't think clearly. He tried to turn his pain into anger to draw new strength from it but his senses were fading fast. Starkiller found himself kneeling on the ground, supporting himself with one hand while the other grabbed the hilt of his vibroblade so strongly his knuckles turned white. Through a haze he saw the Jedi picking up her lightsaber without haste. A primitive fear gripped his heart. He commanded his body to move, to do something, anything but his strength had left him.

This couldn't be happening! He couldn't die like this, he must not lose! The Jedi had to die, he had to destroy her. He had to move!

XxX

“A credit for a warm meal?” Luke held out his hands and grinned toothily but the richly dressed man just sneered and pushed him away. Luke pretended to loose his balance and unnoticed by anyone, his hand slipped into the pocket of the man's jacket.

He quickly left the scene with his new set of keys and looked for the most expensive looking speederbike parked in the street. He was lucky that he got the right one at first try and half a minute later he sped away.

“'Sorry!”, he called out in response to the angry shouting of the man behind him. “You get it back, I promise!”

Luke concentrated on the traffic again. He was a bit familiar with the town by now but mainly he let himself guide by his instinct... By the Force. He would have to get used thinking of it that way.  
Luke pushed the vehicle to its limits. Three or four times he just barely avoided a crash. People had been hurrying in the opposite direction for some time now and when he swerved past a building in the street the address lay in, he saw why. The street was a mess with stools and tables from outdoor cafes thrown around. A hydrant had been ripped out of the duracrete and destroyed the showcase of another shop. There, in the middle of the street was Starkiller, slumped over and obviously in pain. Luke couldn't see his back but the smell of burned flesh hung heavily in the air. In front of him stood the Jedi Lady with a strange glowing staff in her hand. Luke rushed forward without thinking and the Jedi turned when she heard him.

“Luke!”, she exclaimed in surprise but also with relief. She was clearly happy to see him again. “What are you do-”

“What's going on here?”, Luke interrupted her with no small amount of desperation and confusion. “What happened?”

Ava's expression darkened and she turned back to Starkiller, who tried and failed to get back to his feet.  
“This is one of the enemies I warned you about, Luke. He may look like a child but he's a monster, a trained killer – and he came to assassinate me.” She gestured around to the destruction on the street and the occasional body of a hurt civilian lying around or hurrying from the scene. “That is what the Empire is about, Luke, fear and destruction. Somebody has to stand up against them. We have to stand up against them.”

Luke took a few hesitant steps forward, his eyes fixed on his friend. It was in that moment that Starkiller looked up and met his gaze with such unadulterated hatred and loathing that Luke flinched back from the sight. He could also see the wound on his back now, blood drenching his clothing over a blackened spot. Luke knew with certainty that the wound was hurting him badly, it was almost as if he could feel the pain himself. Yet Starkiller still struggled. His hands were curled to fists, trembling from the effort it took him not to collapse but slowly, slowly he got back to his feet. He even managed to resume a fighting stance but Ava didn't look concerned.

Luke took another step forward, eyes wide. He was now standing almost next to Ava.  
“You did this to him?”, he asked.

“Don't let his appearance fool you, young one. He has been trained for no other purpose than to sow death. But I am a Jedi and at least this time, the light has proven to be stronger than the darkness.”  
Ava didn't leave the young Sith out of her sight. The Force around her was still full of tension. She felt that the conflict was not over yet and she sensed that young Luke's reaction would decide the final outcome. If he stood by her side, if the sight of this child forced to become a monster by the Empire convinced him of the necessity of action, they might destroy the Sith and maybe gain a bigger victory over the Empire than Ava and her crew ever had during the last years of robbing Imperial convoys. If he gave into his fear though and ran away yet again, the Sith might find new strength, deluding himself that he might be able to take on Ava if she was alone despite his injury. Since there were probably Stormtroopers already heading their way, Ava was intent on finishing the fight as soon as possible.

Luke was indeed torn but he did not, as Ava thought, consider siding with her. He wanted to help his friend but the pure darkness he saw in him and the conviction Ava shone with on the other side made him hesitant to do what he knew was expected of him.

“Get out of the way, Luke”, Starkiller finally growled. He moved slowly to the side so as to not present a target to the accomplice he knew was still hiding behind the corner of the building on the other side of the street.

Luke didn't know if Starkiller wanted to protect him with that order – he was looking at him with so much hatred it was hard to believe – or if he feared he might actually side with the Jedi but one thing was clear: Starkiller thought Luke would only be a hindrance to him.

Something clenched in Luke's chest. The only talent he had that had been of any use for Starkiller were his piloting skills and even those were redundant now that Lokey was in their team. Luke had been nothing but trouble lately for the crew of the Rogue Shadow. Starkiller had gotten into a fight with PROXY because Luke was not supposed to know about his secret agent status. He'd been kidnapped and because Starkiller had searched for him, the Shadow had been understaffed and stolen by the rebels. Now PROXY was in pieces and it was Luke's fault the Jedi had fled from the trap because he had warned her. Luke's carelessness and stupidity had almost cost Starkiller his ship and his mission and his father might punish him real bad, maybe even kill him for that and it was all Luke's fault.  
It didn't matter that he thought Ava wasn't too bad or that he might prefer her Jedi training over the stuff Starkiller described. He owned it to his friend to help him. He had to – no, he wanted to prove that he was not a hindrance.

Ava felt the tremor in the Force when the decision was made. Something had shifted and not in a good way. She turned around, half expecting Luke to have run away again. All it did was to cause the vicious vibroblade in Luke's hand to pierce her lung, not her kidney as the inexperienced child stabbed at her with the weapon he'd taken from PROXY. Ava let out a gasp, looking just as shocked as Luke at the unexpected action.

"No... why?", she asked with wide eyes. She had set so much hope on this boy. Even now that her blood was on his hands, she could feel the light shine in him. She knew it was no deception. She could see his lips trembling, saw the tears running down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, so sorry", Luke managed to get out. Ava just met his gaze with an accusing, betrayed look.  
Behind her, Starkiller called the blue lightsaber from her now limb hand. Before Luke even realized what was happening, he limped the few steps towards them and with one clear swipe, severed the head of the Jedi Lady from her body. Luke stumbled back and fell on his backside when the head dropped almost into his arms. He was in a state of shock, staring at the crumbling body, then back up to the boy he dared calling a friend.

"Don't ever be sorry", Starkiller said with a raw voice, his eyes still cold as ice. "Don't ever regret. Regret is for the weak. It has no place in your training. You have defeated a Jedi, that is something to be proud of."

Proud? No, he was definitely not proud. What he'd done was terrible and bad and wrong and he was sorry but he didn't regret because if he hadn't done it, Starkiller would be dead now and Luke would've started on a path on which he'd never see his father. He knew it was the wrong path but at the same time it was right because Starkiller was his friend and friends helped each other.

"I didn't do that for your stupid training or - or because she was a Jedi", Luke said with a strange calmness that might still be the after effects of the shock. "I did it to save you."

Starkiller didn't answer. He didn't look moved at all but he scowled a bit as if he could not understand why Luke would do such a thing.

"I just saved your life. You could say thank you." 

It unsettled Luke how Starkiller was just standing there with the lightsaber still lit, so cold, so empty and still the Force whirling around him in an angry storm. He knew he wasn't completely himself either but it was in this moment that Luke realized that maybe Starkiller was just as affected by the whole thing as he was, he just reacted differently. He just wanted to see him react like a normal person for once.

"If you did it to save me", Starkiller said very slowly, "then you did it for the wrong reason. You are useless after all."

Luke gaped at him. He couldn't believe Starkiller would say such a thing! The worst was that a part of him feared he might be right. He would never fit into his world, truly he didn't even want to. But to hear him say it so blandly, it hurt.

Starkiller stepped around the body and closer to him until Luke couldn't help but move back uncomfortably. His dark eyes were staring at him so intensely, he felt like he was being dissected.

"You felt a bond to her. You liked that Jedi whore. Now you've killed her but you aren't anguished, you aren't grieving - you are merely... sad. I mock you, I insult you, I let you feel my hatred for you and yet - you worry about me. Just what kind of person does that?"

Starkiller seemed to be more confused than angry in that moment and for some reason, that made Luke even sadder.

"A friend", he answered and straightened his back. "A friend does that, S.K. I don't know what I've done to make you hate me..." He had to bite his lips at that because he must not cry! "...but if you do then... Then you've helped me and come to save me and let me come with you even though you hate me and that means that... at least a little bit, you think I'm a friend too."

"I don't have friends!"

"You have PROXY", Luke pointed out.

"That's different! PROXY can..."

"Can kill lots of people?"

"He can be repaired! You, you are..." Starkiller shrugged in a helpless gesture, which caused Luke to smile sadly. He'd gotten what he'd aimed for at last, Starkiller wasn't looking so cold anymore. He was no longer the trained assassin, just a lost boy who'd never had a friend. Just like Luke.

"As much as I hate to interrupt the moment", a voice suddenly sounded not too far away from them, "we really should get away from the crime scene."

"Captain Lokey!", Luke called out when he saw the pilot.

"You should really be more careful, boys", Lokey said with a lopsided grin. "If I hadn't taken out the sniper you two would be dead three times over already."

Starkiller cursed, he'd almost forgotten about the accomplice. Which was kind of a feat since the guy had shot him in the back. The young Sith hissed when the adrenalin began to ebb away and he began to really feel the brunt of the wound again.

"Alright, no arguments, you are coming with me to the next hospital", Lokey decided.

"No - the Shadow-"

"Isn't equipped for such damage. He only missed your heart by an inch. I bet even the kid here could knock you out in the state you're in and he looks like he'd happily do it to get you to listen too."

Luke was all too ready to prove that and used Starkiller's distraction to first snatch that Jedi weapon from his hand. After that Lokey had little problem picking the boy up and carry him away from the scene. Luke grinned while he listened to Starkiller's protests, he had a feeling he'd be using this sight as blackmailing material a lot in the near future.

XxX

Starkiller's fear of hospitals proved to be unfounded, at least in this instance. He had no insurance and no way of identification but Lokey simply pretended the boy was his nephew who was one of the civilian victims of the recent terrorist attack. The nurses were so touched by the poor boy's misfortune that they agreed to put off any questions or official business. Now that they had access to the ship again, Lokey had enough funds to pay for Starkiller's treatment. Spending a few hours in a bacta tank did wonders for his wound and the next day he was fit enough to climb out of the window, sneak up on Lokey and threaten to kill him in the most gruesome way he could imagine with a blade at his throat if he ever pulled such a stunt again without his permission and drag him and Luke back to the Shadow.

"I see, nothing has changed", Lokey said dryly when Starkiller ordered them to their posts.

"Well, that's not quite right", Luke said and with a grin turned to Starkiller. "Hey, you wanna hear the good news first or the better news?"

"Good news? That would be a first", Starkiller growled.

"While you were out, we bought the missing parts and put PROXY back together."

As if on cue, the door to the crew quarters opened in that moment, revealing the holo droid as silver and shining as the day he came out of manufacturing.

"I am most happy to see you again, Master", PROXY greeted him. "And I also want to apologize for my failure at stopping the Jedi. I do not even deserve being put back together..."

Starkiller's eyes widened, he felt like a huge weight was lifted off him when he saw his friend repaired and well.

"Nonsense, PROXY. A Jedi is a powerful opponent and you were taken by surprise."

"But Master, if I can't even kill a random Jedi then how will I ever be able to kill you?"

"Uhh... I'm sure you'll find a way. Eventually."

"Very well Master, I promise I will not give up!"

"I feel like I'm missing out on something", Lokey muttered.

"Right", Starkiller said, intend on changing the subject. "What's the better news?"

"Considering our involvement in the recent incidents and the fact that our ship was already stolen once, I figured we should leave the planet at soon as possible", Lokey explained. "I tried to wrap up things quickly with the local investigation of the smuggling group. I know we could probably sneak past the space traffic control but it would be better if we had official clearance. They said we couldn't leave anyway for the next three days since there's a major fleet scheduled to visit for refueling that will block all the exits. Now guess which legion it is."

Starkiller paled a bit. "Death Squadron is coming here? When?"

"Tomorrow."

"That's great, isn't it?", Luke exclaimed. "Your plan worked, he really did come here. We have enough time to place that transmitter and then..."

Then Luke would get to meet his father at last. Darth Vader.

Starkiller closed his eyes. It was too soon. He'd wanted to leave Luke behind, to make sure he never looked back and never got anywhere near his Master. But now that both him and Lokey knew about his arrival, there was no way he would be able to loose the boy without him struggling. Luke may have his reservations about Sith training but he killed a Jedi, by the stars, there was no way he was going back to Tatooine now. He was going to see this through even if it cost him his soul. Which it would.

"S.K.?", Luke asked when Starkiller was silent for a long time. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes", the boy answered hoarsely. Then he pulled himself together and said a bit louder: "Captain Lokey, prepare the transmitter, please. Report to Lord Vader that we will head by to the base soon and that we have a new recruit with us that he may want to assess. Luke, you'll keep watch that nobody suspicious approaches the ship. PROXY, with me."

The crew surrendered to his orders without question or delay and Starkiller felt a brief moment of contentment seeing how they recognized his authority. He took his droid with him into his room and prepared himself to let coldness fill his heart again.

"Are you fully functional again, PROXY?", he wanted to know.

"Oh yes, Master, I am operating at full capacity."

"Then I want you to answer me a question. Do you still wish to kill Luke?"

PROXY was silent for a moment, his processor working. 

"No, Sir", he said at last.

That was a surprise.

"What? Why not?", Starkiller asked.

"My original assessment of him had to be revised in light of Captain Lokey's recent reports. I now realize that he is not merely a dead weight. His piloting skills are marginally useful and he used them to free himself from a group of slave traders, using strategy and intelligence to make up for his poor physical skills. He proved his loyalty in helping you to defeat the Jedi scum and was instrumental in my repairs. Using the standards of our previous pilots, I am convinced that he is a worthy member of this crew. Of course we do not need him but he is not a hindrance either and so it is not necessary to terminate him."

Starkiller's heart sank a bit. PROXY had been his last hope. If the droid went rogue again and tried to kill Luke, all Starkiller had to do was look in another direction. Not even his Master could punish him for Luke's death (if he did find out about his identity) as he had essentially ordered it himself. But PROXY wouldn't kill Luke without a direct order, which could be traced. And Starkiller knew that he couldn't do it himself, not after what Luke had done for him. However, he could not allow Luke to meet with Lord Vader. He had to find another way to get rid of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coments are much appreciated!


	9. Chapter 9

"What are you doing?", Starkiller asked in the evening when Luke used some blankets to make himself a soft spot in the corner of Starkiller's room to sleep in.

"Uhm, I'm making my bed", Luke answered a bit confused. The Rogue Shadow only had two beds, one for Starkiller and one for the pilot. They had somehow managed to take turns before since one of their crew had always been missing but now that they all had to rest the missing bed was an issue. 

"Don't be stupid, you'll take the bed. I will rest meditating." That's how they had done it when they had to sleep in a hotel room together. It wasn't like Starkiller could ever relax if he knew there was another person nearby.

"No", Luke said with a scowl. "You got shot and you're still recovering. It's your bed anyway, I can't take it from you."

"That's useless, I won't be able to sleep anyway. Plus the floor is really hard."

"I'm not taking your bed", Luke insisted.

"But I'm telling you to!"

"I still won't."

Starkiller growled, the boy could be really frustrating.

"If it bothers you that I'm here... I could go sleep with Captain Lokey in the crew quarters", Luke said quietly. It was obvious that he didn't like the idea himself but he still offered.

"Whatever", Starkiller muttered. He quickly undressed down to his undergarments and took the bed for himself. He was just about to slip under the covers when he heard Luke gasp.

"What?", he snapped.

"That scar on your back..."

Starkiller just grunted. "I've been shot before. It missed the bone and won't hinder my movement."

"No, not that one... I mean..." Luke stopped but Starkiller knew what he was talking about. There was a long ragged scar running down from Starkiller's left shoulder to his right hip bone.

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Starkiller slipped under the covers and turned away. A few moments later he heard Luke rustling as he got to bed himself. But just as predicted, Starkiller couldn't sleep. He still wondered how he could get Luke to leave. Maybe he could warn him off? That scar he'd noticed, maybe he should tell him the story behind it. It certainly wasn't the only one he had, though it was the most noticeable one.

"I was foolish", Starkiller began out of the blue. "Foolish and arrogant. I asked my Master why I couldn't carry a lightsaber on my missions. I learned to wield one during training but I never got to use it in real combat."

"What happened?", Luke whispered, not sounding sleepy at all.

"My Master said that I would only be allowed to wield a lightsaber if I could stand my own against an opponent using one. He then... He gave his own lightsaber to PROXY, told him to lift his combat restrictions and act on his programming."

Luke gasped. "He told him to kill you!?"

"Yeah. I've never seen PROXY more happy. He was... overwhelming. I only had a small training saber. It was enough to block a real lightsaber but it couldn't harm PROXY. This Jedi we met, she would've never been able to defeat PROXY if he had his restrictions off. It was like he was in a completely other league than me. He had me on my knees in less than a minute and was just about to cut off my head when my Master told him to stop. And then..." Starkiller swallowed thickly but he had to continue. Maybe then Luke would understand that he could not, must not try to continue with his foolish plan.  
"Then he called the lightsaber back to his hands and came to me. I wanted to right myself and kneel to him but he just kicked me to the ground again. He said I wasn't worthy of a lightsaber and I wouldn't be before I couldn't win a real fight against an opponent wielding one. Only then would the power be mine. Then he burned that line over my back with his lightsaber, to punish me for my arrogance and weakness."

Starkiller's voice was hollow and unfeeling but his heart clenched as he remembered the pain. The wound hadn't been all that bad, it was healed after only two days. His Master hadn't aimed to disable him, not even to cause pain. He wanted to mark him and to curse him with a reminder of his incompetence that wouldn't fade for many years to come.

Starkiller turned his head so he could faintly make out Luke's stiff form in his corner.

"He's going to do much worse to you, Luke", he whispered. "Not despite but because you're his son. He won't allow you to be weak. No child of Lord Vader must be weak, his enemies would exploit that. Do you understand?"

Luke was silent for a long moment.

"I'm scared", he admitted at last.

Starkiller took a deep breath. "It's not too late yet. You can still turn away."

"But what about you? You'll get into trouble because of me."

"I'll get into trouble either way. Too much has gotten wrong on this journey. Tomorrow morning, I'll sent you out to buy some more water for our next travel. That's your chance to leave. To go and never look back.”

“I don't understand”, Luke said with a strange hiccup that made Starkiller realize he was actually crying. “You're on his side, you're working for him. Why is he so mean to you?”

“He is Sith and so am I. It's part of my training.”

“Aren't you mad at him?”

The question managed to surprise Starkiller. He lived in a constant state of anger so one could say he was always mad. But that anger was directed at his own weakness or at the enemies of the Empire.

“I'm not mad at him”, he answered, “but that doesn't mean I'm not afraid of him.”

Luke was silent after that and Starkiller left him to his own thoughts. It still took him at least two hours until his breathing evened out and he slipped into sleep. Starkiller lay awake for a much longer time and when he woke up in the morning, he was surprised that he'd found any rest at all. He was woken up by the distinctive sensation of his Master nearby. Nearby in a broad sense but his Master's presence was so powerful and overwhelming and it was so familiar to him that he could feel him even thousands of miles away in the orbit. Even with such a distance, he could feel his anger.

XxX

SD Devastator

“Captain Lokey reporting in. Will be returning to base soon. New recruit is awaiting assessment. Orders?”

Darth Vader replayed the message, feeling his ire rising with the minute. Lokey, that was the name of the man he had appointed to the Rogue Shadow. They should already be back on the Executor. The next time Lokey reported to him should've been when he rejoined Death Squadron. But his message indicated that he was still on the move even though Starkiller's mission had been long since completed. It didn't look as if he had any intention of returning to Scarl soon either. And what was that about a new recruit? Did he mistake Starkiller for an academy student? But Lokey didn't have authorization codes to send a message directly to him, only Starkiller and PROXY had. The Captain must have sent the message in their name. Why would his apprentice want to recruit somebody? And for what?

Vader felt like he was missing out on something. It angered him that the team hadn't yet returned to the Executor and the temptation was great to just dismiss the whole thing and punish Starkiller when he got back but something about this felt... important.

Vader remembered the last time he had heard of them, when PROXY had commed him. He'd talked of a young pilot who had helped them out. A Fore sensitive. It couldn't be, had his apprentice gone against his orders of killing the civilian and dragged him with him? Such disobedience was unheard of by the young Sith. Vader had taken care to ensure his loyalty was unshakable. The boy practically worshiped him. To directly go against an order of him was an alarming sign that he couldn't take lightly.

But of course, if there was any real thought of betrayal in his young student, he wouldn't have sent a message to him requesting orders. The only other reason he could think of why Starkiller would act like this was when he thought following the orders would be unfavorable for Vader. He had experienced such cases before during the Clone Wars. The Clones were bred to obey orders, no matter what. However they weren't like droids, sometimes the situation of a battle changed and there was no time to request further orders. Not once had Vader thought about punishing his men for reacting to circumstances that he was not present to assess himself. Of course he wouldn't be above doing so in case of severe stupidity but his men tended to be reliable. Or very short-lived.

Though the disobedience angered him greatly, he was reasonable enough to give his student the benefit of the doubt. It was thus possible that Starkiller believed this young pilot to be of tremendous use for him. Vader very much doubted that this was the case. Even if it was, it would go against Starkiller's pride and frankly, his survival instinct too, to present his Master with a possible new recruit – aka apprentice. It was so completely out of character for the boy that it started to make Vader curious.  
But how to handle the situation? The team was still planetside, Vader could feel his apprentice's presence. He couldn't allows the boy to be seen boarding his ship. Descending to the surface himself could be suspicious as well. Vader was sure that there were at least three of the Emperor's spies just on the Devastator. An option was sending the team back to the Executor and tell them to wait for him. The life of the 'recruit' was forfeited anyway but leaving them alone posed a very small risk of the young pilot getting away. Then he would know not only about Vader's secret apprentice but about the new ship he was building as well. There was no way around it, he had to meet them in person and he had to do so now. He would have to appoint several tasks to the people he did not trust that worked around his personal hangar. These orders would go through his personal aide who would tell the Admiral, who would carry the orders to the lower ranks. Hopefully that way the knowledge of who gave these orders in the first place would be lost, it wasn't as if the reassignment of a few lowly officers and mechanics was anything noteworthy.

That decided Vader issued a short order for the Shadow and crew to report to the Devastator and send it to the local Outpost. Then he began to prepare for the trouble of cleaning his hangar for his apprentice. Oh, the boy was so going to pay for the inconvenience. He really began to wonder if the boy was worth all the trouble.

XxX

"It is time", Starkiller said, his heart beating wildly. They had received an answer from Lord Vader not too long ago on when to head to the SD Devastator.

"Are you sure?", Captain Lokey asked hesitantly. "Luke still isn't back, we could wait a bit longer."

Lokey was not aware why exactly Starkiller needed to get in contact with Lord Vader, he assumed it to be a regular occurrence. However Luke had been with the team the entire time he was with them as well and it felt like the boy belonged to the crew even though Starkiller had told him he had only been picked up by chance.

"Do you want to keep Lord Vader waiting?", Starkiller challenged. "We will launch now. Prepare the ship, Captain."

"Aye, Sir", Lokey replied with just a hint of mockery.

The pilot headed to the cockpit and Starkiller was just reaching out to close the ramp when he saw a figure sprinting towards him over the hangar.

"Wait! Wait for me!", Luke shouted and Starkiller was so shocked, he actually stayed his hand from pushing the button.

The boy reached the ship and spend a minute just catching his breath.

"I... I wanna... I wanna come too!", he got out at last.

"Luke, what... What are you doing here!?", Starkiller asked aghast. "I thought you'd changed your mind."

But Luke shook his head. "I thought about what you said... And I'm scared, alright, and this might be a bad idea but... Then I figured if you told my father about me, there wouldn't be much use in running away and if you didn't tell him you'd have no way to explain what you were doing the entire time and then he might punish you again... I can't allow that!"

Starkiller felt the urge to slap the stupid boy and throw him bodily out of his ship. Luke acted as if he wanted to protect him! If his Master never found out he had a son, Starkiller might get punished but he would also be too valuable to kill. If he brought Luke with him however, it lowered his survival chances significantly. He would've understood it if Luke had tasted the power or craved strength or wealth and tried to get closer to Lord Vader because of that. He might've even respected that even if it ended up costing him his own position and life. But of all the possible reasons to meet the man, Luke chose the absolute worst.

"Ah, I see you made it in time after all", PROXY's voice sounded behind them. "We were just about to take off."

Starkiller felt his last hope dying when the droid took notice of Luke. He had no other choice than to make room for the boy to come on board. Five minutes later they were in the air, on their way to meet Darth Vader. One of them was heading to his death.

XxX

Luke could not, for the life of him, sit still in one spot. Starkiller had gone to the empty room he used to meditate but Luke paced the length of the corridor. When Lokey snapped at him from the open cockpit, he went to the crew’s quarters. He tried to find something to busy his hands with but the Captain was a very orderly man and didn't keep his stuff lying around. Luke tried to hum a tune just to pass the time but he was so nervous he messed up again and again.

He was going to meet his father. Today. After such a long journey - he'd lost count of how many days it had been - he was finally going to meet him.

Luke would be lying if he said he wasn't afraid but he also knew that he must not show that fear. His father would be angry at Starkiller for bringing him but Luke was pretty sure that he would forgive it once he found out who Luke was. Even if he didn't like that Luke existed, he couldn't blame Starkiller for not killing his son, could he? It wasn't like Starkiller could predict if his father would want him dead or not.

Luke shuddered at the thought. What if his father did want him dead? What if it really was an embarrassment to have Luke or a weakness his enemies could use? Would he want to take the trouble of training Luke to be strong? Would Luke even want that? After everything Starkiller and Ava had told him, death might even be the better choice.

Still when given the chance, Luke had not run away. He'd run away once when those thugs had attacked Starkiller and him. Not only had he left his friend alone, it also had done nothing good for himself as he'd been captured anyway. This time he wouldn't be running from a bunch of slavers, he would be running from the Empire and even Luke knew that there was little sense in doing that.

Luke felt the ship slow down and a moment later the door was opened. Starkiller looked at him with a stony expression.

"Are we there?", Luke asked with a high voice. His hands were trembling.

"We will be in a moment." Starkiller paused and just stared at Luke intensely for a moment.

"What... What is it?"

The young Sith ignored his question. "Captain Lokey will leave the ship first. He'll be welcomed by an officer and be led away to make his report. That will provide a distraction for any casual onlooker. We will leave shortly after and follow a Stormtrooper that will come to collect us. You will make every effort to look as unremarkable and unimportant as possible. Do you understand me?"

"Sure", Luke said with a gulp. "Unremarkable and unimportant. Got it."

They felt the ship shudder as it met the ground of the hangar bay. The two boys stayed in the room until Lokey passed them. Only then did Starkiller motion for Luke to follow. They stayed close to the ramp and Luke caught sight of the Captain talking to a stiff, gray uniformed man who was being escorted by four white armored Stormtroopers. Starkiller quickly pulled him back so he wouldn't be seen and they waited until the footsteps were a good distance away.

"Come", Starkiller commanded. They left over the ramp quickly. Luke made sure to stay close to his friend. He caught sight of a large but mainly empty hangar before Starkiller pulled him to the side so that the Shadow blocked them from view. Two of the Stormtroopers had remained to guard the ship. They stood with the back to it but with their blaster rifles held ready. They noticed the boys but one only gave them a passing glance while the other simply turned and came towards them.

"You will come with me", he said in a voice that sounded quite mechanical through his helmet.

"Yes Sir", Starkiller simply answered. He pulled Luke with him when he wouldn't move and the three crossed the hangar at a quick pace. They followed the trooper through a lot of corridors that seemed to become smaller and less frequented until Luke was sure that they actually used secret passageways. Eventually they stopped in front of a blank door.

"You are expected", the trooper said neutrally and knocked.

Luke had the sudden urge to turn around and run as fast as his legs would carry him. He looked at Starkiller and suffice to say it was not reassuring to see him regarding the door as if it would jump out of its frame and smash him any second. Considering who was most likely waiting behind it, that might just happen if they waited any longer.

"Well... Let's get it behind us, shall we?", Luke said with a nervous smile. Starkiller just looked at him as if he considered using the door to smash him.

The room behind the door was a standard meeting room with a long gray table and several black chairs around it. It was bare safe for the Imperial Emblem on the right and left walls, a large window showing the stars and the planet M'haeli and another blank door in the corner. Darth Vader was the only person present and he sat in the chair opposite of the door with the blackness of space behind him. As such his pose wasn't anything overly menacing but he still managed to fill the entire room with his dark presence and not just because of the harsh sound of the breathing apparatus. Luke had gotten somewhat used to it being colder in space but entering that room, it felt like there was an entirely new level to the chill that crawled over his skin. He recognized the black armored man from pictures but it was impossible for him to connect the inhuman figure in front of him with the picture of his father that he had in his mind. This person looked so cold and hard it was difficult to imagine him being alive, much less human. In an attempt to find anything he could connect a family relation to, Luke concentrated on the feeling the Force woke in him. There was nothing that felt more alive than this strange energy and if he could feel his father in it, maybe it would reassure him that he didn't simply stand in front of a double that was secretly a droid.

Luke expected to find his father as a bright spot in an otherwise bland environment just as he had found the signatures of the smugglers on M'haeli. Maybe his spot would be bigger or feel colder and darker like Starkiller but it would feel alive.

What he found was a black hole. A gigantic maelstrom of utter darkness that pulled in everything around it. It didn't feel alive nor dead, rather it felt like concentrated destruction, the promise of annihilation and agony. It felt like Death itself. For a moment Luke felt as if he heard a thousand people cry out all mixed together into a single voice, a voice of pain and suffering. He knew in an instant, that was the voice of his father.

When Luke came back to himself he found himself on his hands and knees, retching. He heard Starkiller and Vader talk but was unable to make out any words, too shaken from the brief glimpse of the doom the Force had shown him.

 

Darth Vader regarded the foreign boy with disapproval. He'd been surprised briefly when the child, supposedly untrained, had reached out to him in the Force inexpertly but recoiled immediately afterwards. Still it was enough for his ire to rise as the annoyingly bright spot that was the child fought against his overwhelming presence instinctively. It was never nice for Vader to be close to someone so pure and light in the Force as it brought back bad memories. Usually though when it happened he was fighting a Jedi and could use his anger to further build up his strength. This boy was undoubtedly powerful to cause him such discomfort.

As Vader considered the child that had caused his apprentice to disobey him, he noticed that while there was a lot of fear in him, it was quickly overcome by an odd sense of anguish that was directed outwards. He was hurting but less so for himself than for someone... or something other.

His apprentice, Starkiller, respectfully went to one knee to bow to him. The movement was oddly synchronized with the other boy who fell to the ground like a puppet cut from its strings in that same moment, shaking like a leaf from having stuck out his nose a bit too far.

"Master", Starkiller said carefully neutral, ignoring the weak figure next to him.

Darth Vader rose from his seat and rounded the table with his hands clasped behind his back. He did not give his student the permission to rise that he waited for and instead said:

"I have received quite disappointing reports about your latest journey, Starkiller. You should've arrived back at the base a week ago."

Starkiller bowed his head a bit lower.

"Master, please forgive me. Unexpected circumstances have delayed my return. I came into possession of some information that is... delicate and might prove to be important for you. I thought it my duty to inform you personally as soon as possible."

Vader found himself growing more annoyed, he didn't like it when people beat around the bush.  
"What is it that you had to tell me so urgently?" He didn't even bother keeping his impatience at bay and used the Force to put a small amount of pressure on Starkiller's throat. A subtle warning that his information better be the most important news of the last ten damned years or he would suffer the consequences.

You had to give it to him, Starkiller didn't even blink. He turned his head to the other boy who was still recovering and said very quietly:

"This is Luke Skywalker. He has something to tell to you, Master."

Vader's anger went up another notch as he heard those words. Skywalker wasn't exactly uncommon as a name but the coincidence of there being another Force sensitive who bore it when there were so few left in the galaxy at large was huge. It was in moments like these that Vader considered if maybe the Force did have a conscience and if it dared to mock him.

Starkiller actually had to elbow the child to get him to focus. The boy looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes that had tears glistering in them. That look directed at him usually meant someone had just royally messed up and knew he was to die for his mistake. The Force practically vibrated with tension. Vader knew whatever it was, it was important and he pulled the dark side around him tightly, bracing himself for bad news.

"I-I'm Luke Skywalker", the boy stuttered as if he hadn't noticed that Starkiller had already introduced him. "My f-father's name is Anakin Skywalker. But I heard my Aunt and Uncle talk about how... I'm your son."

XxX

For a moment Vader felt as if the time had been stopped. He felt his weakened, black heart beat faster and at the same time his anger spiked at his own imbalance.

He wanted to dismiss the claim outright, it was simply ridiculous. He even got so far to ground out a harsh: "Impossible!" 

But even as he did so, he felt the Force hum in a contented way as he hadn't felt it in years.

Darth Vader did not partake in activities that lead to fathering children and Anakin Skywalker only ever had one child, a child that died with his wife. It was simply impossible that he were to... have a... son...  
And yet, Vader was already looking at the boy with other eyes. He couldn't make out the color of his eyes or hair through his red tinted visor, just that they were light. The boy was around ten years old, just the right age and he was strong in the Force. He was the first non-Jedi to make the connection between Vader and Skywalker and Vader seriously doubted any Jedi would send him here as part of some kind of elaborate plot.

"You spoke of an Aunt and Uncle. Who are they?", Vader demanded to know. That was a point that definitely didn't fit, he didn't have any siblings...

"Answer me!", Vader bellowed when Luke - and hadn't his wife considered that as a name if it was a boy? - didn't respond immediately.

The child flinched back as if he'd been stuck. He opened his mouth but no words came out of it and Vader realized belatedly that he was lashing out with the Force. Cracks as small as a spider's web began to run over the glass of the window and wind ruffled the clothes of the boys where none should be.  
Vader fought to get his temper back under control. He forcefully quenched his anger and fought down the darkness rising around him, though it remained just barely controlled.

"Answer the question", Vader said again, less forceful this time.

Luke gulped but did not look quite as terrified anymore.

"Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen. I live with them on a moisture farm on Tatooine."

Beru and Owen Lars. Vader remembered them, if only vaguely. He did not consider them family and honestly had done his best to forget about that cursed planet altogether. Even from the people who knew Anakin Skywalker, he could count the people who knew those names on one hand. In fact, there were only three. His wife had taken her knowledge to her grave. The Emperor had as little interest in the farmers as Vader himself did. The third person... The third person was Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kenobi, who had known Padme had been pregnant and who had recovered her body after he left Vader to burn alive on Mustafar. 

Vader had gone to the funeral of his wife, though he had only watched from a distance, unable to look into her beautiful face, fighting with guilt and betrayal. 

He had assumed her to have died on Mustafar but what if she had survived? If Vader's attack didn't kill but force her into childbirth early? Vader could see it in his mind, how Padme in her weakened state would be unable to survive complications. How Kenobi, faced with the destruction of the Jedi Order chose to flee and hide like a coward. He must have decided to come to Tatooine after he found out his old student was still alive. He would quite justly so assume Vader would hunt him down in revenge but he also knew Tatooine was the last planet he would willingly set a foot on. Hiding there would be a clever idea. Unable to kill an infant but unwilling to put up with a sithspawn, he would have given Luke to the only people he could lay any responsibility on, namely the Lars family.

"Master", he heard his apprentice' voice as if from very far away, "please..."

Vader focused again and noticed how he'd lost control of the swirling dark energies yet again. The cracks in the window had spread, coming perilously close to destroying it entirely and pulling them all out into space. Luke, not used to the feeling of the dark side filling the room to the brink, was starting to hyperventilate and an image of his wife choking in his hold flashed in front of Vader's eyes.

With a start, the Dark Lord clamped down on his emotions but the anger wouldn't leave him. He was absolutely furious at the mere idea that Kenobi had betrayed him like that. Not that he held any lingering love for the man who had mutilated and cursed him with a life in constant agony but to not only turn his wife against him but also steal his child, his son, that brought entirely new levels of rage to the surface.

And yet he had to calm down, he had to get his composure back if only to prevent himself from accidentally killing the son he'd just found out he had. That was how for the first time in more than ten years, Vader called upon the knowledge of Jedi meditation techniques that had been so ingrained in his being in another life. To release his anger was hard because he wanted to be angry, he wanted to head to Tatooine and see if the old man was still hiding there and to kill him slowly and painfully but he could do all that. Later.

The door ripped open forcefully.

"Trooper!", Vader bellowed and the Stormtrooper standing guard entered and saluted.

"Sir, yes Sir!"

"Take this boy", he motioned for the trembling child, "down to the med bays. A full check is to be done on him. Then, he is to be kept isolated."

"It will be done, Sir."

Luke got to his feet before the trooper had a chance to yank him up and practically fled the room. Vader turned his attention to his student.

"Now", he said darkly, "you will show me everything that happened."

"Yes, Master", Starkiller said hoarsely. Before he had the chance to do anything else though, Vader already ripped through his mind. He was not gentle nor kind and his potent anger only made the experience all the more painful for Starkiller. He knew it was not intentional. His Master did not care if he caused him pain or not, he simply wanted to know everything about Luke as fast as possible.  
So he tried to ease the way for his Master, to push his memories of Luke to the forefront of his mind. He did not struggle at all which was hard considering he had been trained to withstand mental intrusion. Starkiller forced himself to remember how he'd found Luke on the Yag'Dhul station and skimmed over some of their conversations. He showed glimpses of where he'd defended Luke from PROXY but quickly jumped to M'haeli afterward. The kidnapping, the botched rescue and the retrieval of their ship. He showed his Master how Luke had broken down after seeing the corpse of the rebel and later how he stood in tears after he killed the Jedi. Vader lingered the longest at that memory, as Starkiller knew he would. He did not try to hide his defeat, that was useless. Starkiller deliberately pushed the memories forward. Vader knew he was hurting him and he thought his student was doing this in order to show him everything he wanted as fast as possible to get it over with. In truth however Starkiller tried to appear very eager to report everything in order to draw attention away from one particular memory he kept away from all others. It was the memory of Luke telling him who his father was. His Master must not find out that he only learned about this at the very end of their journey or that he had considered killing Luke for it. If he managed to make it look as if he knew all the time, it would excuse the traitorous signs of attachment he'd shown as well as his disobedience when PROXY got his orders.

In his rage, Vader missed the deception. He did pick up on Starkiller's fear for his position but also on his confidence that Luke would never be as efficient a killer as he was. As long as Vader did nothing to crush his student's illusion of continued usefulness, he would stay in line. Vader was content with that; he had more important matters to deal with than the brat's inferiority complex.

Luke Skywalker... even if it turned out he wasn't his son after all, the boy was clearly strong. With little to no knowledge of the Force, he had managed to hold PROXY of long enough for Starkiller to call him back. He had manipulated two smugglers, one of which proved to be very resilient, to leave their posts and of course, he had managed to deceive a Jedi and actually killed her. Starkiller might have been the one to deliver the final blow but Luke had been the one to defeat her. Darth Vader had felt such power in one so young only once before, in Starkiller. He would certainly find a use for him.  
And if it turned out to be true... Vader already half believed it was but he would make sure first. If it turned out to be true, that his child was alive, his son... He had to have him. 

Starkiller was nothing but a poor copy of what Vader's child would ascend to. He would teach him everything about the Dark Side and he would become as powerful as Vader had been in his prime, more powerful than Sidious. Nothing could stop them then and they would overthrow Sidious and rule the galaxy together as father and son. It would be the beginning of a galactic Skywalker Dynasty.   
Vader shuddered at the magnificent vision. Yes, he would make it happen just like that!

The gaze of the Dark Lord fell on his young student and he sobered up a bit. Oh, right. He already had an apprentice. Well, that wouldn't do. He wouldn't have the time to train them both and really, what would be the point in that? Starkiller was a useful tool but in the end there could only ever be one Master and one apprentice. He would not risk Starkiller killing his offspring to remove the competition. He was actually a bit surprised he hadn't tried that already. Then again he was young and been raised in isolation. The betrayal that the Sith was so used to and that was expected at every corner both in the Royal Court and in the military, Starkiller only knew it through theoretical lessons. Vader would not wait for him to learn it on his own.

But before he disposed of his student, he had to make sure Luke really was his son. It wouldn't do to act rashly, he had invested too much time in Starkiller to throw him away on an assumption. A blood test should do. That was why he had sent Luke to the med bays. He would have to kill the doctor in charge (and the trooper who had delivered the boys, of course) regardless of the result and then carefully select who he could let in on the secret. He had to decide where to keep Luke, how to train him and damn, what was he going to do about the Emperor? If he wanted to keep Luke hidden he wouldn't be able to see him very often, which would be unacceptable. But how to explain his presence to his Master?  
This would mean a lot of work for him but in the end, it would be worth it.

XxX

17 BBY, Kashyyyk

Darth Vader made the tiniest movement with his fingers, causing the Jedi to cry out and claw at his throat more strongly. The Sith Lord sneered. The scum never realized that it was pointless to fight his hold physically.

Still, he hesitated in crushing the man's neck. It was there again, that tingling feeling at the edge of his mind. It was not exactly a warning, more like... a promise.

"I sense someone far more powerful nearby. Where is your Master?", he demanded to know. The presence he felt was close but there was little opportunity in the room for a grown man to hide. The other Jedi must be farther way then, shielding himself expertly. But of course he wasn't good enough to completely escape the Sith Lord's notice.

"The dark side is clouding your mind. You killed my Master years ago!", the choking man got out.

Darth Vader felt familiar rage fill his veins. The Jedi dared lie to him?! He didn't have time for a proper interrogation and the thought of delving into a Jedi's mind was disgusting him.

"Then now you will share his fate", he said, deciding he would hunt down the Master himself. He couldn't be very far.

Vader raised his lightsaber but just as he was about to strike down the rogue, his weapon suddenly flew out of his hand. Never once releasing the Jedi from his hold, Vader turned around sharply to see...  
A boy. A child really, barely old enough to talk was holding his lightsaber in his hand, the red blade three times as long as he was high. Vader could feel the Force in the child, stronger then he had ever felt it in any youngling. So strong in fact there could only be one explanation to it.

"A son...?", he muttered in bewilderment. He could feel the fear of the Jedi he was still holding aloft, not for himself but for the child. Vader had always thought he was the only one of his generation defying the Jedi code in this particular way but there was no mistaking it, the child had to have one or even two force sensitives as a parent. It was quite obvious who the father was.

"Run!", the Jedi named Kento Marek cried out but the child just look up at him with confusion and fear. He did not understand what was going on.

With an almost casual movement, not even looking back, Vader closed his fist, snapping the Jedi's neck. He felt a ripple in the Force as the child's fear spiked. 

The Sith Lord fixed his eyes on the youngling. It would be easy to crush him. He had killed children before. The memory of the small Jedi at the temple flashed before his eyes. They had looked at him for protection and he had cut them down. Vader had hated that he had to do it but his Master's orders had been clear. He had to cut all ties with the Jedi order. He had to commit the worst atrocities. Only then would he grow powerful in the dark side quickly enough to help his wife. It had been agony, looking at those small faces, knowing that he himself would soon be a father. He had seen his unborn child in every one of them and it had ripped him apart.

That had only been two years ago, though it felt like ages. He thought he had forgotten about it. He thought he had buried this pain but now, looking at this child of a Jedi, Vader couldn't help but be reminded of that night, of what he'd lost. Only now there were no orders that he had to follow. He'd come here to kill Marek and his mission was complete. He didn't have to kill the child.

Only that was wrong. Vader knew all too well that if he left the boy, he would grow to hate him. He would be taken in by some other Jedi and spend his entire life training to one day kill Vader and avenge his father. That was inevitable. He might be too young to remember this day in ten or twenty years but whoever took him in would be sure to tell him. Except...

Vader took a step forward, almost hesitantly reaching out for the boy. A boy that seemed to stand for everything he had lost. The child took a fearful step back. Fear that could so easily be used to shape him into a weapon, a tool. Nobody would ever be able to replace Vader's dead child but he didn't need to kill this boy. He could use him.

Foot steps could be heard coming closer and an imperial officer entered with a squad of Stormtroopers in tow.

"Lord Vader!", he called out, seeing the young boy clumsily point the dangerous weapon at the Sith. The surprise could be seen on his face for a moment before he caught himself and signaled the troopers to take position. The troopers pointed their weapons and Vader knew that he had to decide now.  
If he really wanted to take the boy with him, if he wanted to train him, it would have to be in absolute secrecy. The Emperor would not allow him to train him. He would see it as either a weakness on Vader's part, sensing his craving to get back part of what he'd lost or he would see it as a betrayal to the Rule of Two, as a sign of rebellion against his Master. Either way, the child would die.

It was not weakness, Vader told himself as he summoned his lightsaber and deflected the blaster bolts back at his own men. He was a Sith. Sith did not have children, they had apprentices. He would teach the boy, he would use him but he would not attach himself to him. He had made that mistake too often. Never again.

"Come with me. More will be here soon", he said to the child once the troopers were all dead, adding a mild compulsion to his words through the Force. The boy continued to stare at him terrified for a couple of seconds but when Vader turned to leave and it was either follow him or stay behind with the corpses, the boy gave in. He followed Vader like a shadow, always running to stay close to him as the Sith Lord walked back to his shuttle with powerful strides. The way was already cleared of the Wookie attackers and there were only a few Stormtroopers on guard, their minds easy enough to manipulate that they never noticed the child in Darth Vader's shadow.

 

XxX

13 BBY, Coruscant

“My Emperor, your Majesty, I-I am truly sorry...”

“Silence!”, Darth Sidious called out, yellow eyes burning in anger. The doctor flinched and bowed again, not daring to look at him. Sidious’ political mask rarely ever slipped like this, at least not in front of the staff that knew nothing of his dark abilities.

“How sure are you of the diagnosis?”, he asked.

“Your Highness, I... I am afraid that there can be little doubt. The cancer has taken root both in your lungs and in your stomach. It is a malignant tumor.”

Sidious' anger rose even higher. The Force cracked around him, awaiting bloodshed.

“The... The good news is that the cancer has been discovered early so therapy still has a high chance of success!”

“Out”, Sidious whispered and when the doctor didn't answer immediately, he shouted: “I said out! Tell no one of what you have learned here.”

The doctor hurriedly bowed again before he left the throne room as fast as he could politely do.  
Sidious reigned in his anger. The two royal guard standing to his left and right did not move a muscle but Sidious knew that he'd have to kill them anyway. Them and the five others hiding in the shadows. Nobody must know of this.

Sidious knew that he was in no danger. The Force had warned him early that something was not right. He had the best medical team in the galaxy available, not to mention the dark side. He would certainly not die from something as stupid as cancer.

If only it had been the first time. The Sith Lord had had to fight off blood cancer before, during his reign as a senator. He had overcome it with ease but now it was back and it was obvious that it would continue to do so. Being 71 years old, this was not surprising. It was just... he didn't feel old. In fact, he felt very young, filled to the brink with energy from the dark side. Still it was time to think about the future. The Force had not shown him his death recently so he definitely would not succumb to this sickness but he had to face the facts. He was getting old and he would not live forever. He had a decade, maybe two if he was lucky. That was it. He had to start thinking how he wanted to leave this world and what he would leave it.

The Empire had to prevail. That was obvious but maybe even more important was that the Sith Order did too. He needed a successor and an heir and it would be preferable if one person held both positions. It was time for Sidious to decide whether or not his current apprentice was a suitable replacement for him. If not then he would have to hurry to get rid of him and train another one.  
But already, Sidious knew that was not an option. For years he had sent out his minions to collect Force sensitive children and corrupt surviving Jedi. He kept them in the belief that he needed them, that they were special but the truth was, the Emperor had more than one right hand. He had more than one sword, he had a whole weapon chamber full. And none, not a single one of them was anywhere near Lord Vader in terms of power.

Indeed, Lord Vader had come a long way from the weak, desperate young Jedi that he'd been. Seven years after beginning his Sith training, he had already completed all of his trials. He was a Sith Lord in his own right and he would be equal in power to Sidious – if it weren't for those injuries that had never quite healed completely. Of course Vader – being the mechanical genius that he was – had modified his suit and armor multiple times, giving him inhuman strength and further protection. His maneuverability had been improved through the use of delicate sensors and precise wiring in his prosthetics. However, that had come at the cost of making him terribly vulnerable to electrical overcharge.

Normally, that wouldn't be too bad. It wasn't like you could lure a Sith Lord in a trap as the Force would warn them of such a plot. Against most weapons that utilized raw energy, Vader could defend himself with his lightsaber just fine. There was only one instance where this weakness could become a serious threat to him and that was in a duel with another Sith.

Although he hated politics, Sidious knew that Vader was capable of holding onto the throne once claimed. He would be a worthy successor but Sidious was afraid that he might be killed prematurely by any apprentice he took himself. Vader had always leaned towards attachment. Even these days he was often seen stubbornly holding onto that personally modified TIE-fighter, that one diligent crew member, this special mechno droid even if there were more qualified versions around. His latest habit of visiting the yet to be constructed Super Star Destroyer was just another of his episodes that proved that. No doubt he would practically live there once it was finished even though he had a perfectly good house (say: skyscraper) all for himself on Coruscant.

Irritating quirks aside, Vader was a true Sith Lord. It would be a shame if he was killed before he was able to teach everything he could to his apprentice, thus resulting in more Sith knowledge being lost forever. On a completely other note, there was also the question of how Vader would defeat Sidious, who was quite well-versed in using Sith lighting himself. It would go against all rules of their order for Sidious not to fight with everything he had. In fact, holding back would be an insult to Lord Vader. But his apprentice was too honorable, too bold to consider the alternative, a trap, a stab in the back or poison. After all Sidious had spent years building up the trust between them. He might insist that his apprentice called him Master but he in turn showed his respect by calling him friend. Not servant or slave or tool, though he was all that too. This trust, this pretended friendship had been important in the beginning but now, towards the end, it was becoming more of a burden.   
Sidious did not doubt that Vader was capable of killing him when the time came but he would insist on doing it in a fight and he had little chance to survive this.

There was no way around it. If Sidious didn't want to waste years searching for another student – something which he had hardly any time for, being Emperor and all – he had to teach his apprentice one final lesson. He had to teach him that while the Sith knew passion – hate and even love – they knew no trust. It was time to encourage Lord Vader to take up more underhanded tactics and forget about his damnable honor. A little betrayal, making him feel replaceable, desperate... remind him of the Rule of Two... He could not tell him outright of course, where would be the point. He had to believe it was his idea. Now how to go about it?

XxX

12 BBY, on board the SD Judgment

Darth Vader dropped the woman to the ground where she scrambled to get away from him, still coughing from the vice-like grip on her throat.

His mind was reeling at the information he had just extracted from her head. With a rush of anger he attacked her mind again, making her scream as he tore through her memories ruthlessly. It had to be a mistake!  
But it was not. The woman who had sneaked into his chambers, intend on sabotaging his facilities that were used to maintain Vader's life support, had indeed been sent by the Emperor. She was one of his hands, a trained Force sensitive, an assassin out to kill him.

The first emotion Vader felt upon realizing this, was disappointment. He knew it was foolish to think his friendship with the late chancellor, now Emperor, would hold forever. He knew Darth Sidious was his Master first and his friend only second. He also knew his Master had not actually meant to kill him. It had only been a test. It was all part of the Sith training. What disappointed him was that the woman had been promised she would take Vader's place as the Emperors apprentice. It disappointed him that his Master would send someone so... weak to kill him. It was an insult and Vader wondered what he had done to anger his Master like that.

Maybe it was the Jedi hunt that he was still only halfheartedly taking part in. He was spending a lot of time and money on finding Kenobi, his old Master to pay him back for the unimaginable pain he had caused him. Sidious had warned him that while he was encouraged to hate his old Master and use that hatred to grow stronger, it was a waste of his talents to focus his search on a man who was clearly hiding and posed no immediate threat to the Empire.

Vader was interrupted in his thoughts when an officer appeared to notify him the Emperor had called for him.

Still reeling in anger and disappointment, Vader made his way back to his quarters. He activated the holo transmitter, kneeling in front of the image of his Master.

"What is thy bidding?", he asked, short and even a bit rude, he couldn't help it. There was no doubt the Sith Lord had learned of the failed assassination.

"Your anger is strong, Lord Vader", the Emperor said calmly. "You are becoming more powerful with every passing day."

"My progress would be even better if I would not be distracted from my training so often", he growled. He formulated it to be a reference to the multiple times he had complained at being forced to attend some event or another on Coruscant, having to take part in the dance of politics that he was so unsuited for when he'd rather go and hunt down Jedi. But he was sure his Master would catch the true meaning, namely the assassin currently sitting in the detention center awaiting her execution.

Sidious however ignored the jab and answered: "It is important for you to learn not only how to lead soldiers in battle but also how to rule entire civilizations. One day you will be expected to take my place and rule over this Empire. Is that not what you wish? Do you not want to become a Master eventually?"

"Of course", Vader replied. Indeed there was nothing he desired more. He'd been as much of a slave under the Jedi as he had been on his home planet and while Darth Sidious gave him a lot more freedom, he craved the day when he did not have to answer to anybody.

"Then you will be eager to meet me for the celebration of Empire Day. Your presence will set a sign of unity and strength for the whole galaxy."

Vader stifled a groan, he really despised these celebrations. The fact that it was the year day of his wife's death didn't help any. He really was not in the mood but he remembered quite vividly how angry his Master had been last year when he hadn't shown up.

"I will be there", he promised though he felt like gagging.

"Indeed you will", Sidious said with a light scowl.

Feeling he was about to be dismissed, Vader asked: "Master, what shall be done with the prisoner?"

A look of puzzlement that would've convinced everyone but Vader passed over his Master's expression. "Which prisoner?"

Vader was fed up with his manipulations, he was always more for the bold way.

"The one that was sent to kill me this morning", he clarified, making no secret of his anger.

The look of confusion changed to one of worry as the Emperor leaned forward slightly. "An attempt has been made on your life? That is most alarming. You ought to find the one responsible as soon as possible. Unleash your anger on him, Lord Vader, and prove that you are the only one worthy of the title Apprentice."

Vader glowered at him for a moment in confusion and frustration. Sidious wanted to pretend he had nothing to do with it?

"It will be done, my Master."

"See to it. You have to prove your strength, Lord Vader for only the strongest are allowed to call themselves Sith."

The connection was cut and Vader was left to ponder over his Master's words. It sounded too much like a lesson for him to dismiss it as his usual political machinations. He was to prove his strength? Unleash his anger? Only the strongest were allowed to call themselves Sith? What was that supposed to mean? He already was the strongest Sith, aside from his Master of course. He had proved that time and time again. He still did, with every Jedi he killed.

For a moment Vader allowed his anger to swallow him. When would he ever be good enough? When would his true strength ever be recognized? People looking down at him for being a former slave. People looking down at him for needing the life-support. Many times his enemies had tried to get to him by mocking him for his supposed lesser worth but Vader drew a certain amount of pride out of his sufferings. He knew all those people who sneered at him for being weak, they wouldn't have survived even a fraction of what he'd been through. That's how it had been at the Jedi temple, amongst the high born snobs of Coruscant and that's how it was today in the military. He was teaching everyone that he was not to be underestimated. Yes he had failed and yes he had suffered but he had learned and came out stronger for it. Every scar on his body only gave him more pain to draw upon when he reached for the dark side.

Yet it was still not enough for his Master. He still had to 'prove himself'! This sounded so much like the bullshit the Jedi had spewed on him. The Emperor only sent him out on military missions, he barely ever taught him anything anyway. Most of what Vader had learned about the dark side, he had taught himself. He was a Master, he knew it and it made him furious to not have this acknowledged.

For the first time in years, Vader actually considered challenging the Emperor and taking his place as was the Sith tradition. He had updated his armor to protect him from the worst of Sith lighting as soon as he thought Starkiller capable of producing electricity so it wasn't like he wouldn't be up for the task (not that Sidious knew that).

But... Vader found he didn't actually want to do that. He had needed years to conquer his hatred to the point that it no longer consumed him. He was finally able to swallow his pain and use it efficiently. He was in a position of power and had the respect of his people. For the first time since her death, he liked the direction his life had taken. If he killed Sidious now, he would have to get used to a completely new position and environment, one that he had already learned to hate. Vader had a handful of loyal imperials that he trusted to some extent but he still had not been able to keep one for more then a year before he had to be 'replaced'. He had little to no consistencies as far as people were concerned and the thought of cutting off his last bond to a past life that had been so much... fuller, did not sit well with him. Not to mention that Emperors had to put up with hordes of courtiers and sycophants that he couldn't just kill off and (shudder) mountains of paperwork too. No, he much preferred the battlefield.  
He was Darth Vader, by the stars, he would be able to dodge Sidious' underhanded murder attempts for a while longer. Vader was in no hurry to see himself reduced to a scary face on a fancy throne that people secretly laughed at behind his back.

XxX

9 BBY, SD Devastator

Darth Vader still couldn't believe it. His child was alive. He had a son! The confirmation had just reached him. He had given a sample of his blood to the doctor to compare it to Luke's without telling him who either belonged to. The doctor had actually freaked out a bit, saying that the midichlorian count in both samples was so far off his charts he had to warn him about potentially dangerous terrorists running around. Of course after the purges knowledge about the Force and how to measure it had been wiped out. The counting of midichlorians however had been added to standard medical protocols to help the Emperor find new agents. An above normal count was to believed to be the result of strength enhancing drugs that lead to high aggression levels and was commonly used by terrorists. This ensured that any Force sensitive would immediately be taken for questioning and probably end up in one of the Empire's torture chambers. Because of this, the notion that the samples were definitely from parent and child seemed almost unimportant to the doctor and was only added as a side note in his report.

Vader had already counted on having to kill the doctor and after doing so, had thought long and hard about what to do with his new found son. His first instinct was to keep him secret and to kill everyone who'd come into contact with him. He ordered the Stormtrooper to him who'd brought him in and executed him and was just about to call for Captain Lokey next when his gaze fell on Starkiller.  
The boy had accompanied him and been told to wait once they were in his quarters until the doctor had confirmed that Luke was his son. The few people they had passed on their way, Vader had subtly manipulated their minds to forget the boy but of course he too was on the list of people to be eliminated to protect Luke's secret. Luke would take Starkiller's place and be trained on the Executor. He would have to change PROXY's programming, he couldn't have the droid accidentally kill his son but this way Luke would be safe.

Then Vader met Starkiller's dark eyes and for the strangest moment it was as if the boy knew exactly what he was thinking. He was tense, bracing himself to be hit any moment, keeping his eyes on the lightsaber at Vader's belt instead of his face all the time.

So he wasn't stupid then, he had known what it meant for him when he brought Luke in. Vader briefly wondered why he'd done it anyway but that was not his greatest concern right now. Looking at Starkiller, he saw what his son could've been if he found him a few years sooner. At first, the thought made him furious. He had wasted precious time raising a nobody when he should've been searching for his lost child. He'd been content with a replacement while he could've had his own flesh and blood, a child he might have even been able to build an actual bond with.

But he could rectify that now. He would train Luke and he would become just as powerful as Starkiller and even more so. And one day he would stand next to him... looking just as tense and cold, expecting to be put down any second for some mistake or another.

Something about this vision repulsed Vader. Where would be the sense in killing one child only to raise the other exactly the same? What would it matter if Luke was his own if he treated him just like another tool, like he treated Starkiller? Yes, he had isolated the boy for security reasons and sent him away to the Executor but just as important was his other reason. He had wanted to avoid becoming too attached to his student and so he had always kept his distance. He would've never forgiven himself if he'd started to feel something for the child and allow it to take the place of his dead heir in his heart. Luke was his son. He was special and Vader refused to see him as a simple tool. He would be his right hand, his successor. Starkiller had been a weapon that he could use to one day take down the Emperor but in the coming years, he would've found many other candidates and let Starkiller fight them to prove he was the best apprentice. With Luke, he already had the perfect one.

Vader did not want to base Luke's loyalty on fear and worship, he did not want him to seek his guidance simply because he was the only human being he knew. He wanted to... He wanted to have a real bond with him. He wanted to be his father first and his Sith Master only second.

That was why leaving him on the Executor was not an option. Once Vader realized this, he searched for other ways to protect Luke from the Emperor, their most dangerous enemy. He came to the conclusion that there was a high chance his Master would accept him training the still young boy if he approached the issue the right way. If not... Well. Vader had held onto their friendship for years but he would throw it away in an instant if it would protect his family. If the Emperor forbade him from training Luke or even ordered his death, it would be time to challenge him for the title of Sith Master.


	10. Chapter 10

Coruscant

Darth Sidious was reviewing reports of the construction of a new massive battle station when his aide informed him of a call of Lord Vader. This was somewhat unexpected since Vader should be on a tour to intimidate a number of politicians and Moffs that had been a bit too brave or greedy lately. The mission was easy but time consuming and served to feed Vader's frustration and sharpen his anger. Briefly Sidious wondered why his apprentice would call him now; his last report had been received only a few days ago.

Sidious accepted the transmission and the figure of a kneeling Sith in black armor appeared on his desk. He looked especially small between all the datapads lying around, which always served to amuse the Emperor.

“Lord Vader, I had not expected to hear from you again so soon, my friend”, Sidious said, hiding his calculating gaze under his wide hood.

“Master, a situation has arisen that requires your counsel.”

“Oh?” Vader rarely asked for his guidance anymore. During the past years, that word had become synonymous for 'permission' and Vader had gotten used to acting first and apologizing later rather than asking his permission.

“I have found a lead on where Jedi Master Kenobi might be hiding.”

Now that was even more unexpected. If Vader knew where his old nemesis was, Sidious would have thought he'd be off already to kill the man.

“That is good news, Lord Vader. You will finally be able to take your revenge on your old Master. Your patience has paid off at last.”

Two or maybe three years ago Sidious would've been worried that killing Kenobi would've cut his student off from a considerable source of anger. But the man was filled with darkness to the brink by now and the loss of a goal to concentrate on would only make him direct his anger at the world at large, making him even more ruthless. It might even serve to get rid of his annoying honor sense.

“I am eager to pay him back but it seems his betrayal went deeper than even I could've ever imagined”, Vader continued. “The... The child. It is not dead. Kenobi hid my son from me. Undoubtedly he planned on training him to destroy me.”

Sidious felt his blood rush in his ears in a mixture of excitement and dread. He knew exactly what Lord Vader spoke of. Unlike his apprentice, who hadn't been able to face the woman he loved but that died through his hand, Sidious had examined the body before the funeral was held. He knew she had not been pregnant anymore and that there was a chance her child had survived. The assumption that Kenobi had kept her alive long enough to bear the child and then taken it with him was self-evident. Sidious had even hoped this to be the case. There was nothing more poetic than a father fighting his son and with Vader's tendency for attachments, that would've been most amusing to watch.

But more importantly, the offspring of his powerful apprentice was sure to have quite the potential. With Vader disabled, the young Skywalker was a potential replacement if he was trained as a Jedi and then turned. If he proved strong enough to kill his father, Sidious could easily use that to turn the boy.

“The child has been retrieved and I wish to train him. He will be very useful to the Empire.”

So much for that idea.

“He is strong in the Force, I presume?”

“Very.”

Sidious had to give it to his apprentice, he was clever. Because Vader's boldness and tendency for attachment was so well known, it was obvious that he was not asking for permission. He was declaring his intention and would not accept a refusal from Sidious. Training the boy was of course against the rules of the Sith but if Sidious refused him this, all those years of carefully built friendship would be destroyed immediately. That the existence of young Skywalker was now in the open made the boy vulnerable but if Sidious sent out someone to kill him, Vader would know it was him immediately.   
The Emperor considered for a second doing it anyway. He had been sending assassins after his apprentice for years now, both to test the abilities of his agents and to coax Vader into taking a more active role. If he killed his son, Vader was sure to turn against him but he would do so in anger and likely without a plan. Sidious would be forced to kill him and then he would have no apprentice, not even a replacement.

If he allowed Vader to train the boy though... Either they would team up against him to take the throne or Sidious might get a chance to pull the son on his side and get him to turn against Vader for him. Both possibilities would ensure the Empire prevailed in the hands of a Sith. If Sidious got the boy to turn against his father he would have a young, strong new apprentice who would be worthy to be his heir.  
If the boy refused to side with him – which was a possibility he could not dismiss if he had the same attachment issue as his father – then Sidious might not survive their combined power. He certainly didn't plan on making it easy for them but he supposed it would not be too bad a way to go. The boy's loyalty to his father would have to be strong to withstand Sidious' manipulations and this loyalty would ensure he would not rebel and take advantage of his father's weakness before he had not completed his Sith training. Yes, this course effectively fixed all the issues Sidious had had with his succession.

“It is good to see that life gave you back some of what you've lost”, the Emperor said with a benign smile. “You are right that the young Skywalker would be a great addition and help to our cause. I give you free rein in this matter, Lord Vader. Teach him the ways of the Sith and make him worship the power of the dark side. One day, he will be your legacy.”

“It will be done, my Master.”

Sidious' lips thinned a bit. Those words sounded as if Vader wanted to make him believe this was his idea when it was obvious he had cornered Sidious into giving him permission. But it was all too well. He would make sure he got to see the downfall of his apprentice, to see his confidence waver as his own blood turned on him. It would destroy what little humanity he still had in him.

 

Back on the Devastator, Darth Vader ended the transmission and rose to his feet. His black mask effectively hid the sneer on his face. Though the Emperor had acted surprised at the news, Vader suspected that he was anything but. It was entirely possible that he had known all along that his child was alive. Vader doubted he'd known where he was or that it was Kenobi who hid him, otherwise he would've been sent out to kill his old Master far sooner. 

Ten years ago, his old friend had told him he'd killed Padme in the red rage the dark side had thrown him into. Obviously this was wrong as she must've had time to give birth to Luke. It was possible that Sidious had merely made the assumption since Padme had quite obviously been dead. It was possible he thought it to be true since Vader's attack had probably been what weakened her to the point she did not survive childbirth so technically, he was to blame for her death. It was also possible Sidious had deliberately lied to him to push him further to the dark side.

Strangely, Vader found that he did not really care which was the case. Maybe he would have ten years ago when that woman had been his world. But he wasn't Anakin Skywalker anymore. He was Darth Vader and he had long since come to terms with the fact that his wife had turned against him and that she had simply not been deserving of all the sacrifices he'd made for her. He knew his Master well enough to know such manipulations were completely normal for him and if he fell for them, it was his own fault.

What he did care about was that his Master's silence had robbed him of the chance to get to his son sooner. At the same time he knew it wouldn't have made much of a difference. Vader had searched for Kenobi for a whole decade. The result wouldn't have been any different if he searched for his son. Even if he had known, he probably wouldn't have found him. He still felt a bit cheated but this would have little to no impact on his decisions. It cemented his wish to one day have the Emperor die by his hand but he was not so eager to claim the throne and give up his life of battle to do it now. His time would come soon enough. Until then, he would have to make sure his son became the strongest Sith he could possibly be.

XxX

SD Devastator

Luke was sure he had never felt so lonely and afraid before. After he told the doctors at the med bay that he'd left his home planet for the first time several days ago without going through any standard vaccinations, they had stuck many needles into him. He had to strip down and let himself be examined and they scrubbed his skin with ice cold water till it was raw. Luke was unused to washing himself with water; they only had sonic showers at home. Normally he would think it a luxury but here it did not feel nice at all.

In the end they stuck him in what could only be a prison cell. His clothes were gone, probably burned and he now wore a stiff white shirt and gray trousers that were a bit too big for him. He sat on a solid slab of metal that seemed to serve as a bed and had nothing to do but stare at a blank wall.

In the beginning, he had cried a little. This was not at all how he had imagined his journey would end when he first left Tatooine. On the other hand, he wasn't dead yet, which was kind of what he had imagined his journey to end like when the ship first docked on the hangar of the Star Destroyer. Luke tried to convince himself that this was a good thing but he just couldn't get the image of his father – or the creature that posed as him – out of his head that filled the air and cracked the glass with his anger. He'd been so terrified. Starkiller's calm figure next to him had been the only thing keeping him from running away. For a moment he'd been sure this was his end.

Now he was alone and he had no idea where Starkiller was or what happened to him. His father had been so very angry at hearing Luke. Despite everything he'd heard about the man, Luke had still kind of hoped that he might be happy to learn about him. At least a little bit. But there had been nothing but coldness and anger. Luke could only hope that he wouldn't let that anger out on Starkiller. He remembered that ugly scar on his back and shuddered.

Luke couldn't understand why Starkiller would willingly stay with a teacher that was so... abusive. Luke felt the tears well up in him again. His father was abusive. And he'd probably abusive Luke as well if he was forced into training. Still Luke had decided to come here, if only because he wanted to protect his friend. Starkiller was so dark and cold sometimes but then again there were moments when he was just a boy, a bit snarky but a good friend who would stand by him. Luke was sure the only reason why he was so cold when he killed was because he'd been hurt so much.

Then when he'd met his father for the first time, Luke had felt a similar pain in him. With Starkiller it was a lonely spike now and then, when he got injured or when Luke did something to awaken his battle instincts. His father had felt hurt the entire time, from the point that Luke stepped into the room to the one when he left it for no apparent reason.  
Luke had heard that bad people sometimes only hurt others because they were hurt as children as well. Whatever had hurt his father was still there, still affecting him and though he was terrified, Luke also felt pity.  
He knew that running away was not really an option. He was here now and he would have to deal with that decision. He was going to have to live with his father, however short-term.

Suddenly the door to the cell was opened and the sound of Darth Vader's harsh breathing filled the room. Luke moved away slowly until his back met the wall and stared up at the armored figure fearfully. However unlike the last time, he did not seem to emanate death and suffering. Luke wasn't very keen on being plunged in darkness again but the complete lack of it made him stumble. He reached out with his mind inexpertly and though the tall armored figure still looked quite menacing, Luke couldn't feel a shred of bloodlust from him nor did his danger sense scream at him to go and hide in a little hole.

Maybe, he thought, he really had just had the bad luck of first meeting his father when he had a bad day? The thought made him hope. Maybe he had calmed down now or maybe he wasn't the evil incarnate he had appeared to be at first? 

 

Darth Vader looked the child up and down. The Sith Lord's temper had burned down somewhat and made room for excitement. That still hadn't stopped him from killing the man who'd put his son in the bloody detention center. Really, how had they interpreted his orders like that?

"Luke", he said, trying to ignore how the child flinched at hearing his voice. He wasn't even trying to be intimidating. In fact, he even hid his presence, remembering how the boy had reacted rather strongly to it the last time. "Come with me."

He turned away, expecting obedience. It came as a surprise to him when the boy wouldn't move.  
"What are you waiting for?"

Luke took two hesitant steps forward but didn't step over the threshold.

"W-Where are we going?", he asked timidly. "Are you... Are you going to kill me now?"

What an odd thought. Why would the brat think he wanted to... Oh, right. Because he was Darth Vader.  
"No", he answered. "You will get proper quarters to sleep in." As an afterthought, he added: "You are going to stay with me from now on."

Luke, who had gotten around to following him, stumbled and almost fell down.

"W-What? Why?"

Vader glanced behind him. The Force didn't give him a retarded child, did it? That would be annoying.  
"Because you're my son."

Luke was silent for a moment and they had left the detention center by the time he spoke again.  
"I... I have to be home by the end of the season. I promised my Aunt and Uncle."

"They will be informed of the situation." And he would question them personally on exactly why they kept his son hidden.

"What about S.K,? Can I... Can I see him? Please?"

"Who is that?"

"Uh, you know. Starkiller. The boy I came with. A bit taller than me, dark hair and eyes, always looks so grumpy. You should know him, he said you're his Master."

Vader stopped to throw his son a somewhat incredulous look. S.K.? Really?

"You won't be seeing him, no."

"B-But he's alright, isn't he? I mean, you're not angry at him for bringing me? Because that was my idea, you know. I asked him for help in finding you and he agreed because I helped him to fly his ship." The child began to babble, his earlier hesitation at speaking to him seemingly gone completely. "And that we're so late - that wasn't his fault either. It was mine 'cause I got caught by those smugglers and S.K. had to come and save me. He didn't do anything wrong."

They were in a turbolift now and Vader turned to face his son fully.

"It seems you have found a friend in my young student", he said. How incredibly ironic.

Luke's face brightened a bit. "Yes Sir, he's a great friend!"

Well, it looked like here was a life lesson in order. 

"You should forget about him. I trained Starkiller in the Sith arts for years. Only the strongest prevail in this order and he would do everything to further his strength, including getting rid of the competition."  
The only reason Starkiller was even still alive was because Vader hadn't gotten around to killing him yet since getting the doctor's confirmation.

Luke scrunched up his face. "What does that mean?"

"It means the next time you see him, he will try to kill you."

"N-No! S.K. wouldn't do that!"

"Of course he would. Until now he was the only candidate to eventually become my apprentice. As soon as he sees that you are taking his place, he will come to end your life. That is the way of the Sith."

"But I don't even wanna take his place! I don't wanna be a Sith - whatever that is. And - And he knows that, too!"

Oh, this foolish child. He didn't know what he was talking about.

"You will become a Sith. I will train you and teach you about the Force. The power is in your blood. It is your destiny to stand by my side."

"I... I wanna learn about the Force", Luke admitted. A bit more quietly he added: "And I... I wanna learn about you. But I don't wanna have to fight with S.K. He's my friend! I'm sure he doesn't really want to hurt me. If you tell him that it's alright, he'll come around! Because, you know, he likes you a lot."

Vader didn't know if he was angry or amused at those strange words. His young student certainly didn't like him. Not in the casual, innocent way Luke was implying. He respected him, admired him, yes, but he didn't like him. Nobody had liked him ever since he'd donned the black armor.

"Are you asking me to command Starkiller to continue being your friend?", Vader asked when his amusement won over the anger.

Luke didn't think 'command' was the right word, more like 'permit'. Still he nodded hesitantly.

"How could it be a real friendship if Starkiller only acted on my orders? How could you ever be sure he would not betray you if your relationship is only an illusion? You might think him a friend, you might think you can count on him but when it really matters, when you really need his help, he will abandon you and kill you for his own gain."

Luke looked up at his father with wide eyes. He knew what he said wasn't true, S.K. wasn't like that but he could feel that his father believed in what he said.

"Is that what happened to you?" The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them.

Darth Vader didn't answer. He felt cold all of sudden, a terrible feeling of dread spreading in his stomach. How could the child say something like this so casually? How had he ever gotten the impression...

Vader pulled himself together. He felt vulnerable, which was ridiculous. 

"If I can't trust my friends, then who can I trust?", Luke whispered.

"Your family", Vader answered immediately. The only person who had never betrayed him, the only one who had always loved him and stood to him, had been his only blood relative - his mother Shmi.  
Luke scowled a bit, thinking hard.

"Well", he said at last, "you said you've trained S.K. for years. So you sort of raised him. That makes him my adoptive brother, doesn't it? So, he's family too."

The unfamiliar dread seemed to double in intensity. "Believe me, Luke, a chosen brother is not the same as a real one."

He'd had a brother like that too once but he betrayed him just like the woman did that he had chosen to be part of his family. It was not enough.

"I've seen lots of children in my class who don't get along with their siblings and parents but they're happy with their friends. I don't see what's wrong about that!"

"Once your friendship is tested - and it will be, eventually - these bonds are useless. However there's an inborn desire in every human being to protect the family. Isn't that why you came for me? You have never met me and yet you knew I would help you as I have promised to do."

Luke had the feeling they were no longer talking about Starkiller. He was incredibly curious just why his father had such a pessimistic view on friendships but he still had a strong urge to make sure nothing would happen to his friend. He had the feeling if he couldn't convince his father that being friends with him was a good idea, something terrible would happen to Starkiller.

"You really want to protect me?", Luke asked with his heart beating fast.

Vader felt a bit uncomfortable under that bright eyed stare. Once again, he had allowed his emotions to get a better of him and now he couldn't very well take back his words.

"Of course. You are very valuable, my son."

"What does that mean? Do you just want to protect my life 'cause you want me to be a Sith agent thingy or... do you want to protect my happiness as well? Because, you know, I would be very happy if I could stay friends with S.K."

What a... manipulative little bastard! That was certainly not a trait he'd inherited from Vader. Must be Padme's bad genes.

Luke was still lacking the subtlety the Sith were known for but Vader could see that his son might be able to excel both at combat, which was Vader's specialty as well as the political schemes his Master preferred. He could indeed become more powerful than both of them put together.

His words were clearly an underhanded attack on his authority and yet, Vader found he couldn't be angry at the trap set for him. Instead, he felt an odd sense of pride. He had decided he wanted to be a father for his son and he had all but told Luke so and the boy had immediately used this weakness to turn his own words against him. It was a good strategy. He would have to make sure he never used it on him again though.

"If I agree not to take any steps to separate you from my student... will you forget about your home planet and dedicate your life to your new role and your training of the Sith arts?"

Luke hesitated for a moment. "Will I... have to murder any innocent children for that?"

What the...

"No."

Probably not, Vader added mentally.

Luke scowled a bit harder. He remembered what Starkiller and Ava had told him about the Empire's Inquisitor's but what his father was offering sounded more like private tutoring about the Force, not like being sent away to some place and learn how to kill people. You didn't need the Force for that, people were mighty afraid of regular soldiers wearing blasters after all. So, it would be more like what Starkiller did. Unfortunately, even after spending so much time alone with the boy, Luke knew very little of what Starkiller actually did and what it meant to be a Sith. What he did know was that if he refused he would never see his friend again. Starkiller would be punished again, maybe even killed and it would be Luke's fault for messing up his life.

"Alright. Then I'll do it", he agreed at last. He knew Starkiller had done some bad things and his father had done even worse things but they were his best friend and his father and somewhere under all that darkness, they had to have a good heart. Right? He just had to help them discover it.

Vader nodded in acceptance to his answer. He wondered about the odd question but then pushed it aside. Maybe killing minors was some kind of childish moral standard to see if Sith were evil? They weren't, of course. Vader's work may be brutal sometimes but he only did what was necessary. It wasn't like he - or anyone else in the Empire for that matter - indiscriminately ran around butchering children.  
The image of a dozen bloody figures lying in the Jedi temple flashed in front of his eyes.

Alright, but that had been an exception. Such brutal means weren't necessary anymore now that the Empire was firmly established and if they ever became so again, Luke would be well educated and ready to see what needed to be done without Vader having to order him.

Luke's training would go so much more smoothly if he did it willingly. Getting his consent had been harder than originally thought but Vader was glad they had gotten that out of the way. Of course, this brought new problems with it. Allowing Starkiller to spend time with Luke essentially put an end to the secrecy surrounding the boy. Vader expected his student to try to kill Luke soon. He would be executed for it; his son would learn his lesson and everything would be fine. If the Emperor asked, Vader would tell him Starkiller was an Inquisitor trainee he'd borrowed to test Luke's abilities. It was possible that he uncovered the ruse and sent out assassins to kill Starkiller himself but that was quite alright with Vader as well. Either way, his young student wouldn't live for much longer and his death could be used to teach Luke an important lesson about loss. It would do wonders in getting him in touch with the dark side, of that Vader was sure.

XxX

Lieutenant Nahdonnis Praji of the Imperial Navy snapped to attention and saluted when his Lord and direct superior, Darth Vader, strode out of the turbolift. He was very proud of the fact that he did not even blink when he saw a young boy with bright, blue eyes follow in his shadow even though the image let his mind stumble.

"My Lord, how can I be of service?", Praji asked. He had been ordered to meet his Lord here via comlink.

"Lieutenant Praji, I want you to take Luke and get him proper clothing, a meal and a room to rest in close to my quarters."

"Of course, my Lord." Praji licked his suddenly dry lips. "May I ask what his... position is, Sir?"

"He is our new permanent guest. You are to make sure he has everything he needs, is that clear?"

"I understand, Sir." Well, that was a lie if he ever told one but Praji knew better than to question Darth Vader's orders. Even if they were really weird.

The Sith already turned to leave when the blue eyed boy spoke up.

"Where are you going?"

Praji winced when the dark Lord stopped in his tracks. Maybe their new guest wouldn't be so permanent after all.

"I have business to attend to. We will talk later."

"Will I see S.K. then?"

"Possibly." Darth Vader just barely held himself back from adding: If you're being good.

The Sith Lord left his son in the care of his personal aide, one of the few men who he could entrust with such a task without having to constantly think about all the things that could go wrong in his absence.

Vader soon arrived at his personal quarters. The doors had all kinds of security measures and passwords installed to strictly control who could enter - or leave. Starkiller had been locked in here for the last six hours while he'd been busy. When Vader opened the door, he found his long term student exactly where he'd left him, in the entrance room on the floor in a meditation pose. Vader briefly wondered if he'd dared to explore at all. He knew the boy must be curious. But even if he had, it wasn't like there was much to see. The room they were in now was the one Vader spend most of his time in. It had a several great monitors, a desk with a few datapads lying on it and other work-related technology. There was no personal touch to this room, the walls were gray and bare just like everywhere else on the ship. Any useless decoration would only distract him from his work after all.

In the back, there was a door that led to his meditation chamber. It had an advanced ventilation system that could purify the air in a way that allowed him to take off his mask and breathe freely for up to one hour. This was also where he slept, though it was less of an actual restful sleep and more like a deep meditation.

Through the meditation chamber one could get through another heavily secured door into his private medical bay. No less than seven droids, all of which he'd built himself, were stationed here at all times. They were programmed to do everything to take care of the maintenance of his suit. After all, Vader would never allow anyone other than the emotionless mechanical constructs to see him as vulnerable as he was when they took off his suit and washed his scarred body. It was also here that he stored the ampulla filled with the nutrient solution used to supply his body with everything it needed. His suit had enough of them built in to let him survive a whole month.

About the only normal thing in the med bay was a toilet cabin in the corner. It was a small comfort that he could at least use that like any other human.

Starkiller wouldn't have been able to get in the med bay but brushing over his students mind, Vader knew that he hadn't even tried. The boy was still awaiting his final judgment and wouldn't do anything to possibly aggravate him.

Starkiller's eyes snapped open as soon as Vader entered the room. He hurriedly assumed a kneeling position and lowered his head.

"Master", he said with just barely a tremble in his voice.

"Your suspicion about the boy has been confirmed. He is indeed my son", Vader began.

Starkiller lowered his head a bit more but didn't say anything.

"I know of your fears, of your... insecurities. You cannot hide them from me."

A shiver went down Starkiller's spine and Vader could feel his fear spike.

"Your disobedience and continued failings during your mission cannot go unpunished. Even through everything has ended well in the end, the fact that an untrained ten-year-old defeated a Jedi when you couldn't is enough to make me question if I haven't wasted my time with you. I will be honest; the thought of simply ending your life has crossed my mind. Maybe you are not worthy to become my apprentice after all. What do you say?"

"Master", Starkiller said and took a deep breath. "I know that I have disappointed you. I have not been the Sith I should be. I will accept any punishment you deem appropriate but if you are willing to give me the chance to make up for my failure, I will do everything in my power to never displease you again."

"Yes, I can see it, the desire to prove yourself. You see yourself as a Sith apprentice but you are not. You have never been any more than a candidate for this position and during the last week, you have severely lowered your chances at ever being more than one of the thousand agents trained in the Empire. You have been an acolyte. Now, you're not even that much. Your training will continue but you'll serve a new purpose from now on. Your foremost priority will be to strengthen Luke's loyalty to me and the Empire. You will train with him, you will protect him and you will compete with him. Do you understand?"

Starkiller did his best to hide it but he was sure his Master sensed the spike of pure horror that went through him. His Master couldn't really ask him to to help Luke in getting stronger, could he? As soon as the other boy reached Starkiller's level of expertise, he would replace him. This meant that with his new 'mission', Vader had essentially ordered Starkiller to dig his own grave.

Starkiller had never endured a punishment so cruel and though he could see the practical use of it, it hurt him deeply that his Master would force him to do this. He would've much preferred it if he'd just ended his life here and now. That's what he'd prepared himself for mentally during the last few hours and it didn't bother him as much as it had before.

"Yes, Master", Starkiller said in a very subdued voice. He hesitated but then added: "I will do my best to redeem myself in your eyes." Maybe not all hope was lost, maybe by 'competing with him' his master meant he actually would get a chance to prove his worth.  
"The ways of the Sith shall not be closed to you forever", Vader allowed, sensing the unspoken question. "You will get your chance to get your old position back. There will come a time, when your combat training is complete, that you and Luke will fight each other to determine who is the most powerful. Only one of you shall leave this duel alive and become my apprentice. If you try to kill him before I order you to do so, your life is forfeit."

"I understand."  
Starkiller allowed himself a small breath of relief. He still had a chance. If he could kill Luke in that final duel, he would once again be Lord Vader's most powerful student and one day, his apprentice. It was still less than ideal a situation. Not for the first time Starkiller cursed his inability to deliver that final blow when he'd had the chance. Now Luke and him were bound to become rivals and eventually, mortal enemies. But maybe it was best that way. Once Luke embraced the dark side he would learn to hate Starkiller for threatening his position that he thought of as his birthright. That would make it easier to kill him.

Satrkiller almost felt like laughing at his own thoughts because he'd never had something like a birthright, he'd come from nothing and had grown up never seeing the light and - and it just wasn't fair that Luke should get it all without even working for it.

Vader pushed a button on one of the security pads and summoned the nearest Stormtrooper patrol.  
"Your punishment for your failure against the Jedi is one week of isolation. You will report to the detention center."

Starkiller had been so sure he couldn't feel any worse but yet again his Master had to prove him wrong. One week of isolation. It was not uncommon a punishment for him but if he was to even get one on top if the degradation, it felt far too light. Of course, it made perfectly sense if his Master simply wanted to spend some time alone with his son and didn't want to bother with Starkiller in the meantime.

"I am not going back to the... the base, Master?", Starkiller asked a bit desperate. He had to continue his training with PROXY as soon as possible if he wanted to remain ahead of Luke.

"No. You are no longer my student, merely a tool I use to train my son. As such, secrecy is no longer vital."

Vader ignored the look of deep hurt and disappointment that flashed across Starkiller's face before he got his composure back.

"I will do as you say, Master."

Starkiller detached a metal cylinder from his belt and laid it to Darth Vader's feet.

"This is the lightsaber of the Jedi we encountered on M'haeli."

The lightsaber rose to the air and into Vader's outstretched hand. The dark Lord admitted to being surprised if only a little. He knew he had just effectively crushed the world of this child. He did not care as he didn't expect him to live for much longer anyway. But the fact that Starkiller willingly gave to him the weapon he had worked and trained for years to earn and that he had now seized on his mission - however shared the victory might have been - was a sign of just how deep his desire was to be accepted by him. He wouldn't even keep the powerful weapon for himself unless it was given to him by his Master. It impressed Vader and pleased him. He would have to make sure to raise a similar sense of loyalty in Luke. Just... maybe without the constant kneeling and bowing down. His lack of independent thinking made Starkiller a puppet dancing to Vader's tune. An empty shell with dead looking eyes.

He would have to find a compromise between loyalty and strength of will for his son. Maybe all that time raising Starkiller hadn't be for nothing after all. 

one of the Stormtrooper took Starkiller away. The boy threw him one last look when he thought Vader wouldn't notice. But even without seeing those tortured eyes, the child's pain still reverberated through the thin training bond Vader had allowed to form between them. It did not wake any feelings of regret in him but it did remind Vader of the time when he'd been so young and so eager to latch onto the one person who had offered him something even remotely resembling a family. He had been weak in those early years. All that time in slavery, while hard and physically taxing, hadn't taught him what is was like to be betrayed and thrown away. If Starkiller's young mind survived this rejection, he would get out stronger for it.  
Of course, the Sith Lord mused, that might no longer be a good thing. He would have to keep an eye on him.

Darth Vader turned to the remaining Stormtrooper.  
"What is our position?", he asked.

"Sir", the trooper replied, "we will reach Tatooine in approximately five hours."

"Good. Make sure I am informed half an hour before we're there."

"Yes, Sir!"  
The trooper saluted and left.

Luke's training would have to wait for just a few days. He had a Jedi to hunt down who had evaded him for far too long.


	11. Chapter 11

Tatooine - a few days ago

Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi - known to the locals as 'crazy old Ben' - dismounted his eopie and patted the loyal animal's snout.

"There you are, Milly. It's awfully hot today, isn't it?"

Milly snorted and sent a fine mist of eopie spit over the Jedi's face.

"Right. Do that again and I'll stop talking to you", Obi-Wan threatened. Milly just looked at him as if she wanted to say: Really?

Obi-Wan sighed. "Yeah okay, you got me."

Milly was pretty much the only living being he could talk to these days. It was either that or talking to himself. If he were to punish the eopie with silence, he would go crazy within a few days. Most people would argue he already was.

"Can't blame them", Obi-Wan muttered as he tied Milly to a post and retreated into the shadow of the corrugated metal roof of the small cave-turned-abode where he had spend the last ten years.

There were days when the Jedi questioned his own sanity. Days when he wished everything messed up in his life was just a figment of his imagination. That the bluish figure of his dead Master that sometimes appeared in his dreams, looking at him with such disappointment for essentially giving up life and hiding away from the world was just that, a bad dream. One that he sometimes dreamed when awake in broad daylight.

He wished all those years of war were just a nightmare. It was impossible for him to imagine the Empire was not real. He saw too many Stormtroopers when he went to town to get some water. He wished the Jedi had not been slaughtered but were just in hiding like him. Hell, he wished the Jedi never existed and it was all just playing in his head.

He knew he was a coward for hiding like this. Even if he couldn't fight the Empire, even if the Jedi were all gone, as one of the last of his kind it was his responsibility to keep his order alive. Even in hiding, he should be able to raise a Padawan or two. The Emperor was too strong to be defeated during his lifetime but maybe the next generation would have a chance. Or the one after. But if there were no Jedi at all in the whole galaxy left, than the darkness would keep its hold for centuries to come.

There were days when Obi-Wan was determined to find himself a student and to help his order to survive. Three times he had already packed up everything and left his hut to go for the spaceport - only to return at the last second. It didn't matter how much he disliked the hot air and dry weather and the sand that got everywhere on Tatooine. He couldn't leave.

He tried to tell himself it was because of young Luke. The boy had an incredible Force potential. He was literally the greatest hope of the galaxy. Obi-Wan would never find a better Padawan than him, would he?

And yet year after year went by and Obi-Wan made no attempt to confront the Lars family with an offer to train their adoptive son. He'd been tempted when the boy turned four, which was the age younglings usually started training. He'd been there that day, he'd even gotten little Luke a present. Until then he'd been content to watch from the distance. It still hurt so much, seeing that child with his sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, so much like another little boy he'd known.

Owen had cornered him then, asking where the hell the father was and when he planned on coming to pick his kid up. They loved little Luke but had never planned on having children and it wasn't easy to take care of one on a moisture farm on a desert planet.

Obi-Wan had been forced to tell them the truth and had all but been thrown out of their house after that.  
The year after, he had wanted to try again. He'd seen Luke playing in front of the farm with a defect vaporator. Once he'd gotten closer Obi-Wan had realized the child wasn't just pushing the screws around randomly, he was actually trying to repair the machine. At age five! That picture had hurt him so much, reminding him of his last Padawan. And for the first time when Obi-Wan looked at the child, he felt something other than regret and guilt. He felt fear.

Obi-Wan was not sure exactly what had happened to Anakin to turn him into such a monster but, at least partially, he was sure it was his fault. He couldn't always decide what he could've done differently. Maybe he should have been stricter with his Padawan when it came to attachments and discourage the brotherly bond that formed between them. Maybe than he wouldn't have given into his desire for Padme Amidala. Then the fear of loosing her wouldn't have driven him crazy and his friendship to the Chancellor wouldn't have been so important to him.

Or maybe he should've done the exact opposite. Maybe he should've been more open to Anakin, showed him how much he meant to him more often. Than maybe Anakin would've confided in him and they could've searched for a solution together.

It appeared Luke had inherited more from his father than just his looks and his Force ability. Obi-Wan was not so superstitious to believe he was similarly fated to turn dark but it was very well possible Luke would be just as keen to form attachments as his father and Obi-Wan still did not know how to handle that. What if he made the same mistakes with Luke? What if he too turned dark, maybe to protect his aunt and uncle or anyone else?

Obi-Wan seldom admitted it to himself but he was afraid of what had become of his Padawan. When He'd first seen Darth Vader on the holonet he'd been shocked to the very core. He honestly had not expected Anakin to survive but as soon as he saw the black armored Sith, he knew it had to be him. The guilt that had hit him had been massive. Not only had he failed to rid the galaxy of the Sith but he knew the wounds Anakin must've suffered, he knew he'd have to live with that pain forever. It really would've been more merciful to kill him. Obi-Wan had thought he did but he just hadn't been able to go over there and check. He'd heard those hateful screams and he just couldn't listen anymore. His end should've been quick, he had owed him that at least but it was one thing to have his body react with the automatic response of a lightsaber form when faced with mortal danger, another entirely to bring his blade down on an unarmed, crippled young man who'd been his brother a few days ago.

It was a mistake, he knew that now. It was his own weakness, his own failing as a Jedi. Now Anakin - no, Vader - was alive, searching the whole galaxy for him in - dammit - righteous anger. Obi-Wan was afraid of what he'd do to him if he ever found him and it wasn't because he feared death or even torture. It was because he didn't want to look at his old Padawan, knowing all the pain he experienced was nothing compared to what he had to go through, that he deserved it and his former brother would never, ever forgive him. He would make Obi-Wan question who was the monster of the two of them. He would make him question if he even fought for the right side.

And so, Obi-Wan didn't fight at all. He let year after year slip through his fingers. Luke had long since passed the age when it would've been acceptable to train him. Obi-Wan tried to reason that Anakin had started late too and it hadn't been an issue since his potential was so great it made up for the lack of experience. Until he remembered that him being so old when he started training, still remembering his home world and his mother, had probably not helped with his attachment issue. That's why Obi-Wan's reluctance to train Luke had only grown. The fact that Owen didn't like him and Luke thought he was a weird old hermit didn't help either. At least Anakin had been full of enthusiasm and eager to learn, which made up for his natural distaste towards authority. Owen wouldn't allow Obi-Wan to simply take the boy away and if he was allowed to visit his family, it would be all but impossible to explain to Luke why he had to learn to let go of them.

At least, the Jedi reasoned, if he wasn't trained at all Luke would likely always remain on Tatooine and thus the chances of Vader finding him were astronomically low if he kept on avoiding Tatooine, which he'd been doing so far. The planet was so far at the edge of the galaxy that it was highly unlikely any official business forced him to come here either.

Of course there was always the chance that Luke would want to leave the planet on his own when he was an adult. If that happened Vader might just find him and probably corrupt him as well. That was definitely not something he could let happen. Obi-wan told himself it was his desire to protect Luke from his father and not his fear from the same that made him stay on Tatooine, intend on making sure the boy would never leave his world. It was a shame his potential would be wasted but better wasted than in the hands of the Sith.

Obi-Wan sat down and cleared his mind. All this reminiscing had made him feel very troubled and he longed to feel the safety of the Force around him again. Sadly the entire galaxy was by now enshrouded in darkness and that was most noticeable in the Force. It always pained him when he felt that darkness, which was why he had gotten used to meditating maybe once a week instead of two times every day. But sometimes when his past caught up with him and he was just so depressed and filled with remorse, even the little light he could sense from the child a couple of miles away was enough to brighten his day. So he connected with the Force, stretched out his senses, eager to reassure himself that Luke was still there and more importantly, that he was still happy and good and light.

Only that he wasn't.

Obi-Wan was sure that for a moment, his heart stopped. He plunged deeper into the Force, searched a little harder - but he felt only an all encompassing darkness. That was not right. Luke was such a powerful child, it was usually so easy to sense him even when he was away, at town with his aunt. This could only mean two things, either Luke had left the planet... or he was dead.

Obi-Wan felt an old and undiluted horror settling in his stomach. It couldn't be, he had failed again.  
Obi-Wan got to his feet faster than the casual observer would've thought him capable of.

"Sorry Milly, you have to take me out there again", he said and hopped on the back of the eopie. Milly gave a whine and shook her body but her Master was unusually determined and forced her to a quick tempo. He arrived at the Lars farm, which looked undisturbed and quickly went to knock at the door.

Beru Lars opened, looking at him curiously and, he noted, very tired. "Yes, how may I help you?"

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to ask where Luke was only to remember that Beru probably didn't recognize him. Owen had made sure his family didn't get too much contact with him. He had only spoken to the woman in person once when he brought her Luke. That was ten years ago though Obi-Wan looked as if he'd aged at least thirty. Such soul wrenching pain as he experienced will do that to a person.

"Hello, I'm Ben Kenobi. Uh, how are you?"

Negotiator, pah. All those years talking to an eopie definitely hadn't improved his diplomacy skills.

"Ah, Ben, yes I know you. Look, it's... not a good time to be visiting, I'm terribly sorry, I don't want to be rude, but..."

"No, it's quite alright. Please, I just... This morning, I just had... a very bad feeling. Is everything alright with Luke?"

From the way her eyes widened slightly, the hand clutching the doorframe that trembled and her entire posture slumped, he knew at once that nothing was alright.

"Luke is.... I don't..."

She began to breathe faster, not looking at him and blinking rapidly.

"Shh, maybe you should sit down for a second", Obi-Wan advised. He gently took her hand and led her inside but before they even reached the table, Beru broke down and suddenly began to cry. Obi-Wan just stood there at a loss of what to do as the woman collapsed on a chair, tears pouring down her face.

"Ma'am, I... I'm sorry I don't... What happened?"

It took another few moments for her to calm down long enough to answer him.

"Luke is... he's gone. One day he just wasn't there when I came back from work. Owen and I have been searching everywhere, the farm, the desert; we've even been asking people in town. Some of our neighbors from the other farms helped us searching but we just can't find him and it's been three days!"

"Three days!?", Obi-Wan repeated incredulously. "But how could he just vanish like this?"

"I... I don't know." Beru went and got herself something to clean her running nose but Obi-Wan had the feeling she was deliberately holding something back.

"Beru, how could he simply be gone? Please answer me!"

He put maybe a bit more pressure behind the plea than originally planned because Beru dropped the cloth and replied with a dead sounding voice: "He must've sneaked out on his own. We had some money issues lately because of the sandstorm, he must've thought he was too much of a burden. We found a message saying he wanted to go look for his father. He never believed me when I told him he was dead."

Obi-Wan felt his heart stop for a second time that day. This was probably the worst case scenario of what could possibly ever happen. Luke, a small ten year old boy, all alone somewhere in the galaxy, was actively searching for the most evil Sith Lord in existence.

Obi-Wan really, really hoped he was going insane because this could not possibly become reality.

Beru came to her senses again and promptly began to sob. "I... I just don't know what to do anymore! He's never been away for that long."

"I'll help you to search for him", Obi-Wan said. "Do you have any clue where he could go?"

"We already searched everywhere! One of his friends in Anchorhead called the morning after he went missing, he'd left the speeder with him but I don't know where he went from there."

"Well then, what did you tell him about his father?"

"His f-father? Nothing! We said... Well, we said he was a pilot, that he traveled around a lot. When he wanted to know why he never came or just called, I tried to explain to him that he was dead but he didn't believe me..."

"So he's searching for a pilot named Anakin Skywalker?", Obi-Wan repeated. "He doesn't know... anything else?" That the Lars' had insisted on keeping Luke's last name was something Obi-Wan had objected to many times but as he'd not been ready to reveal what happened to his old Padawan at that time, he couldn't convince them.

"We thought maybe someday we might tell him he was a Jedi and that that was why he had to stay away from the Empire but right now, he doesn't know any of that, no."

"I'll go and check the spaceports then. Maybe someone saw him. He can't go running around asking about that name, it will get him in big trouble."

That was apparently the wrong thing to say because Beru started crying again. The Jedi stayed to calm her down some more but eventually he bid her goodbye and left for the next town, Anchorhead. The town did not have its own spaceport, the next one was in Mos Eisley. Obi-Wan spend the rest of the day asking random people if they had seen a ten year old, sandy haired boy running around but came up with nothing.

The next day he rode to Mos Eisley on Milly and repeated the same on the spaceport. It was here were he got lucky, there was a shady Duro who, after receiving a generous bribe that would cost Obi-Wan two weeks of food and water, remembered a kid that fit the description entering a public transport off planet all on his own. This was bad news because with a public transport there was over a dozen places across the whole galaxy where Luke could've been dropped off. Obi-Wan might be able to find out more if he got in contact with the company and found out which transport had taken the route over Tatooine. They wouldn't tell him willingly but it would be easy enough to find out if he could get in front of a clerk that was susceptible to the mind trick. This meant he had to get a ship.

Unfortunately Obi-Wan did not have nearly as much resources as he'd been used to during his prime. He had only little local money and no credits at all. He supposed the situation was serious enough that he could justify stealing an Imperial ship but there were only small TIE-fighters without a hyperdrive that wouldn't take him far or big Imperial shuttles that he'd have trouble flying without a co-pilot or crew.

As a Jedi Master he'd never had such troubles before. There had always been a means to call for backup. This time, he was completely on his own.

The next public transport that he might've been able to sneak on went in six months.

Briefly, Obi-Wan wondered if they still held pod races on Tatooine and if he could bet on one. Knowing his luck, he doubted it.

Obi-Wan looked to the sky and let out a deep sigh. Oh, those damn Skywalker genes. He only hoped Luke didn't get into too much trouble out there. It might be some time until Obi-Wan caught up to him.

XxX

SD Devastator - present day

Darth Vader watched the ugly brown planet from the window of the bridge. Everything in him fought against the mere idea of setting a foot there but at the same time he couldn't wait to enter the ship that would bring him down. They had come out of hyperspace outside of any sensor range and Vader hid his presence expertly. Kenobi must be doing the same for he couldn't feel him at all. Although it stood to reason that maybe he wouldn't be able to sense him anyway. It wasn't like they shared a bond. Not anymore.

“Lord Vader, your transport is ready to depart”, Lieutenant Praji reported.

“Thank you. I should not be gone for long, a day at most. We will continue on our normal course once I have the Jedi.”

“Would you like to have a TIE squad in reserve for the hunt, sir?”

Over the last few months Praji had become somewhat adept at reading his Lords emotions and so when he sensed the spike of anger, he quickly added: “The boys could use the practice.”

“No, the ground forces planetside will be enough for the search.”

Kenobi had little to no resources and no feasible way to get away. It wasn't like he could gather any support among the population of this crime-ruled planet.

Darth Vader continued to hide himself in the Force as he met with Captain Lokey. The Rogue Shadow had a modern cloaking device that would allow Vader to evade any hostile ships but even more important, it did not scream Imperial and he didn't want anyone to know he was on the planet.  
Lokey did not waste any time with pleasantries which suited Vader just fine and they got down to the surface without problems. His first stop was the Imperial Outpost. The local Stormtroopers fell over themselves to carry out his orders and patrolled the city, stopping random people and asking around. Unfortunately Vader only had a vague idea what his old Master would look like now. Things would be much more difficult if he didn't cling to his stupid robe. It wasn't certain that he was still hiding on Tatooine but if he was here it would explain why Vader had never found him and it would fit him to watch his son closely, always waiting for the boy to discover his true potential and then, kill him if necessary.

Vader felt his blood boil at the mere idea. Luke was his and no harm would come to him, least of all from a Jedi if he had any say in the matter.

Another trooper squad had been sent out to the Lars farm to capture all occupants alive. It was this squad that returned first with results. Apparently the couple had been everything but eager to follow a group of armored soldiers and Owen Lars had actually managed to shoot one of them before he was knocked out. He screamed and complained loudly when he was led away. Suffice to say he got very quiet once he was face to face with Darth Vader. The man turned an interesting shade of pale white with specks of red that led Vader to believe he knew exactly why he was in trouble.

“Owen Lars”, Vader said when he entered the interrogation room and motioned for the two Stormtroopers to let go of the struggling man and leave them alone. “You should know better than to fight against the Empire.”

“Where's my wife? Where's Beru?!”, the aging man shouted angrily.

“She's being held next door. But her well-being will be the least of your worries. You shot down an Imperial trooper with no provocation. I can have you executed for that.”

“No provocation?! They invaded my house, threatened my wife-”

“They came to take you in for a regular questioning. Now I am willing to overlook your action if you tell me where Obi-Wan Kenobi is hiding.”

If possible, Owen got even paler. “I... I don't know what you're talking about...”

“I am talking about the man that told you to keep my son away from me.”

This time, the farmer was too shocked to speak.

“As if you could keep him hidden forever”, Vader continued darkly. “As if this poor excuse of a planet was the proper place for him to grow up."

“Luke...” Owen's voice actually sounded pained. “Where is he? You... You haven't...”

“Tell me where Kenobi is”, Vader cut him off coldly.

“I don't know!”

“Liar.”

“I really don't! Please... I'm sorry for your loss but Luke is innocent. He's a fine boy and we took good care of him. You have to give him back to us, Anakin, we're all the family he knows.”

Without really thinking, Vader lashed out and the back of his metallic hand hit Owen in the face, knocking him back.

“Do not dare to call me that. I am his family, you don't share a single drop of blood with him. Now tell me where Kenobi is or I will have you charged with murder and your wife with assistance and I will carry out the sentence myself right away.” He put a hand on the hilt of his lightsaber. The message was clear.

Owen stared up at him hatefully and for a moment Vader was sure he would charge at him but the farmer was smarter than he gave him credit for.

“If I tell you... Will you give us Luke back?”

“No”, Vader returned immediately. “You are forgetting that the boy came to me. He was sick of this planet, sick of you keeping him away from his destiny. He does not want to be with you.”

“But you think he wants to be with you!?”, Oven said incredulously.

“I am his father.”

“You're a monster! Goddamn, just look at you! Luke was searching for his father, for Anakin Skywalker but that man is long dead! He's too young to understand who you are, what you are but the more time you spend with him, the more he will grow to hate and fear you. Is that really what you want?”

Owen had barely finished his last sentence when he was already lifted into the air by an invisible hold and one second later he was choking, clawing at his own throat, his eyes bulging in terror as he stared at Vader who held up his hand as if reaching out for him.

Vader was furious at the man's insolence and even more so at the thought that this piece of vermin might've forced his son to call him father. And yet he couldn't deny that there was some truth to his words. It was highly unlikely that Luke had any idea what he had agreed to when it came to Sith training. Of course if he would grow to hate and fear Vader, that would be no problem at all. It was sort of expected from an apprentice. Except that Luke was supposed to be more than that. He was supposed to be that one person Vader could trust. For ten years he'd been alone surrounded by betrayal and he longed for somebody he could trust. Someone skilled, someone loyal and obedient, someone honest who actually cared...

An image of Padme flashed before his eyes, seamlessly mixing with Luke's. He remembered how she had looked at him. He remembered her smile. He couldn't remember a single time that Luke had smiled at him.

Vader shook his head, of course he couldn't, the boy had barely been with him for two days and he hadn't even met him beyond that initial introduction. He'd been too busy planning his search and revenge on Kenobi, he hadn't had the chance yet to really examine this extraordinary gift the Force had granted him.

He didn't want Luke to fear or hate him but he knew the boy would need to harbor such feelings against someone in order to master the dark side. Starkiller he had taught to despise the Emperor but that was not an option with Luke if he wanted to raise him in the open.

Vader dropped Owen when he began to turn purple.

“I want Kenobi's whereabouts. Now.”

The farmer was on all fours, coughing.

“What... What will you do with him?”

“I believe you know that already.”

“I don't care about that crazy old hermit, I want to know what you'll do with Luke!”

Vader had to give it to him, his step-brother was not one to break easily.

“I will tell you what you want to know if you tell me what I want to know.”

Owen visibly hesitated and Vader felt his impatience rise again. If he refused to spill again he would simply tear through his mind and get the information the hard way. That would not be pleasant for the other and Vader would like to avoid torturing him. Luke's allegiance was still shaky and there was no use in making matters more difficult. Plus the idea of delving into the man's mind and seeing his son being raised by him, looking up to him, trusting him as he should trust Vader repulsed him. He had no intention of seeing their happy family together but he would grit his teeth and go through it if it was the only way to find Kenobi.

Fortunately, this proved to be unnecessary.

“He calls himself Ben Kenobi. He lives in a small hut just behind the Jundland Wastes. A week or so ago he came by, looking for Luke. He wanted to help with the search and went to Anchorhead. I haven't heard from him since than, I don't know where he went. He could be off planet by now.”  
Vader felt the dark side come to him and curl tightly around him as if awaiting a fight and he knew at once that Kenobi was still here. If he'd known that Luke had been searching for him, he would've checked the spaceports and asked around for the boy. Chances were good someone remembered him.

“That's it, that's all I know. You will let my wife and me go now, won't you?”

“I am a man of my word. You will not be charged for the murder of the trooper. Of course, you two will still have to be punished for aiding a known traitor to the Empire and assistance to kidnapping.”

“What!? That's not fair!”

“I would greatly advise you not to complain. The sentence for this could be anything, from execution to ten years in a mixed prison where you would be allowed to spend a limited time each day with your wife. That is entirely dependent on your attitude.”

Owen grit his teeth but he swallowed down the insult that lay on his tongue. “Will we at least get to see Luke?”

“I imagine he will have very little time or interest to see you during his training”, Vader replied dryly. With that he left the interrogation room, leaving Owen defeated and hopeless slumped on the floor.

With the new information, Vader recalled the troops who'd been sent out to search in the desert and had them swarming the city and especially the spaceports. The troopers had strict orders to avoid any fight and merely report if they saw the traitor. It wasn't long before the awaited call came in and Vader headed for a small bar in Mos Eisley.

There stood Kenobi next to a turned over table with cards, money and chips lying around. He was holding his hands up in surrender as he stood facing three troopers with their blaster rifles pointed at him and a fourth one lying on the ground.

Kenobi was old.

That was the first thought that crossed his mind as he saw the man who'd used to be his brother for the first time in ten years. He couldn't even be fifty and yet his hair was almost completely white already. The moment their eyes met, Vader dropped all pretense and let his dark presence wash over the room. The Jedi paled, his hands began to shake and Vader thoroughly enjoyed the fear in his eyes.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi. We meet at last”, he said, intent on savoring the bittersweet moment to its fullest.

Kenobi made a tiny movement and immediately one of the trooper raised his blaster a bit higher.

“I don't think you can draw your weapon faster than I shoot, old man”, he mocked.

Kenobi froze and Vader could see how something changed in his eyes as he accepted his fate.

“You might kill me, Vader, but it will do you no good.”

“Kill you?”, Vader repeated. “Oh no, I will not kill you. Death is too good for you. I will make you suffer. You will learn what true pain is and I will make you regret the day you touched your first lightsaber, Jedi scum. Take him in.”

Two of the troopers bound the Jedi's hands behind his back while the third slung the unconscious one over his shoulder. Kenobi looked at him with something like regret but he didn't dare try to escape while being so close to the Sith Lord. Vader actually wondered why. He must know how much more terrible his fate was going to become. Attempting to flee might force Vader to grant him a relative quick death. Vader watched him like a hawk the entire time but he didn't make a move. They got to the Rogue Shadow without problems and Kenobi was locked in the empty meditation chamber with PROXY standing guard.

“Did he attack you first?”, Vader asked one of the troopers as he watched the wounded one being carried away.

“Actually, Sir”, the Stormtrooper replied, “I was the one who shot him.”

Vader turned his head to him very slowly. He must have misheard that.  
The trooper hurried to explain: “We were pretending to harass the barkeeper so as to have an excuse to stay in the bar and watch the suspect until you arrived, Sir. But BZ-5698 got too close. When I checked on him he said in that dull voice: I'll take my friends and leave, there's nothing of interest here. That stuck me as something very odd for him to say and I read about Jedi and their mind tricks. I thought he was probably very susceptible to them and a danger to our squad so I stunned him.”

The trooper was sweating under his helmet and Vader could sense his fear. He dug a bit deeper and the man actually flinched at his mental intrusion. The Sith Lord wasn't very subtle in what he was doing but still most people wouldn't have noticed him. This one seemed a bit more resilient to the mind arts than most.

Vader quickly found what made the trooper so nervous. The Empire had banned pretty much all reliable literature that contained information about the Jedi or the Force and though the man's loyalty couldn't be questioned, he was a bit too interested in the Jedi, the clone wars and, apparently, brightly colored concubines. What was really interesting though was that this trooper had actually been the first Luke had asked for help in his search for Vader. He hadn't known who the kid was or even who he was really searching for but he had been friendly to the child and this caused Vader to get an idea.

“What is your designation, trooper?”

“I-It's ME-7494, Sir.”

“I see. From now on, you will serve in Death Squadron. Get on board.”

The trooper stood completely unmoving for exactly three seconds before snapping to attention. He saluted with a quick “Yes, Sir, thank you, Sir!” and entered the Rogue Shadow.  
In his mind Vader was already preparing a training plan for Luke. Between Lokey, Praji, PROXY and the trooper he should have enough people to take care of the basics when Vader was duty-bound.

XxX

The next few days were a mixture of boring and exciting for Luke. It was boring because he had to just stay in his rooms - as in multiple ones, the whole Lars farm didn't have that much space! - with nothing but a datapad filled with boring texts about history, physics and other stuff in it for company and exciting because if he did get out he usually went to do something fun. His father had ordered Lieutenant Praji to have an eye on him so whenever the man wasn't busy with his usual duties, he took Luke with him to tour the spaceship or try out the TIE-fighter simulators. He was also taken to eat with Praji at the cafeteria each day where he discovered that Stormtroopers did not look all the same under their helmets. The gray uniformed crew members usually sat in their own groups away from the troopers and the black clad pilots had their own regular's table as well. 

Of course Luke messed up their hierarchy right on the first day when he discovered Captain Lokey among the pilots and dragged Praji with him to sit with the only other person he knew on the ship.   
To his dismay, Lokey did not know where Starkiller was and Luke didn't think that Praji passed on his whining about wanting to see him to his father.

As it turned out, Praji and Lokey had known each other for a while. Though they were friendly to each other, conversation was a bit awkward as each of them were under vows of secrecy not to reveal anything about their work so it was up to Luke to get them both out of their shell.

On the third day since arriving on the ship, Luke got a datapad from Lieutenant Praji with his new timetable. Well, it was called a Sith training schedule but really, it was a timetable and Luke scrunched up his nose when he was reminded of school. It was especially weird since his father was going to be one of his teachers.

Each day in the morning he would have Force training with his father. Then came lunch, then combat training and in the evening he would have politics. According to Praji, his combat training would vary each day and of course things might change occasionally when something came up but basically, that would be his day. Everyday, from now on, no weekends off and as far as he could see, no free time. Luke started to whine almost as soon as he was handed the datapad.

When it was time for his first lesson with his father, Luke wasn't sure if he should feel excited for it or dread what was to come. He told himself that he was doing this for Starkiller and if he did well, he might finally get to see him. It was only training after all, he wouldn't have to do anything bad. Which didn't have to mean something bad wouldn't be done to him...

He met the Sith Lord in a room that was largely empty and reminded him of Starkiller's meditation chamber, except it was round and much bigger. For a moment he stood in the door awkwardly. He had the strangest picture in his mind of him running up to the towering black personification of Death with an excited 'Daddy!' and give him a hug.

Yeah... not gonna happen.

In the end he settled for a very timid "Good morning, Sir", and lowered is eyes to the ground.  
"I am your father, Luke, there is no need to be so formal. At least, not when we're alone", Vader said. "Come in. Sit down."

Luke took a few hesitant steps forward.

"Uh, where?" There was nowhere to sit in the empty room.

Vader just stared at him, at least it felt like it, he couldn't actually see his eyes. Luke felt more stupid with every passing second and finally just sat on the ground. Could this become any more awkward?

Vader began to talk while circling him, the harsh breathing in his neck making the boy feel like being stalked by a predator.

"Before I start to teach you about the Force you need to understand that it is a power of balance. In most conflicts there are two ways to solve the problem; peaceful or aggressive, active or passive. Every decision has its consequences. A Force sensitive like you will be able to feel how to best go your way, guided by the Force."

"So it tells me which way to go?"

"It guides you on your way but the direction, you choose yourself. Your decisions have as much influence on the Force at large as it has on you. For a thousand years, the Force was full of light as there were many sensitives who followed a... passive path. As a result, the Force fell into imbalance."

"The Jedi", Luke muttered.

"Indeed. Their constant inaction and inability to adapt led to a feeling of general discontent across the whole galaxy. This led to the Clone Wars. Suddenly the Jedi were forced into taking on a more active role. Though their abilities were beyond that of any normal sentient or droid, they failed. Spectacularly so. Their time was over, the Force was being rebalanced. It had become necessary to abandon the old ways and move on to an era of rapid progress, of scientific and military advancement where the lazy and useless, the cowardly and corrupt have no place. Now the Force is in darkness and it will stay that way for the next thousand years. This darkness is where we draw our power from. The Force is with us because we are ensuring that the balance is being kept."  
Luke struggled to understand that. 

"Does that mean... when one uses the Force in the wrong way... uses the light side... that one would be hurting the galactic balance?"

"In a way, yes."

Luke bit his lip, his thoughts swirling. It just all... sounded very far-fetched to him. And Ava...

"Speak your mind if you do not understand something. You are here to learn", Vader interrupted his thoughts.

Luke flinched a bit but then asked hesitantly: "Is that why the Empire hunts down the Jedi?"

"It is part of the reason. As I said, the Jedi are inactive and passive, they would never dare to attack the Empire by themselves. However, everything they do, every time they use the force, it weakens the cloak of darkness that protects the galaxy. It is almost unnoticeable as the power of the Sith holding against it is considerable but the Jedi must not get the chance to grow in numbers or focus their efforts. That’s why everyone of them is a threat and has to be eliminated."

Luke fidgeted uneasily. "But they don't... I mean, they can't help that they're Jedi, can they? If they're that big of a threat, couldn't you just... take away their powers or something?"

"Taking away their connection to the Force together with all their knowledge about it so they couldn't pass it on, even if it would be possible - many Jedi would consider it a fate worse than death. No, for those of them who refuse to turn, it is a mercy to grant them a quick death. The Jedi you met on M'haeli would've never turned and it was the right thing to do to kill her."

Luke didn't think so at all. If there was an active and a passive way of solving every problem, he wished he could've known a way to avoid any blood being spilled. What he'd done was wrong and the face of the Jedi lady still haunted his dreams almost every night. It was nothing his father should approve of.

From what Luke had seen of the dark side, he wanted no part in it and yet it seemed his father wouldn't ever accept no for an answer. If Luke wouldn't learn to use the dark side... would he be eliminated too?

"You are ready to begin meditation now. Starkiller has shown you the basics already but this time, you will have proper guidance."

Luke didn't feel ready at all. He didn't want to touch that darkness again but it didn't seem like he had a choice.

"Concentrate!"

"Alright, alright!"

Luke took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to concentrate on the Force but with the harsh breathing of his father in his ears and his overall anxiety he just couldn't make the connection.

Suddenly it was as if Luke was gripped by a gigantic cold hand that wrapped around him. He gasped, feeling as if the life was being squeezed out of him. It wasn't really painful but it was so weird and so utterly wrong a feeling and than he... he was sort of leaving his body, no, being pushed out of it. Panic filled him, he was sure he'd died and that his soul was now drifting to some dark place.

"Feel the power", he heard his father's voice from very close but at the same time was unable to tell where it came from. The sound was booming through his very soul, making him shiver and... he was becoming rather hysterical but he couldn't stop the panic. He didn't understand what was going on.

"Feel the dark side around you, all encompassing, all powerful. That power can be yours."  
Luke didn't want any power, he just wanted to get back into his body, and he wanted things to be normal again.

“Respect it but fear it not. It cannot hurt you; it is only there to be used by you.”

Luke tried to find the origin of the voice but it was impossible.

“Father? Where are you?”, he cried. “Please, I just wanna go home.”

“Use the power, Luke. Use the dark side.”

“To do what? I just wanna get back!” Luke curled in on himself, sobbing and not caring for his tears, it wasn't like they were real in this mental state.

Suddenly there was a big black well of darkness in front of him with dark tendrils reaching out for him. Luke wanted to instinctively scramble back, or whatever counted as it when you're bodiless but then he looked closer and he recognized that monstrosity of evil energy. It belonged to his father. His father who was still on the other side, still corporal. That was his way back!

Luke latched onto one of the black tendrils with his mind with the desperation of a starving man. He winced at the sharp pain - no not quite pain but a strange pulse that seemed to push him away - of connecting with the dark energy but soon after relief filled him when the tendril forcefully pulled at his soul. The next thing he knew he was lying on his back, panting and out of breath as if he'd just run a mile. He still felt his father's evil energy all around him but he was too exhausted to be afraid of it.

"What... What just happened?", he asked when he'd gotten his bearings back.

"I helped you to connect to the dark side of the Force", Darth Vader answered. Then, after a short pause: "Your mind promptly ran in the other direction."

Luke rubbed his chest as if to check if his soul was still intact.

"It was scary", he admitted.

"There is nothing scary about the dark side. It is a tool to be wielded against all the other things out there that are... much scarier."

Luke looked up to his father. He felt a strange pang inside.

"You're disappointed", he noticed.

Vader didn't answer for too long a time.

"It matters little. You will learn to accept what you can do - what you already have done. It will merely take more time than I had anticipated. This will be all for meditation today."

Luke ducked his head, he knew he'd messed up and he wondered how hard his father would punish him for it.

"I'm sorry", he whispered, wondering if he would get beaten. Those metal gauntlets looked like they would hurt quite a bit if they hit him.

But when his father raised his hand it was not to hit him. Instead Luke felt pushed upwards as if there had suddenly formed an air pillow under him that helped him come to his feet. He was curious and amazed at the display of power but his father was already heading for the door, not even sparing him a glance. When Luke hurried to follow him though he stopped, inclining his head ever so slightly.

"Luke, whatever you have heard... I am not a monster. My ways might be strange to you but it is not wise to judge somebody if you have no first-hand experiences at all."

Luke felt distinctively horrified. "In ever said you were a... you know what."

"No", Vader allowed, "but you've thought it. Very loudly."

There was a brief spike of fear when Luke realized what that implication meant, that his father could actually read his mind but a moment later, he just felt ashamed of himself. Yes, his father was scary but the main reason Luke was so repulsed by him was because he heard so many bad things about what he'd done from his relatives, from Ava and even Starkiller. It wasn't like his father had ever done anything to hurt him. He probably couldn't help that his Force presence felt so scary either, just like Luke couldn't help that he was afraid of the darkness. And... that his father had felt the need to address the issue was a good sign, wasn't it? It meant he cared about what Luke thought of him.

“Maybe physical exercises will suit you more. Come with me.”

Luke hurried to catch up with his father. They left the chamber and followed a maze of corridors. Luke had to almost run to keep up with the Sith Lord's long strides. Occasionally they would meet a Stormtrooper or Imperial Officer. Everyone saluted when they passed and greeted his father politely, who merely answered with a nod sometimes or not at all. Luke couldn't tell it with the troopers but the officers – the uniforms, he called them in his mind – sometimes gave Luke curious glances as well.

“Is it... okay if they see me with you?”, Luke asked hesitantly. He hadn't interacted much with his father during the last few days and when he did they were almost always alone.

“They will get used to your presence.”

Luke nodded and they fell back into an awkward silence. 

Vader did not pay the silent boy much of his mind. He was still busy readjusting the training plan he had worked out for Luke. He tried to remind himself that Luke was his son so even if he wasn't a genius and mastered every challenge he gave him in record time – as Starkiller usually did – he was still worth far more simply for his origin. He would learn. It would take more time and more patience than he currently possessed but he would shape the brat into a worthy heir of his legacy.  
And yet... Vader couldn't help but shudder at the abysmal performance of the boy's first meditation. Meditation wasn't a very difficult skill to master. Vader would hardly call it a skill at all. It wasn't like he was expecting Luke to get showered with Force visions. Meditation was simply a fast way to establish a connection to the Force. This connection needed to be groomed over years but the first touch was usually easy to establish. Without this connection however Vader couldn't move on with his lessons. There was no use in showing Luke how to move objects or manipulate the human mind if he couldn't even feel the Force.

It wasn't that surprising that he hadn't managed to get the connection on his own. Vader remembered having problems with that part as well when he'd been young. But when Vader had taken him by the hand (metaphorically speaking) and guided him into the dark side, his reaction had left much to be desired. A certain amount of fear was to be expected. He would even call it healthy as the greater the power, the greater your respect for it had to be. But Luke hadn't just been afraid. He had been so repulsed by what he felt that he had struggled like a fish out of the water, crying for help with all his being, wailing and screaming as if he was being tortured. At first Vader had thought he would adapt, that he would come to see the power as the beautiful thing it was, that he would become fascinated by it, hungrily craving to make it his. But two hours had passed without any progress. Finally Vader had taken pity on the boy and pulled him out of his trance.

At least one good thing had come out of the session. Terrified by the darkness, alone and lost Luke had readily welcomed his mental embrace when he offered him a way back. In that moment their minds had touched more intimately than Vader had touched anyone ever since first guiding Starkiller through the same process. He had been able to read all his thoughts clearly in that moment, to feel all of his emotions. It had... stung to hear his son think of him so badly. The boy didn't know it as Vader took care to hide his presence and emotions but there had been several times during his initial lecture when Vader had been annoyed at Luke. His emotions were an odd mix between anger at being addressed and talked to so informally, something that normally only the most disrespectful and arrogant people dared to do (at the cost of their job if not their life if he had his way) and triumph that his plan of taking away the boy's fear of him and bind him to him far tighter than an apprentice would ever dare to with his Master, was working so well. Vader had to constantly remind himself that he had wanted this. He had wanted Luke to be his son, not merely a tool. He still did. It was just... harder than he'd thought.

Luke was still afraid of him, he could feel that. It wouldn't change over night and it shouldn't. Vader had invested much time in his reputation. But he could use the meditation to train his son to at least get used to his presence. Yes, that would do. They would meditate together each morning. If Luke learned to accept the power, that was well but Vader wouldn't bother giving him any tips until he learned to accept Vader's guidance as something good, until he felt safe in his presence.

The doors swished open and Luke and Vader entered a gym that had various tools set up in the form of an obstacle course. Next to the doors stood Luke's teacher for this session:

"PROXY!"

Luke ran forward with a grin. He couldn't say he liked the droid but it was a familiar ... interface and maybe the droid knew what happened to Starkiller.

"Good morning, young Master. I am to inform you that my secondary programming now includes making you into less of a dead weight. I expect your greatest enthusiasm for the cause."

"Uh, yeah, whatever. Have you seen S.K.?"

"Not since he departed the Shadow, no."

"When am I going to see him?", Luke asked, now turning to his father with a pleading look.  
Vader felt just the tiniest bit startled. Usually when people looked at him like that, they were pleading for their lives or that he spared their loved ones. By the Stars, he wasn't going to cry, was he?

...no. He was just pouting.

Vader almost sighed in relief.

"PROXY will help you to train your physical endurance. When your session is over, you will be picked up for your evening classes."

"Let's begin, young Master", PROXY said and cheerfully readied his blaster cannons.

"What!? Wait, I'm not - I haven't... I'm hungry, that's right, shouldn't I have lunch beforehand? I'm not supposed to do any exercises on an empty stomach, am I?"

Ah, Vader thought, he knew he'd forgotten something. Right, healthy people had to eat up to three times a day. He had to remember that.

"Yes you will. Consider it a punishment for abysmal meditation techniques." He couldn't very well admit that he'd forgotten.

"But that was my first time!” Luke whined. 

"Then do better next time", Vader snapped, his earlier amusement quickly fading into annoyance at Luke's tone.

With that he left Luke alone who just stood there for a couple of seconds after the door had closed and watched the training/assassin droid.

"Are you programmed to kill me?” He asked then a bit hesitantly.

If PROXY could bare any teeth, Luke was sure he would have in that moment. "It would be detrimental to your stance and performance to tell you that, young Master."

His blaster cannon gave an audible click as the safety was released. "Shall we begin?"

As it turned out, PROXY's cannons were loaded with some kind of electrical charge that hurt when it hit him but didn't do any serious damage. Luke found out as he was driven through the obstacle course over and over again in between running laps and making push-ups whenever he wasn't fast or strong or sneaky enough.

The boy was exhausted after only half an hour but other than that, it was actually kinda fun. PROXY had the habit of describing combat situations all around him in which he could use certain moves. Luke had a rich imagination and it was almost as if he could see the torrential river under the beam he was balancing or smell the smoke on the battlefield where he tried to save a comrade by lifting some heavy object he was caught under.

By the time he finally got some dinner he was starved and really only wanted to fall into his bed. That was not to be because he still had lessons in the evening with Lieutenant Praji. The man was a bit stiff around him but otherwise nice. The problem was that his lesson on structural organization of the Empire was so boring and Luke was so tired. He actually fell asleep once. That earned him a scornful look and a muttered 'waste of time' and 'hopeless case'. That was rather embarrassing so Luke tried to pay attention after that. Still he couldn't remember a single thing about the lesson when he was finally free to go to bed.

The rest of the week went by in a similar pattern. Meditation was pretty much the same and quickly became his least favorite subject. When they were together in the Force, Luke could feel his father's disappointment and exasperation every time he failed to embrace the dark side and it hurt. He knew the key was to channel that hurt and pain and use it but he just couldn't. He tried, he really did because it hurt a lot to see his father look at him as if he were a worthless insect. Every time he would try to connect to the dark side it quickly overwhelmed him and he felt like drowning in it and not at all as if he was the one in control.

"Your connection has to be stronger", his father would admonish him. "You have to be confident. Your hatred and your anger has to be strong enough to force your will onto it."

Luke was afraid and he did hurt but he never managed to really convert those feelings into anger or hatred like his father told him to. He didn't like meditation but he didn't hate it either because it was the only time he got to see his father and sometimes he even looked forward to that, hoping that this time he would do better and his father would be proud of him. But that never happened and instead of getting angry, Luke just got depressed.

Combat training was a welcome distraction from that. PROXY wasn't his only teacher here. Sometimes Luke would train together with Captain Lokey in the flight simulators where he learned some basic piloting skills. He was actually really good in that subject and had a lot of fun. Lokey was his only teacher who praised him when he completed an exercise successfully and it made Luke beam at him every time.

Than there was Stormtrooper training. Luke had to switch to another Star Destroyer of the fleet for those lessons where the troopers who'd been newly recruited into Death squadron trained their skills. This was where Luke learned to shot a blaster. Also at the end of every session, his father would come by to pick him up. Then he'd give Luke a training lightsaber and he was to stand at a wall and concentrate on the Force while around twenty Stormtroopers aimed their blasters at him (set on stun) and he was to reflect their shots with his tiny lightsaber blade that was thinner than his arm.

Of course he ended up on the ground after the first shot every time and all the troopers laughed at him. The only one that didn't was ME-7494 who was in charge of showing him around and teaching him how to aim. Luke had been quite surprised to meet Marvin again and while he was happy about it, it did led to a rather awkward conversation.

"I can't believe it. You actually made it to Death Squadron", Marvin said with a slightly incredulous grin.

"So did you", Luke returned. Now that his fears had been laid to rest that his father wouldn't want to be seen or associated with him, he found a certain amount of amusement in the trooper's curiosity. The man was practically bouncing on his heels in an attempt to keep himself from shooting questions at him.

"Yeah, that was weird. First time ever that something interesting happened on Tatooine and now suddenly I'm here. It's great, of course, a lot more action but weird. I can't help but wonder if you pouted at the right person or pissed off the wrong for you to take part in Stormtrooper training. No offense but you're not even old enough for the academy. How did you end up here?"

"Well, I told you I was gonna find my father. And I did! He's busy most of the time but he wants me to learn stuff so I got my own schedule and such."

"Sure, just why not sent you to a boarding school or something...?"

Marvin noticed Luke's hurt look and quickly added: "Of course it's wonderful that your old man wants to spend some time with you. I'm happy for you! School's on Tatooine are pretty shitty so I see why he wants to keep you close but Death Squadron isn't really the place for a kid to grow up if you know what I mean."

"Well, I never thought about that...”

“I give you a week before our old an get's trouble with his superior. This is a dangerous place. I mean, can you imagine; you might walk down a corridor, minding your own business and suddenly Darth Vader stands in front of you?”

“Oh, I can imagine that”, Luke answered with a grin. “Happened to me before.”

Marvin paled. “You're kidding, right?”

“Nope.”

“How are you still alive?”

Luke sighed, it was funny to see the trooper so flustered but he didn't understand how he hadn't connected the clues yet. “Because Darth Vader is my father, that's why.”

The trooper's face was rather comical.

“You don't believe me? He said he's gonna pick me up after training, you can ask yourself.”

“No thanks, I'll pass”, Marvin replied weakly.

“You're surprised.”

“Surprised?! I didn't even know the guy was human under that... that... I should shut up now, shouldn't I?”

“Probably”, Luke agreed. “How did you end up here?"

"Funny story, that", Marvin replied, glad for the change of subjct. "There was a Jedi manhunt - a Jedi, on Tatooine? Can you believe that? Lord Vader led it himself. I was with the squad that discovered the guy first. Looked like a harmless old man but I caught him after he tried to mind control one of my men. That was pretty creepy. I mean, you ever think about it? These guys can tell you to go and throw yourself off the next cliff if they feel like it - or to go and murder your best friends. The stars know what that guy had in mind for us. Luckily Lord Vader arrived before the situation could get out of hand. The Jedi was caught and I got a promotion."

"When did that happen?", Luke asked, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in his stomach.

"Three days ago - hey, is everything alright?"

Luke didn't answer immediately. It didn't surprise him very much that his father had found and caught a Jedi. He'd seen how Starkiller had reacted when he learned about Ava and his father had been very specific in that all Jedi had to be either turned or killed. What did bother him was that they had stopped at Tatooine without Luke knowing. It had been almost two weeks now since he'd left his home planet and he was really starting to miss his relatives. His father had said he'd tell them that Luke was with him so they wouldn't worry (though Luke doubted by now that would have the desired effect) so that had to be what he was up to when he ran across the Jedi but why hadn't he told Luke? He would have liked to say good bye to his Aunt and Uncle. He had avoided it when he left, true, but now that he'd spent so much time apart from them and it was looking like he would be busy with training for years, not just a single season, the knowledge that he'd been so close to them but couldn't say hello was a blow to him. He wondered what else his father would keep from him.


	12. Chapter 12

The sky was a stormy gray with rain falling in the distance. Steam rose from the fiery ground where the water hissed when it met the glowing hot stone, causing the horizon to blur in thick mist. The world was a battlefield. Starkiller looked to the ground and saw that between the faintly red not-quite cooled volcanic ground there were dozens of stiff bodies lying around. From blank skeletons, decades old to freshly burned ashes he could see various humanoids in many different states of decomposition. The smell was nauseating. Starkiller wanted to turn away from them repulsed but he could barely make a step without stepping onto one of them.

A snort reached his ears and Starkiller turned to see a... thing. It appeared to be some kind of horse, easily twice as tall as Starkiller but it was dead-looking and skeletal. However unlike the rest of the bodies on the ground it moved around freely, scratching between the corpses with its hooves and tossing its black maned head around. Its eyes were made of fire, the hellish red glowing in the dark and its teeth... they were not meant to chew on mere grass, that was for sure.

Starkiller stepped closer carefully. The mighty stallion had been bred for war, that was obvious. Aside from the black mane and tail it possessed not a single scrap of fur though. Thick black plating covered its back and flanks like armor. What Starkiller had thought to be skeletal bones were actually metal bars. This was no animal, it was a machine. Yet it seemed alive. The stallion was in control of all of its movements and it brimmed over with confidence but there was still something wild and untamed about it, something that spoke of defiance. The horse wore no saddle.  
The war horse neighed and threw its head back. Where its hooves met the ground, bones were crushed to ashes, leaving the ground cold and empty. As it moved more and more corpses dissolved under it like a wave washing away the dirt of the world.

Starkiller continued to watch the metal stallion fascinated and just then the monster moved to reveal a second figure hiding behind its massive form. It was another horse but it was tiny. A mere foal, its fur white as snow jumped out of the stallion's shadow. It whinnied and jumped around lively as the spring, galloping around the war horse in a lively manner that seemed to belong anywhere but in this desolate world. However its journey was quickly stopped when the foal stumbled over the piled up humanoid corpses. Starkiller watched as it fell and whinnied pathetically. The stallion gave a snort, scratched the ground with its hoof, threw its head back and neighed loudly. The foal whinnied in response and fought to come to its thin legs again. It managed and stumbled back to the war horse. It had trouble moving among the corpses but as soon as it reached the area cleared by the machine, Starkiller could see a change.

Under the hooves of the white foal, the hard rock turned to earth and tiny specks of green could be seen. By the time the foal had reached the stallion, a thin trail of young plants followed it.  
The stallion nudged the foal as if to admonish it for running too far away. Then it continued its way, slowly but inexorably stepping through the sea of bodies, crushing and dissolving them with the foal filling the empty space with new life.

Starkiller wanted to follow the odd pair but he found that he couldn't move very fast as he had to climb over many bodies himself. He called for them to wait but not once did the horses even do so much as acknowledge that they could see or hear him.

Starkiller cursed as he fell over another body. He wanted to shove it away but halted when he saw something familiar in the half decayed face of the dead man. With alarm he realized it was his face, only older.  
Starkiller looked around and everywhere, the humanoid corpses morphed into copies of himself. Even those of distinctly other species seemed to melt and change until they wore his face. Starkiller looked down at himself and instead of hands his arms ended in white bones to be seen between blackened flesh and dried muscles barely holding his limbs together. His mouth opened to let out a scream filled with terror and anger - 

Starkiller sat up, breathing quickly as if he'd just gone through an especially challenging training session with PROXY. His skin was wet with sweat and he wrapped his arms around his torso to stop them from shaking.

The light in his cell was bright and painful but not overly so. Starkiller wondered if that was what had pulled him from his trance. That was how solitary confinement worked in the Empire, at least when it was assigned to him. The light was turned on and off in irregular intervals, never staying off for more then a few hours so the prisoner couldn't get much sleep. He never saw any guards or even droids. There was a small drawer at the door where they would leave some water and nutrient pills for him but he would never know when there were any unless he checked. This way he had no means to measure the time. Starkiller knew he would be here for a week, that's what his Master had said. Which was odd in itself, normally he wasn't told how long it would be. It always felt longer anyway.

Starkiller had learned not to bother with actual sleep and instead fell into a deep meditation trance where the changing light did not bother him. The nutrient pills did not staunch his hunger but he knew they provided him with everything he needed to come out with his strength not visibly diminished. 

Starkiller had delved farther into the Force than he had ever dared before without guidance in an attempt to not have to think about how he had been thrown away like a dull blade. Then, he'd made a mistake. When meditating on the dark side you had to concentrate on what you wanted to archive, be it to strengthen your body, focus your anger, sense coming dangers or find the best solution for a problem. This time around, Starkiller had lost his focus. No not just that, he realized with a terrible sinking feeling. He had lost everything, his Master, his position, his purpose. The Force was everything he had left and for the first time he had looked at it not as a tool to wield against his enemies but as a precious part of his past, a remembrance of a better time and he had stupidly tried to seek comfort in it. But the dark side wasn't about comfort. It was about chaos.

Starkiller had had premonitions before. They were usually vague feelings of dangers to come. In the beginning he had often misinterpreted them, had been out in his estimation on how far away or close the danger was or where it came from. His Master had taught him how to handle these premonitions. When he had a bad feeling about a mission, it was quite certain that something would go wrong. He couldn't really do anything about it. What he could do was to make his plan less rigid, make as much room for improvisation as possible.

His Master had told him that one could have actual visions too, messages of the Force. Sometimes they were straight forward and clear, sometimes they were filled with riddles and symbols. If interpreted wrongly, they could cause a lot of harm to him. As Starkiller never had such a vision before, his Master had not deemed it necessary to explain more about it to him.

The young Sith wasn't even sure if what he'd seen was a vision or just a strange dream. How would he tell the difference? And if it was a vision, what did it mean? That the war horse and the foal represented his Master and Luke was almost certain but what else did the Force want to tell him? Would those two try to destroy and burn away the Empire that was built on corpses and bring on an age of light? Their progress had been so slow and meant so little in the vast space of the battlefield, so did that mean their fight was fruitless? The corpses that the stallion burned away, were they the weak and useless that had to be disposed of to make the Empire stronger or were they merely the last remembrances of old times? The plants that grew under the foal's hooves, did they stand for the next strong Imperial generation or did they represent seeds of light that would threaten the power monopoly of the dark side? Whatever the case, Vader and Luke would work together on it.

That brought Starkiller to the last and most important question: Where was he in that vision? At first he'd thought he was merely a watcher, unable to do anything. But what did it mean that all the bodies wore his face? Was he merely one of the victims to be crushed under his Master's wrath as he sought to cleanse the world of all that was unworthy? Did he belong or even represent the Empire's enemies? Would he even live to see the vision come to fruition or was he to die and rot away, forgotten by everyone? Did the vision show him something unpreventable or did he have a chance to make it right?

Starkiller didn't know and came to no conclusion. There was only one thing that had been clear thorough the entire vision. Whatever those two did, they did it together and there was no room for Starkiller in their family. Starkiller was a Sith, whatever his Master said to that and he refused to just lie down and die like in the vision. This meant he had to make a choice. He could play along long enough to eventually break out and try to make his own way away from the Empire. Or he could fight on where he was and become powerful enough to break the bond between father and son. He would never fit in with them but he could replace either. He could kill Luke and turn everything back to the way it was supposed to be – or he could kill his Master and take the place of the stallion for himself. Luke might even see him as a savior, once he realized what his father really was. 

Starkiller's stomach churned at the thought of killing either of them – his Master and mentor or his only sentient friend. He knew he would have no problem fighting them, hurting them but to see them gone forever... He didn't know how he was supposed to live like that. But if he did nothing, he wouldn't have a life to think about how to live. He would have to do something.

Starkiller knew that if he left now, the vision would follow him forever. The knowledge that he did not matter, that his existence would leave no mark on history when he had been destined to bring death to the Emperor himself – that could not be it. He would not be forgotten. They would notice him and his Master would no longer be able to ignore his existence. 

The door to his cell was opened abruptly. 

“Stand up, lad. You're coming with me”, a Stormtrooper commanded him.

Starkiller turned around to face the man very slowly. The trooper was briefly irritated but something in the boy's eyes must have unsettled him for he suddenly stood straight and gripped his blaster a bit tighter.

Without a word Starkiller left the cell. He didn't care to grant the first human he saw in a week even one look.

It was a long way from the detention center to wherever the trooper led him. Their destination turned out to be a wide hall littered with various obstacles. He recognized at once that it was a training course and not one for regular troopers. The boy relaxed a bit for this was familiar ground for him. On the Executor, PROXY had often hunted him through half-finished construction sides. This course had been planned and built by somebody who had a rigorous training in mind and Starkiller liked to think it had been his Master himself. This was where he would hone his skills for when he was to fight Luke.

The Force twitched and Starkiller threw himself to the side. His hands were still shackled and he was weaponless but in the moment a vibrating blade came down to where his head had been a second ago, Starkiller had already snatched the blaster from the surprised trooper's belt and fired three shots in quick succession at the head of the droid who had dropped down on them.  
PROXY's blast shield came to life and protected him from the shots but he didn't even hesitate when he struck at him again. Starkiller jumped in the air. The Force flowed freely through his body as he landed on PROXY's shoulders, his knees bent and his hands meeting the arc of his swinging blade. The weapon met his metal bindings and Starkiller was hurled to the ground from the force behind the blow but when the vibroblade met the ground with a klank, trapping his bindings in between. They broke and Starkiller saved himself with a roll backwards.

The whole exchange hadn't lasted ten seconds and Starkiller was standing in a ready position, blaster aimed and his hands free.

PROXY made no new attempt on his life though. He merely inclined his head and sheathed his weapon.

“Well fought, Master. I see your skills have not rusted at all.”

“By the Emperor's balls, what's going on?!”, the trooper asked shocked and angry, looking from Starkiller to the holodroid and back again.

“It's good to see you too, PROXY. I assume we will continue my training now?”, Starkiller asked, ignoring the man.

“In a moment, Master. We are still waiting for Luke Skywalker. He will join us for today.”

Starkiller froze. The initial joy at seeing his old friend – after he stopped trying to kill him – and training with him again was violently put out.

The young Sith had, of course, expected that Luke would receive combat training but he had assumed he would merely start out with simple practices to improve his stamina and strength. They could just pick a trooper to look over him for that. Starkiller wouldn't have been surprised if Vader built Luke his own training droid but he did not like the idea of having to share his PROXY with the brat.

“Is he going to be with us the entire time?”, Starkiller growled.

“No Master, Luke has other duties he has to attend to. We will have to step up the training when he's with us so he can catch up with you quickly”, PROXY replied, completely oblivious to the look of anger and spite that passed over his Master's face.

The young Sith caught himself just in time for when he felt Luke's annoyingly bright presence approach. The boy's face lit up like the sun when he saw him.

“S.K.!”, he called out and promptly ran over to him to give him a hug. Starkiller was momentarily overwhelmed. He didn't react fast enough to prevent the unwanted contact but managed to suppress his instinctual response, if only barely.

“I'm so happy to see you again!”, Luke proclaimed, completely oblivious to the building hatred and ugly jealously that was burning in his friend. “Are you alright?”

“Fine”, Starkiller growled without looking at Luke. He wondered when he'd finally be given a weapon. He longed to slice something up.

“I asked to see you the entire week but they wouldn't let me. Now though Praji says we're going to learn together, isn't that great?”

Starkiller looked at him coldly. “You did not look so happy about the prospect of training before.”  
Luke's face fell a bit. “Well… It's hard. And exhausting. But my teachers are alright, I guess. Even my father. Honestly I think the biggest danger on this ship is PROXY. He's a real slave driver.”

“I object, young Master! To compare me to such scum is an insult”, the droid said immediately.

“What other teachers do you have?”, Starkiller wanted to know.

“Well, there's Marvin”, Luke nodded to the trooper that was still standing with them. The man saluted out of pure reflex, which caused Luke to snicker.

“He tries to teach me how to shoot and not get shot in return. It looks like I suck at it.”

“You've been here for only a few days, it will get easier”, the trooper tried to reassure him awkwardly.

“Then there's Praji of course, he teaches about politics and history and economy and stuff. I'm considering it a success if I don't sleep through his lesson. Lokey shows me how to fly and which battle formations are used by fleets in which situations and why. PROXY just tortures me and father...”

Luke hesitated.

“Yes?”, Starkiller pried.

“I'm not doing that good in those lessons either”, Luke muttered. He lowered his head but failed to hide his red cheeks entirely.

Starkiller felt a now familiar fear and pain rise in him. For years he had been trained to be a killing tool, to survive the hardships of the galaxy so he could grow strong enough to defeat the Emperor. For this purpose, any lessons that did not directly have anything to do with combat had played a minor – a nonexistent – role. Yet he had been told many times that even if he did defeat the Emperor, his training was far from finished. In order to be a true Sith there were so many more things he had to learn about, things that his Master currently took care of for him. And if his journey with Luke had shown him something, then it was how truly removed he had lived from the galaxy at large. In fact, he knew next to nothing about it. He got his mission, gave the name of the planet to his pilot and took off without ever caring where he went, why or what implications and consequences his actions would have. It had made sense to him. His Master had not kept it a secret that betrayal was a part of the Sith's nature. That was why he was going against the Emperor in the first place. Starkiller had always thought he would challenge his Master one day when he was old and his strength lessening so he would grant him a glorious death in battle just like Lord Vader was only turning against the Emperor now that he was ancient and quite mad with power, a true tyrant that did not deserve to rule over the galaxy anymore.

Though that had always been decades away for him, he did understand that his Master wanted to make sure he was only taught one (albeit important) part of what it meant to be Sith so he wouldn't get the idea of taking his Master down together with the Emperor.

With Luke, it was different. Starkiller had expected that he would train day and night while he himself would be sent on more missions so that in a few years they would be roughly on the same level. He had expected that he would have to train himself further while on the move and had thought about how to ask for more instruction, even just written down, that he could study while he did missions. But combat training was only a small part of what Luke seemed to learn now. He was obviously receiving full Sith training right from the beginning. What did that mean for Starkiller? He had decided that he would fight and prove himself by doing better than Luke. He was still quite confident that it would be a long time till the brat could defeat him in a duel, especially if he only trained part time. But did that even matter? He would still be ahead in subjects that Starkiller knew nothing about.

PROXY had enough of them idling around and decided he should start their training session – by shooting Starkiller in the back. The boy had been momentarily lost in thought but he hadn't survived this long by chance. He leaped out of the way, causing the shot to just barely miss the trooper who'd been standing behind him.

“PROXY, what are you doing?”, Luke protested, seeing as the blaster bolt left a black scorch mark on the wall- it was clearly not set on stun.

“I'm sorry, I thought you were done talking”, the droid replied flippantly.

Starkiller's lips twitched but didn't quite manage to form a smile.

“Alright, less talking, more training. Come on Luke. Show me what you've learned this week.”

“That droid's crazy”, the trooper decided. “Completely nuts.”

Starkiller just gave him a look. “Welcome to Death Squadron.”

XxX

8 BBY – SD Devastator

Luke Skywalker shook his head in an attempt to chase away the sudden fuzziness. He felt the Force screaming at him in alarm and rolled to the side just in time to avoid the vibrating blade that dug into the ground next to his head. The boy couldn't help but risk a glance and gulped. The metal had buried itself two inches deep into the duracrete floor. The strength required for this was simply ridiculous and yet his brother made it look so easy.

But he could use the fact that his opponent had lodged his weapon where he couldn't easily pull it out. Starkiller was standing over him, a blaster in his hand and aimed for him but Luke twisted his legs to catch Starkiller's between his and bring the other down. It worked for he lost his balance and caught himself with one hand but Luke was already on his feet. He wanted to kick the blaster out of Starkiller's hand but before he even made contact, the other boy caught his foot and Luke screamed as his ankle was twisted. The pain confused him long enough for Starkiller to kick him in the gut. The power behind the blow threw Luke to the ground and his opponent had enough time to get his vibroblade back. Without a care in the world he walked over to Luke till he stood over him, one foot on each side of his torso and he raised the blade with both hands. His eyes were gleaming coldly and fear gripped Luke's heart as he realized he was about to get impaled.

“I surrender!”, he called out, “I give up!”

Starkiller hesitated for one terrible second. Luke could feel the dark side flowing through him. He could feel the conflict in him – he wanted to bring that sword down. But he didn't.

The blade was sheathed and the boys could hear a weird metallic clapping. PROXY approached them and gave a respectful nod to Starkiller.

“Very well done, Master. That was an excellent duel. You too, Master Luke. You are beginning to become an opponent that can be taken seriously.”

“No I'm not”, Luke answered with a huff. “I was really bad today and I know it.”

“It was your first time fighting with a vibroblade”, PROXY argued. “You are unused to its weight since you have been using a training lightsaber until now.”

“That is not the problem”, Starkiller said quietly.

“What do you mean?”, PROXY asked. “It is his most obvious weakness.”

“One that could be more than compensated for with the proper instincts.”

Luke hung his head and avoided their eyes.

“You will never defeat me if you don't use the Force”, Starkiller said with brutal honesty.

It was true, in all their training matches Luke had never been able to defeat the other. Not even once in the six months that he was now training with him.

“I'm trying”, Luke said, “I'm doing everything I can. But I just... can't make the connection in the middle of a fight.”

“Then concentrate harder!”, Starkiller snapped and pushed Luke with both hands. “You're not even worth anything as a sparring partner like that, you're wasting my time!”

Luke could not let him get away with that.

“I'm training just as hard as you do, if not more so! I'm sorry if I'm not that hell-bent on getting devoured by darkness and killing my comrades, something that you don't seem to care about!”

Starkiller didn't even flinch. Instead he came closer to Luke until he stood directly in front of him, dark eyes glowing maliciously. 

“Yes, Luke, I would kill you in an instant if it meant getting stronger. The only reason I don't is because your father protects you. You have not survived until now because you are strong but because you're a Skywalker. Beyond that name, there's nothing special about you. You are not ready or willing to do what's necessary and that is why you will always be weaker than me. Some day, Lord Vader will realize that as well and then you are going back to that miserable desert world that you came from.”

Luke just stared at him. He was hurt and angry and he could feel Starkiller's hatred so strong it filled the entire room. His words were terrible and they confirmed what Luke had suspected for a long time now – Starkiller really wanted him dead. It should've made him angry but Luke just felt sad at the thought.

He knew that Starkiller's life was anything but easy. On the day that Luke had entered it he had been cast out and thrown away. The only reason he was even alive was because Luke had pleaded for his life. Ever since then he'd been fighting to get his old position back but he never would as long as Luke was still there. At first Luke had hoped their friendship could overcome that but as time passed Starkiller had become more hostile towards him. He no longer ate with Luke, Lokey and Marvin in the cafeteria. He no longer stayed with Luke after training and gave him tips on how to improve his strength. When they passed each other in the hallways he didn't spare him a glance and didn't answer his greetings. Luke had become dirt under his boot in his eyes and though it hurt, Luke couldn't hate him for it. There were days when he wished he could because hatred would've enabled him to use the dark side and maybe match him in a fight and gain back his respect. But he supposed it didn't work that way.

It wasn't just the killing intent in his eyes that worried Luke, though. Starkiller was cold to pretty much everyone and it was getting rather extreme. When he first got to know him there had at least been times when they were alone and safe that he came out of his shell, he cared about his crew and enjoyed being with them. Now the only one he willingly spent any amount of time with was PROXY. Luke couldn't imagine that being so alone could be healthy to a person.

When the training session was over and Luke met with his teachers in the cafeteria, he decided to speak to them of his mind.

“Of course it's not healthy”, Marvin agreed with him immediately. “That boy has nothing but a droid to look after him 24/7. I tried to be there for him in the beginning, we all did but unlike you, we can't spend any time with him outside of meals. He's just lacking social contact.”

“I think he hates me”, Luke said gloomily, picking at his food without eating anything.

“It's pretty much impossible to hate you”, Captain Lokey said with a smile and ruffled Luke's hair. “No, I think he's just jealous.”

“Jealous?”, Luke repeated skeptically. “But he's better at me at pretty much everything. It's been one year and I'm still stuck at the meditation lessons. S.K. mastered that in two weeks.”

“I don't know about that fancy magic stuff”, Marvin said, “but I know combat prowess comes with experience. He just has that over you.”

“Is two weeks impressive?”, Lieutenant Praji wanted to know. He had to work with Lord Vader on a daily basis and was a bit more knowledgeable and curious about the Force.

“It is when you do it at age five”, Luke answered with a sullen look. “He's a genius. There's no way he could be jealous.”

“You are a genius in your own right.” Praji turned to Captain Lokey. “Don't you always praise him when he breaks yet another high score at the flight simulator?”

“Flying is nothing S.K. cares about. It doesn't count.”

“If it didn't, Lord Vader wouldn't have put it on your schedule”, Lokey argued. “But that wasn't what I meant. No, I think he's jealous because you're spending so much time with Lord Vader. He used to be trained by him, didn't he? Now the most he gets is for him to demand a report of his progress.”

“And the last time he did that was already six weeks ago”, Praji muttered.

“He's a bit more open with me when we're alone on a mission”, Lokey explained. It didn't happen very often, only once every month or so. “I know that he still admires Lord Vader but he also feels left out.”

“Don't you think it has more to do with the whole 'there can only be one apprentice' issue?”, Luke said skeptically. The three Imperials were far from Sith specialists but they had learned a bit by listening to Luke who frequently carried his problems to them. He didn't dare talk about it to his father as he tended to get rather angry when Luke hinted that he might find his Sith rules extraordinarily stupid.

Lokey shook his head. “Starkiller believes in honorable fights. I can think of more than one time that he got back from a mission hurt because he fought his opponent head on when it would've been easier to just assassinate him from the shadows. Unless his target is a real scumbag, he prefers to give him a chance to defend himself. After luring him into a trap where he won't be seen and PROXY is standing guard in case the target does escape.”

“Of course”, Marvin snort. “I will ignore the absurdity of a child fighting honorably to the death.”

“What I'm trying to say is that Starkiller can train with you and fight you as a rival and still consider you a friend. You two might be competing to get the title apprentice but if you won because you're just better, he wouldn't hate you for that. He doesn't want that title for status or more training or anything. He's cold to you because the position is connected with something personal, something... emotional.”

“He wants Lord Vader to respect and value him”, Praji summarized.

“Yeah, well”, Luke said, feeling even worse than before, “he's not the only one.”

“Your father does value you”, Praji tried to cheer him up a bit awkwardly. “He wouldn't keep you this close to him if he didn't, would he?”

“He's just doing that because I'm his son...”

“Is that a bad reason?”

Luke huffed. “S.K. is right, there's nothing special about me beyond my family!”

Marvin snorted. “Believe me, kid, everything about you is special. The fact that you haven't gone crazy with all the shit thrown at you at such a young age is special. The way you still care about a boy who's a total asshole to you is special. How you can still laugh and smile with us and cheer me up and ignore the blood on my armor when I come from a battle is fucking amazing. Just surviving morning lessons with the freaking Dark Lord is what I call a miracle, Luke, you're anything but ordinary.”

“Language, trooper”, Praji scolded him with a scowl but Marvin just shrugged.

Luke smiled weakly. “Thanks but... That's not really helping. Being a nice person is not really a requirement for the Sith, on the contrary.”

The three Imperials looked at each other. They really liked Luke and wanted to cheer him up but they didn't dare to criticize Darth Vader or his teaching methods.

“I just... I thought S.K. could be something like my brother”, Luke muttered. “I thought I could have a real family. But... he refuses to be my brother if it doesn't mean he also get's to be father's son... Does that make any sense?”

Marvin briefly shook himself, the mere idea of anyone wanting to be in Luke's shoes in that regard was ridiculous to him but he knew how much Luke cared and held his tongue.

Lieutenant Praji was thoughtful for a moment. “Well... I remember when my wife was pregnant-”

Marvin, who'd been taking a drink had to cough. “Wait, you're married?!”

Praji gave him a shrewd look. “I am widowed, thank you very much. As I was saying, when my wife got pregnant, I did not want the child. It was... bad timing. I had just graduated from the academy. What little time I had between my journeys I wanted to spend with her. I got to see her so rarely because of my job anyway and I had always been afraid we might grow apart because of that. I thought.... our relationship might not survive having to share our love with a third person. Of course she wouldn't listen to me. Then Tyla got born and... the question of if I loved her or not wasn't there anymore. Instead of thinking about my wife, I got used to thinking about my family, I loved them both the same. Having a child is just... something special. I'm sorry for that kid but he can never compare to that and even if you never get the trick and Starkiller becomes the apprentice, you father will still only love you.”

“That is assuming he even has it in him”, Marvin muttered, ignoring the Lieutenant's evil eye.

“So... all I have to do is make my father think of me not as a son but as a family, one that S.K. could belong to?”, Luke asked.

“That's... not what I meant”, Praji tried but Luke was already taken by the idea.

“I think I might know how to do that.”

“Luke, that's not a game. You can't just... play around with people's feelings. Especially if they're so powerful.” Marvin stopped and scowled. “Wow, that came out wrong.”

Luke just looked at him confused but then shrugged and began to wolf down his dinner.

“Why the hurry?”

“I wanna go and see my father!”

“Luke, you still have lessons today”, Praji reminded him.

“I'll be back in time!”, Luke promised and before one of the Imperials could say anything else he already stood and carried his tablet away.

“He's not gonna make it in time”, Praji said with a sigh. “Lord Vader is on the bridge, half an hour away from their rooms.”

“You have to face it, my friend, your lessons are just boring”, Lokey said with a grin. “You really have to spice it up a bit if you want him to stop skipping.”

“I hate it when he does that”, Praji muttered and stood as well. “I'll see if I can catch him. Good evening.”

The Lieutenant left and the trooper and the pilot stayed to finish their meal. Normally there really weren't any subjects those two could talk about as they worked in entirely different fields but Marvin had that gleam in his eyes and it wasn't long before he asked:  
“Did you know that Praji was married?”

Lokey just sighed. Marvin really had no filter between his brain and his mouth and he loved to gossip. Really, the trooper was the sole reason why the entire Death Squadron knew that Luke belonged to Lord Vader. He had been lucky the Sith Lord did not seem to want to make a secret out of it or Lokey was sure he wouldn't have survived this long.

XxX

Darth Vader was sure he had misheard. He should check his helmet if something in it contorted the noise that reached his ear because Luke could not have possibly said what he had heard him saying.  
“You want what?”, the dark Lord asked incredulously. He was so surprised he didn't even care about lowering his voice and a dozen heads turned in his direction. Great, now he had an audience.

What was his son doing here anyway? Shouldn't he be with Praji? While his training was important and Vader did what he could to clear his own schedule for their morning lessons, useless as they seemed to be, he still had other duties to perform. He had just finished briefing the crew on their new course and had wanted to retreat to one of the empty halls to train with one of his self-made training droids when the little boy had stepped onto the bridge and approached him in the open.  
By now, the entire Squadron knew that Luke was his ward, though the rumors were many on what their relationship actually was. Most figured he was a student of sorts, some said he was a hostage to put pressure on a powerful politician. Some even said he was a genetic experiment or a clone, a new weapon to be tested. The theory of them being related was actually not very widely believed, simply because most people didn't believe Vader was (or had been, at any point) human. Even those that heard Luke call him father simply figured he had adopted the boy.

As a result anyway, nobody in the fleet dared to give the child any trouble even when he walked around where he had nothing to do and that was well because Vader did not have the time to protect his son from his own people.

Still it was a rare occurrence that Luke would search for him outside of their lessons. In fact, it had only happened twice before. Once was when he'd had a nightmare and came knocking at Vader's door across the corridor because he was scared. At that time Vader had been angry to be disrupted for something so childish but when he'd given his lecture to the child and walked it back to his room, he had surprised a drone in Luke's room. It was an assassin droid that Vader had promptly cut in half. The data on it had been wiped so there was no way to tell who sent it. Vader had taken Luke's nightmare as a sign that the boy had been warned by the Force and he had grudgingly allowed the boy to continue to come to him if he had scary dreams again.

The second time had been after Vader came back from a week long mission and Luke had met him in the hangar, apparently for no other reason than to embarrass him in front of the diplomatic envoy he'd been escorting by giving him a hug. He'd been lucky the Senator had been a family man himself and after seeing Luke, he suddenly became much more friendly towards Vader. He hadn't really had it in him to punish Luke then, especially not when he did it because he... missed him. What an odd thought. He did however make it clear that he did not appreciate public signs of affection.

“You want to have a birthday party”, Darth Vader repeated the words dully. He must have misheard.

Luke nodded enthusiastically. “My birthday's in two weeks and I thought about what I wished for and I wanna have a party!”

Quiet snickering could be heard somewhere from the side but quickly broke off when Vader's gaze wandered there and he put some pressure on the windpipes of the half a dozen men sitting in that corner.

“Luke, you can't have a party on a Star Destroyer. Besides, you have training.”

Luke's face fell. “I have to train on my birthday?!” He looked shocked and absolutely crestfallen. It was the look Vader had imagined he'd sport if he ever found out about his relatives that he'd shipped off to an Imperial prison.

“Of course you do. You are a Sith student, your life is about hard work and dedication, not about fun and parties.”

“But it's my birthday!”

Was he really having this conversation? Now, here, on the bridge?

With an inaudible sigh, Vader motioned for the crew to clear the room. They were more than eager to comply, even though some of them lingered back in hopes of catching some piece of information.

“It doesn't have to be a big party”, Luke tried. “And I can have it in the evening when I'm done with my lessons.”

“I said no, Luke.”

“Well... maybe a trip then? I don't want to be holed up in a spaceship all the time. We're traveling to so many worlds and I never get to see them up close.”

“This is a war fleet, we can't just break our schedule like that.”

“But-”

“Luke, enough!”, Vader said and let his presence flare slightly. Luke immediately shut up and flinched back as if he'd been hit physically. He looked up at his father fearfully and the Sith Lord wondered for just a second if maybe that had been too much. But Luke needed to learn his lesson. He couldn't just come up to him with such a childish request when he was at work, surrounded by his crew whose loyalty depended on the fear they had of him.

Vader expected Luke to shut up and take his defeat quietly. That's what he usually did. Instead he felt his heart sink when there were actually tears glistering in his eyes. 

Oh, it wasn't like he was regretting his harsh tone but tears were a sign of weakness and he hated how freely his son showed his. Starkiller never cried.

“Why can't I celebrate my birthday?!” Luke was raising his voice now as well and Vader could feel the anger and disappointment radiating off him. “I just want to have one day of happiness with my family. Is that too much to ask for? You don't care about me at all! You're the worst father ever, I hate you!”

With that Luke whirled around and practically ran from the room.

Vader stayed back. He was surprised, bordering on shocked. Conflicting emotions fought in him. That was... ridiculous. Of all the things his son could hate him for, it was for not celebrating his birthday?

… was that a good or a bad thing? Vader had tried for month to get Luke in touch with the dark side only to discover that the boy simply had nothing by way of sad, traumatic or painful memories that he could draw anger from. This display right now was the first sign in half a year that he might not be a completely hopeless case. On the other hand, Vader had taken care that Luke had no reason to get too angry at him as that would be counterproductive to their relationship. And now... what should he do now? Should he insist on his point of view and help Luke to use his resentment in order to touch the dark side by himself? Or should try to get this newly formed anger between them out of the way, which would set back his training for months yet again but might help to bind Luke to him?

Luke really had said he hated him. Vader was surprised how much that... that hurt, even though he knew it wasn't true. He had felt Luke's anger but no real hatred. Yet he knew there was only one reason why a child said that to his parent without meaning it and that was in order to hurt them. Knowing that it wasn't true should weaken the impact but... it didn't. His son had wanted to hurt him, his father, when he'd thought they had started to build up something of a relationship. At times, it even appeared as if Luke genuinely liked him. That was such a weird but not entirely unappreciated feeling.

If he encouraged such behavior, it would happen again. The dark side could twist his son into a ruthless person who would use Vader's weakness for him in order to get whatever he wanted. He would not care that he was family, he would not care that it was dirty play. He would step on all of Vader's principles and become a Sith incapable of any sort of compassion. That was... not the son he wanted.

Darth Vader sighed, though the noise was swallowed by his vocalizor. He couldn't very well give in. The last thing he wanted was for Luke to get the impression that he could get anything just by throwing a few tears at him. Besides, Luke's birthday was Empire Day, a galactic wide holiday and the day his mother died. Vader was used to spending this day meditating on his loss, to curse his wife for abandoning him and... and to mourn her. Also the Emperor insisted that he came back to Coruscant every year for this day for the public celebration which he'd always hated. This was the last day he wanted to see any happy faces. Now Luke asked him to have a celebration on this day, one where he likely wouldn't get away with standing in a corner and looking all menacing. Damn it. He really, really, really didn't want to do it. But did he have a choice?


	13. Chapter 13

Luke was lying in his bed, crying into his pillow. He'd locked the door so Praji wouldn't come in demanding why he wasn't at his lesson. He didn't want to see anybody right now.

Luke came from a poor family. He wasn't used to getting much for his birthday. Instead of presents, his relatives would often take him on a trip or just give him the day free and he would play with his friends. Now his father commanded an entire fleet so money shouldn't be the problem. Luke had been given so many things when he came here, he didn't even know what he could wish for as a present. The idea of doing something with his family instead was making him happy though. If he had a party, with all his teachers, his father and of course S.K., he was quite sure that he could spread a good mood and that the only ones who'd keep sulking would be his father and S.K. This meant the two would probably hang out together and maybe spending time with his father would make S.K. less angry at Luke. If they could make a trip, just the three of them, that would be even better because then Luke could start on making his father see that S.K. belonged to their family and his friend would feel more included.

That had been the plan but Luke had honestly not expected his father to just say no. It hadn't even occurred to him that he might not be allowed to celebrate his birthday. It was his birthday, the most important day in the year. For him, anyway. He was angry that his father apparently cared so little he wouldn't even give him the day off but mainly, he was disappointed. This was not the family he'd always wished for.

The door slid open and Luke buried his face in the pillow. He'd locked that for a reason!

“Go away!”, his muttered words could barely be heard through the linen.

His Force-sense began to tingle. It wasn't Praji who came to scold him for skipping lessons, it was his father.

“Luke, you are being immature and childish. Such behavior is unfitting of your position.”

“What position?”, Luke snorted without looking up. “The obedient Sith student who takes whatever you throw at him and never complains? You have S.K. for that.”

“I'm talking about the position and responsibility you have as my son”, his father answered irritated.

“No, you don't care about that, you've made that quite clear!”

Vader was silent for a long time, so long Luke looked up to see if he was even still there. He was still there, in fact, he'd come closer and was now standing directly next to the bed Luke lied on.  
Then his father did something unexpected. He sat down on the floor under some protest from his armor so his helmeted head was almost on the same height as Luke's when the boy sat up.

Luke looked at him strangely, his father always took care not to interrupt his image of the powerful, menacing but always superior Sith Lord. It made him quite unapproachable even to Luke. However when he sat down on the floor, much of that atmosphere was lost and he almost looked... human.

“In my... line of work”, his father began and even his booming voice sounded less menacing than usual, “it is important to uphold a certain image. I do care about you, Luke, but I cannot allow myself to show it as much as you'd probably like. You cannot come to me with things like that with dozens of people watching us.”

Luke was startled. “You said you don't care if they know.”

“I don't care if they know you're my son. In fact, I want them to know because many people who might want to hurt you will be scared off simply by knowing you're under my protection. But that does not mean you can challenge my authority in the open. I can and will not allow that.”

Luke sunk his head. “I'm sorry”, he muttered. “I... I didn't mean to.”  
Five minutes ago he'd been so angry, he'd felt justified and that his father should be the one to apologize but now he just felt stupid and ashamed.

“You are forgiven – this time. But that is not the whole reason why I said no.”

Luke looked up again. He wished he could see his father's eyes. “What's the other part?”

“For over ten years, that day was the one I lost my wife. The one when I thought I lost my unborn child. It was the last day I wanted to do any celebrating on.”

Luke's eyes widened. It was the first time his father had mentioned his mother. He hadn't dared to ask about her but of course he was curious.

“What happened to my mother?”, Luke wanted to know.

“She died giving birth to you. The last time I saw her... we had an argument and I never got to clear it up with her.”

Vader had to look away from his son. Funny how such a tragic story, how the worst day in his life could be summarized in so few words. In the end, it had been quite simple.

Luke's tears were forgotten, he was now lying at the edge of his bed, his full attention on his father.  
“I know nothing about her”, he said quietly. “I didn't even know if you were married or not.” The boy was silent for a moment, then added: “I'm happy that you were!”

Vader gave a short, humorless laugh that sounded oddly contorted through his mask.

“You did not expect that, did you? I was not born a Sith. I was not always forced to wear this armor.”

Luke's eye glowed in interest. His father had never been so open and the boy felt a thousand questions burn on his tongue. He'd heard rumors of course, one more ridiculous then the next. People said Darth Vader wore the armor to strike fear in the hearts of his enemies. Of course he also wore it on his ship but then again, he tended to control his crew by fear as well. Some people said he wasn't human. Most thought he was a cyborg, a droid with enough organic tissue artificially created to allow for an advanced AI. Now Luke knew that couldn't be true but why did his father wear the armor all the time? And how did he look without it?

Luke thought it might be rude to ask and his father would close up again so instead he plastered a grin on his face and said:

“I bet you had a lot of women running after you when you were young!”

Vader gave him a glare that went unnoticed behind the mask.

“I am not that old! …. but yes, as a matter of fact, I did.”

“Well, my good looks have to come from somewhere”, Luke teased. “Or do I take after my mother?”

Vader was silent again, staring at Luke for a long moment.

“No”, he said at last and through Luke couldn't hear the melancholy in his voice, he felt it through that fragile bond between them.

“No, you look just like me.”

Luke looked worried for a moment when he felt the sudden spike of pain go through his father.  
“Is... is everything alright?”

No, nothing was alright. Vader had to suddenly remember how he'd gotten Luke's file from his initial medical check and how he'd taken extra care to memorize the first sheet. Name: Luke Skywalker, age: ten years old. Hair color: blonde. Eye color: blue. And he remembered how he'd went to the doctor to kill him because he hadn't decided yet if he wanted to keep his parenthood a secret and he'd been so angry all of sudden because the stupid doctor hadn't included more details in his report. Was his hair a sandy blonde or a dark one? Did he have differently colored strands? Was his hair smooth like Padme's or lanky like his had been? And what about his eyes? Were they sky blue and vibrant or dark and calm? Did they have specks in them or did they maybe change a bit depending on the light?

Vader looked at his son and he saw nothing but shades of red. He reached out with a hand hesitantly, laid it on his arm and he couldn't feel the flesh under it. His helmet included night- and even heat vision and was perfect for battle but in moments like these, Vader seriously considered building himself a new one just so he could see his son's face. But that would be admitting his weakness and worse, letting it affect his actions and his efficiency as a Sith Lord. No. He had to draw the line somewhere.

“Father? What's up? You're hurting.” Luke sounded worried.

Vader absentmindedly rubbed his chest. What had begun as a lonely spike in his heart had indeed spread to be a physical pain in his chest. Old wounds acting up again. He would have to exchange the ampule with the painkillers soon.

“I'm fine.” Now he finally had his son with him again but he still felt so far away. There was this barrier between them, not just the physical one of his suit but a far bigger one in the Force. He just... He wanted to be closer to him. His Luke, his only family.

Suddenly, as if he'd felt his need, Luke stood up and without asking for permission or any sort of hesitation, he sat down with Vader and hugged him. The Sith Lord felt the pain in his chest double as Luke squeezed him tightly but it was a good sort of pain. One that washed away a pain that went far deeper. Without even taking note of what he was doing, Vader wrapped one arm around the child and held it close to him. He felt nothing in that arm.

“I didn't mean what I said, you know”, Luke whispered. “I don't hate you. You're my father.”

“I know”, Vader replied.

“You're still sad about mother being gone”, Luke tried to interpret what he felt through their bond. “But you have me now. We can make it better together, can't we?”

Again Vader felt like laughing though there was no humor. His son was really trying to comfort him. There were so many things wrong with that. His son was supposed to be a ruthless killer, he shouldn't comfort anyone. Much less him, who shouldn't even need much less want comforting. And then, even if they weren't Sith Master and student, even if they were really just father and son, it should be him doing the comforting. Luke had lost his mother that day too, even if he couldn't remember it.

“We can be a family again... someday you may even stop clinging to the past so much.” Luke grinned teasingly and poked a finger to Vader's chest. “And we can start that by celebrating my birthday!”

By the stars. He actually felt comforted.

“Fine”, Vader gave in. He had sort of come here to make it up to Luke – preferably without having to apologize. “But no celebration. You can... You can pick a place to visit. Somewhere in the Outer Rim.” Far away from Coruscant. There was no way Vader would take him to see the Emperor but he didn't want to leave Luke alone on the ship while he went about his duties either. After the fit Luke had thrown about his birthday, that seemed unnecessary cruel.

 

“Yes!”, Luke jubilated and promptly hugged Vader again.

“Except for Tatooine, I can't stand that place.”

“That's gonna be great!”

“And you have to decide soon.” So he could come up with an excuse to prepare a major raid there. He couldn't very well tell the Emperor that he quit the celebration of Empire Day because he wanted to celebrate his son's birthday instead.

“Whatever but I can bring S.K. with me, can't I?”

“You sure that'd be a good idea?”

“It's my birthday and he's my friend.”

Vader really didn't think that was wise but his boy looked so happy...

“I advise you against it but I leave the decision to you.”

“You're the best father ever!”

Ah, children. So easy to please. And so quick to change their mind.

XxX

Starkiller rolled his shoulder and cursed. Yeah, it was definitely dislocated. He considered going to the medical bay and seeing a doctor.... for all but one second. The last time he'd gone there, the doctor had tried to poison him. No, he had to deal with this himself.

The young Sith looked down at the bloody form of the man in a mechanic's uniform at his feet.  
“That's all your fault”, he accused the corpse. It didn't answer. Of course it didn't, that would've been creepy.

Starkiller sighed and looked around for something he could use to right his shoulder. Starkiller had just walked down a corridor, tired and exhausted from training and on his way to his room, a tiny cell by the Stormtrooper barracks, when he'd passed the mechanic. The Force had warned him way in advance. The man was a sensitive but not particularly strong and probably not particularly well trained either if he couldn't even hide his presence. Starkiller had half a mind to just ignore him. He wouldn't have been able to get on the staff without the Empire doing a thorough background check. It was more likely that he was one of Vader's or the Emperor's agents. But then the Force had screamed to him of danger just as he'd passed the guy and Starkiller had turned around just in case to catch the hidden vibroblade thrust at him. The metal left two deep, bloody gashes on his hand but his opponent had obviously not expected resistance and was surprised enough that Starkiller caught him off-guard with a kick to the gut. He'd prepared to finish him off but the agent had Force-pushed him away so he hit the wall hard, hurting his shoulder. Starkiller had thrown his own vibroblade at him, piercing the man's shoulder in revenge and pinning him to the wall. Then he'd kicked him to the head, once, twice, five times and crushed the bones of his hands under his heels. Only then did he drag the man through the next door with a storeroom behind it.

It was almost unnecessary to interrogate the assassin but Starkiller did it anyway. When physical pain didn't faze the man, he invaded his mind, ripping through it and digging ruthlessly through his head. He caught only flashes, enough to know that he'd trained as an Inquisitor. He didn't get the name of his superior but it wasn't hard to figure out.

For this exact reason, Starkiller had spent seven years in isolation on the Executor, never knowing other people besides his Master. It had been to hide his existence from the Emperor. Now that the secret was all but in the open, it was no wonder the Emperor would sent his agents after him. Until now, they all had been rather weak. Starkiller was still being tested. The Emperor did not consider him a threat yet, not even at the side of his apprentice. Maybe one day, he would even offer Starkiller to take Vader's place – to be rid of both father and son, the two people who caused him so much pain.

Or maybe going up against him was just a test for the young graduates of the Inquisitors. Maybe the order didn't even come from the Emperor, maybe those men just dared themselves to go up against Lord Vader's student as a part of their own political scheme.

Starkiller didn't know. The assassins were too well-trained to give in under torture and he wasn't good enough yet at mental violation to get the information that way. Truthfully though, he didn't even care all that much. He only checked every time because... Because there was that terrible fear in him that maybe one day, one of those agents would be sent by his Master.

Starkiller stretched out his hurt arm to the opposite wall. He concentrated on the Force and pulled the wall towards him. Of course, being a wall connected to a giant Star Destroyer, it didn't budge. Instead, Starkiller felt himself be pulled to the side violently. His shoulder gave a sickening crack and Starkiller suppressed a scream as it slipped back into place. The pain was excruciating, but only for a moment. A few seconds later he was already feeling better. Starkiller grit his teeth and gave the assassin another good kick just because. Then he began to search the room for something to cover the body with and to wipe the blood away.

“PROXY, I have another one”, he said into his comm.

“Where at?”, was the only reply. Starkiller told him where he was and then simply shut the door behind him. PROXY would dispose of the body for him. It wasn't as if secrecy was particularly important in this instance but it was a habit and Starkiller was sure his Master didn't want to be bothered by it.

Back in his cell (usually reserved for Stormtroopers who made some mistake or another, not enough to be actually punished but enough to be reprimanded) Starkiller looked forward to his bed. He woke up at four in the mourning every day and trained saber dueling with PROXY until breakfast. After that he, technically, had free time till lunch. His free time consisted of running through the whole ship in search for a hiding place with a maniacal training droid out for his blood. He was allowed no weapons during this time so that being caught could very well mean his death and he had to depend on the Force completely both to defend himself and to detect danger. Between lunch and dinner he trained with PROXY in the obstacle course, sometimes with, sometimes without Luke. The evening he used to meditate or for further training with PROXY who used magnetic weapons, previously prepared traps and sometimes even drugs to simulate a Force-user's fighting style.

Starkiller fell asleep almost as soon as he hit the pillow but barely one hour later he woke because of the noise of someone in the corridor. Starkiller shook off his tiredness. The Stormtroopers would be in their quarters by now, there was no reason for someone sneaking around at this late hour.

“Not again”, Starkiller uttered. He'd already killed a man today, did they really have to send two on the same day after him? He grabbed his vibroblade from under the pillow, arranged his covers to look as if he was buried under them and slipped under his bed.

The assassin took his time. He was taking care to be silent but Starkiller heard him anyway. And then... Then he knocked.

“S.K.? You still awake?”

Starkiller banged his head against the floor. Luke. Of course that stupid rat had to disturb him.  
Starkiller stretched out his senses. He really must be tired to not have felt Luke's distinctly bright light approach.

The young Sith crawled out of his hiding place under the bed before he answered with a grumpy “Yes”.

The door was opened and Luke peeked inside. He looked skeptical.

“This is where you live?”

“Got a problem?”, Starkiller snapped. Seeing Luke for training and occasionally meals was taxing enough, he certainly never wished for him to invade in the small place he had for himself. He could bet Luke had a small apartment all for himself.

“Uh, no”, Luke said and went a little red. Then he grinned and came in without being invited and sat down next to Starkiller on the bed.

“I need your help with something!”

Starkiller grimaced. Helping Luke was the last thing he wanted but he was under orders to protect him and help him get stronger.

“What's your problem?”

“It's my birthday in two weeks and father said I could pick a place to make a trip to. I would like your help in choosing where to go.”

“To go, for what?”, Starkiller asked, confused. Did Luke get his first assassination mission and got to pick his target himself?

“I don't know, that's why I need help. You got around a lot more than me in the galaxy, do you know some fun places to go?”

“Fun?” What was he even talking about?

Luke's shoulders sank a bit. “You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?”  
Starkiller glared at him.

Luke sighed. “At the day you're born, people celebrate that... well, that you got born. They give you presents and you go out to play or see something special and everyone has to be nice to you. It's the best day of the whole year, don't tell me you never celebrated a birthday.”

There was an awkward silence.

“You... never celebrated your birthday?”, Luke asked incredulously.

“What would be the use of that?”, Starkiller asked with a scoff. “Besides, I don't know the date I was born on.”

“It's just... the day people show that they like you...” Luke went a bit redder when Starkiller glared at him harder.

“Eh... Well, we should totally celebrate your next birthday, whenever that is. If you don't know the date, we can make it a double birthday and you can celebrate with me together!”

“No”, Starkiller said immediately. That was the last thing he needed, for Luke to graciously share his birthday with him. Not that he cared about birthdays. At all. But if he were to ever have one, he wanted to have one that was his alone.

Starkiller hesitated but then quietly said: “The day my Master found me. That's when my new life started, I guess that's close enough.”

“Great! I'm going to help you with your birthday if you help me with mine, what do you say?”

“Why do you even need my help?”

“Well, I want you and my father to be there and I want everyone to have fun but I don't know what would be fun for you, you know, fun in a way that doesn't involve hurting anybody.”

“You want me to be present on this... trip?”

“Sure.”

“But... why?”

Luke opened his mouth to answer but Starkiller interrupted him.

“No Luke, why? We're not friends. We're rivals, you know that I hate you, so why are you doing this?”

Luke looked crestfallen for a moment and Starkiller thought if maybe he hadn't known but that was ridiculous. He couldn't possibly be that blind.

“I just... I just want you to belong to my family”, Luke said at last. “I can't see my aunt and uncle anymore and father is... he's trying, I think he is but it just... It doesn't feel like a family. I... I need you to be there when... when he's not, you know, in here.” He tapped his chest. “And he's not there very often. I know you can do that, I know you can be part of my family, you can be my brother... You’re the only one who could since you already know father so well...”

“It doesn't work that way”, Starkiller sneered. “There can only be one apprentice...”

“Who said that, anyway?!”, Luke called out angrily. “Who made that stupid rule?”

“I don't know”, Starkiller had to admit. “The Emperor?”

“Well, it's stupid and I don't like it. What right does an old man have to decide something like that anyway? We should just...”

“...kill him?”

Luke stared at him for a moment. Starkiller looked completely serious.

“I'm going with you on your stupid trip on one condition”, the young Sith whispered. “I will kill the Emperor. When Lord Vader asks you to do it, you refuse or mess up. Neither of us will kill the other until this is done, even if we're ordered to. To refuse will probably earn you a punishment and me an execution so I might have to leave beforehand but I will definitely come back and I want you to promise that you will help me clear the way so I can kill the Emperor.”

“You can't be serious”, Luke said. Where was this coming from all of sudden? “The Emperor? Isn't that treason or something?”

“It is what I was trained for, what I am still training for.”

“Wait, you mean father....?”

“Is planning to overthrow the Emperor, yes.”

Starkiller scowled as he saw Luke's baffled expression.

“Don't tell me he didn't tell you about that?”, he mocked.

“I... no”, Luke admitted. He felt very stupid all of sudden.

“Well, in that case, you don't have this from me. But no matter. You took away my purpose, Luke, I want it back! You, that you share Lord Vader's blood. I, that I will complete the greatest mission for him. Do this for me and I will accept you as an equal... and brother.”

Luke stared at him for a long second but Starkiller didn't even blink. He really meant it.

Luke was so confused, disappointed and... and hurt. His father wanted to overthrow the Emperor... and hadn't told him about it? Starkiller did know, and had done so for a long time it seemed. Did his father not trust him with the information? And now Starkiller was asking him for help in this scheme...

If he was being honest, the decision wasn't a hard one to make. Luke didn't want to kill anybody so promising not to was no problem and of course he couldn't allow Starkiller to go on such a dangerous mission on his own.

“Fine”, Luke agreed and Starkiller was surprised how sure and determined he sounded. He even stuck out his hand for him.

“You will help me to kill the Emperor?”

“He doesn't appear to be the nicest guy”, Luke said with a wry smile. “And if you're doing this with father's approval... It's probably the right thing to do.”

Starkiller grabbed the offered hand and shook it. “Very well... brother.”

Luke's grin nearly split his face.

“Alright, then let's pick a place for my birthday trip.”

Starkiller nodded and stood. He took Luke with him to a control room not too far away from the barracks from where they could access the holonet. Starkiller pulled up a map of the galaxy.

“I still can't believe he actually lets you do this”, he murmured. “What did you say to him to make him agree?”

“Uhm...”, Luke made, remembering how he'd screamed nasty things at his father.

“Whatever, can you chose freely or are there restrictions?”

“Let's see, he said it should be a planet on the Outer Rim and not Tatooine.”

“I see”, Starkiller said and promptly began marking planets on the map.

“And? Do you have an idea?”

“Well... you do realize this is going to raise a lot of problems for Lord Vader, do you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You said your birthday is in two weeks, that has to be very close to Empire Day. Lord Vader is required to take part in the festivities on Coruscant on that day. If he wants to go with you instead, he needs an excuse. Nothing short of a Jedi hunt could explain his absence but since we're unlikely to discover one on such a short notice, the next best thing is a major raid that requires the whole fleet, which he has to lead.”

“Oh, I didn't think about that. What can we do? Maybe we can pick a planet ruled by criminals”, Luke suggested.

“No, that wouldn't be wise. But most planets have a politician or two who disagrees with the Empire. Add a few angry civilians and we could pretend there's an uprising on the planet that needs to be taken care of. Lord Vader is very effective in these things, it shouldn't be too suspicious if the death count is only a hundred or so as many give up out of fear before the battle.”

Luke made a face. “It's my birthday. I don't want innocent people to die in some raid just because the Emperor is a dick.”

“That's how it works, Luke. You have manipulated a Dark Lord of the Sith to follow your wishes despite logic and politics standing against it. If you want your happiness, you have to pay the price for it.”

“No”, Luke decided, ”I... I don't want that. If that's what would happen... I... I'll tell my father that it's okay, that I don't need that trip. Maybe we can do something fun on Coruscant.”

Starkiller laughed humorlessly. “On Coruscant you'd meet the Emperor and believe me Luke, you are not ready for that. It's probably the main reason Lord Vader agreed to this in the first place, so he could keep you away from the capital. No, if you pulled back now you'd only embarrass yourself.”  
Luke growled a bit. “Fine but there are plenty of planets out there that are ruled by criminals, like Tatooine. We could actually help the people there if we sent in the fleet.”

“What reason would you have to pick a criminal ruled planet of all things for your birthday? Lord Vader would immediately suspect that you have a hidden motive and if he finds out that you did it to help the people, he'll probably refuse just to cure you of your damn altruism.”

Luke didn't know what altruism was but as he had introduced the idea of a birthday trip for family reasons and you know, fun, it would indeed look weird if he made a political campaign out of it. His father may even think he'd deliberately manipulated him for that reason and that must not happen at all.

“Can't you find some poor, sad little planet with lots of thugs on it that still has something fun to do on?”

“Not if it must not involve hurting people, no”, Starkiller answered. “We could search for a planet with a corrupt ruler, one that could be taken out easily but it would make sense to bring the fleet in case the surprise fails and he mobilizes the planet's defense forces. There are some corrupt politicians who enjoy a moral questionable sport, you could use that as an excuse to visit the planet.” Starkiller started to highlight several planets.  
“Let's see, Kavun is famous for its illegal fight clubs. Geonosis is holding public executions that are said to be fun to watch, they make the prisoners fight against exotic beasts... I don't think he'd buy you being interested in women yet so this one and that over here is not an option either... Oh, maybe this. Malastare is one of the last planets still holding pod racing contests. They're outlawed on most worlds for their ridiculous death toll and the high sabotage levels but it's a nice planet and you like flying, don't you? Malastare is officially still under Imperial rule. That the pod races still exist is a sign that corruption is strong there, which might be enough of a reason to do a clean-up.”

“I think I heard about pod races before”, Luke said. “They used to do them on Tatooine too. Yeah, that's gonna be believable.” Luke smiled, he had a really good feeling about this.


	14. Chapter 14

Empire Day – Luke

Malastare was a great planet. It had forests which in itself would've been enough to make it a paradise for Luke. When first set foot on the surface he noticed that the city too was different from those on Tatooine. It was more like on Woostri or M'haeli. The people looked happy and healthy and did not constantly look over their shoulder. Unlike the last time he had been around people though, there was one large difference. Everyone stared at him. Well, he supposed they were really staring at his father who was walking behind him in a casual pace while Luke ran ahead. They were only a small group. Captain Lokey and two Stormtroopers would stay at the Rogue Shadow while Vader, Praji, Starkiller and Luke visited the race.

Luke looked back to them as he'd distanced himself a bit from the group in order to admire the showcase of a random shop. He saw his father talking to Starkiller. His brother looked serious as always and not one bit excited. Vader seemed to give him something and Starkiller bowed and the next time there was a crossroad, he vanished into a side alley.

Luke smiled a bit, he was glad those two had a chance to speak to each other.

When the group had caught up with him he asked:

“Where did S.K. go?”

“He will make sure he gets a good place to watch the race from”, his father answered. “We still have time before it starts, though. Praji will take you to the stadium, you can go and see the pods before the racers arrive if you want.”

Luke's eyes widened in delight. “Yeah, that would be so cool! But... you're coming as well, aren't you?”

“Not yet. I will have to meet with the Chief Magistrate beforehand.”

“But why?”, Luke whined, he'd been looking forward to spending the day with his father.

“Courtesy demands it, this planet is under his rule. Don't forget that I am here in my official function. Or at least that's what people need to believe.”

“Oh, right”, Luke said and winked. He knew that his father would've never considered coming here today if it wasn't for his birthday. But he did have to keep up pretenses.

Praji and Luke continued on their way alone (drawing far less eyes this way) and eventually arrived at the hangar where the pods were kept. Luke spend a good half an hour fawning over them and admiring the vehicles.

“You there, get away from my pod!”, he heard a voice then.

Luke looked up to see a very odd creature wobbling over to him on what appeared to be the thing's arms. Its legs where folded in front of its chest, one feet pointing at Luke angrily. The creature had gray skin and a long gray mustache. It wore a leather west and a pair of goggles that marked him as one of the racers.

“I'm sorry Sir, I was just looking. I've never seen a pod from up close”, Luke apologized.

“You ain't gonna do any sabotaging on my pod!”, the creature cursed and shook its feet.

“I wasn't going to!”

Praji went between the two. “Is there a problem?”

“No problem if you and your brat keep away”, the racer answered.

“I assure you, we have no ill intent towards you”, Praji said politely but Luke noticed the faint distaste he felt in the way how the corners of his mouth sunk.

“You better not! Over a dozen racers died in the last five years from sabotaging acts and everyone knows it's you Imps! As if it isn't dangerous enough, what with the tunnel and the Champion's Dive and don't forget that blasted Crow's Nest.”

“If it's so dangerous, then why are you racing?”, Luke wanted to know.

The creature looked him over carefully before replying: “Ain't gonna have a choice, do I? Price money would feed my family for three months. Nothing a rich little human boy like you would understand.”

Luke almost felt like laughing, how did that thing arrive at the idea that he was rich? Then he looked down at himself. He was wearing his training leather gear which while not fancy was made out of good material. That and he traveled with Praji who always took care to look as clean and well-groomed as possible.

“I know what it is like to go to bed hungry”, he still muttered. He felt really bad for the racer and wanted to help him. But how could he?

Luke looked around and his eyes fell back on the pod. From what he'd seen the interior didn't look too different from the flight simulator. He was pretty sure that he could fly it if he really wanted to.  
In that moment Luke felt a prickle in the back of his neck that he had grown used to connect with his father's appearance. Sure enough when he turned around Darth Vader entered the hangar together with another man in Imperial uniform. He was around thirty years old with short dark hair and a sort of sly smile that Luke didn't like.

The creature behind them gasped and let out a silent curse before hurriedly fleeing form the scene.  
Luke just watched him leave confused before shrugging and turning to greet his father. However as soon as he turned around he suddenly felt the Force – the dark side - curl around him. He gasped and it was as if his head had been stuck underwater. Very cold water.

“Pretend you don't know me”, a voice whispered in his head.

Luke shook his head to clear it but looking back at his father he realized it was him who had spoken to him in his mind, the way he usually only did during meditation.

“Lord Vader”, Praji greeted the Sith when Luke failed to follow protocol.

Vader ignored both him and Luke and turned to the foreign man. “I have taken the liberty of having my aide inspect the racers. I trust that won't be a problem?”

The man smiled thinly. “Of course not, Lord Vader.” Then he scowled when his gaze fell on Luke. “What is a child doing here though?”

All eyes turned to him and Luke began to sweat.

“Uh, I...” His father's words still rang in his head. “I... I'm one of the racers! … Sir.”

“You... a racer?”, the Imperial sneered.

“Sure”, Luke said, irritated that he was not being taken seriously. He patted the pod next to him, which just so happened to belong to the odd creature. “This is my pod. It's my first flight but you'll see, I'm gonna win!”

The Imperial just shook his head and turned back to Vader.

“Anyway, take all the time you want down here. You are of course invited to watch the race together with me from the top box. It is always quite a sight.”

“I will be there.”

The man left and Luke let out the breath he'd been holding. That was until he noticed his father staring at him.

“What?”, he asked. “I had to come up with something.”

“Except now you are expected to take part in this dangerous race”, Vader scolded him. “If you have to take up a role to disguise yourself, don't choose one that can fall apart so lightly.”

“I didn't have much warning!”

“You may have no warning at all during a mission. In fact, I believe it is urgent you understand this lesson. What better way to do that then to go through with it?”

Luke's eyes widened. “You mean... I should really race in the pod?”

“You failed, you have to make up for it. I have heard from Captain Lokey that you have made good progress. I wish to see what you have learned for myself.”

Luke's face split in a large grin. To not only see the race but take part in it! That would be so much fun. And also...

“I told the guy I would use this pod... But there's already someone else racing it. I think I could get him to leave his spot to me though using, uh... a bribe, maybe?” Before his father could answer, he hurriedly added: “After all it's a lesson about disguise and staying in the shadows so if I hurt or intimidated him he might tell someone about it and I need him to do it willingly so he'll make the changes with the application service and this way I can assure his silence.”

For a moment his father was silent and Luke wondered if he'd been too eager.

“Very well”, he said at last. “I do however expect you to win, son.”

Luke grinned a little wider. “Of course I will! You'll be proud of me, you'll see.”

His father left and Luke began his search for the creature (Praji told him it was called a dug). The poor thing almost had a heart attack when Luke offered to rent his pod for the race and offered him a sum equal to the price money for it. With the promise of doubling the amount if he won. The dug actually cried at that.

Luke spent the next hour familiarizing himself with his new pod and then it was already time to get out. He drew to the line with fourteen other racers. The stadium was so big he couldn't get enough of the sights. There were so many people, humans and other races, all cheering and clapping and talking. With wide eyes Luke looked around and spotted the dark figure of his father as a small black dot at the top of the stadium in a richly decorated box. He was standing there, Starkiller surely at his side by now, watching Luke!

His grin became a bit wider. It was like a dream come true! He was going to fly, to race, which he loved and his father was watching him and wishing him luck. This was a great birthday! Now he only had to win and it would be perfect.

A distorted voice sounded from the loudspeaker that Luke didn't bother to listen to. Then there was the gong and Luke let his pod jump forward. Immediately the wind began to tug at his hair and Luke was just glad the dug had given him his goggles as sand and insects began to rush at him. The boy shook his head to clear it and narrowly avoided crashing into a stand as he took a curve. He'd gotten away well and was in the middle of the bulk right now. A moment later the stadium was behind him and the real race began.

Luke flew like he'd never done before. He could feel the Force rushing through him more clearly then ever before. It was as if he could feel every piece of the machinery under him and control it at will.

Suddenly there was a bright flash. Luke looked behind him and spotted a giant fireball where one of the racers crashed into another. He shuddered and decided to concentrate on the route a bit more.  
The racers were aiming straight for a mountain. Luke had only vague knowledge of the route, he let himself be guided by the Force. Still he was a bit afraid they'd all just crash against the rock when he saw the tiny opening of a cave. No way, they were really supposed to go in there?

Apparently so. The cave swallowed the first three racers and Luke sped up again to catch up to them. A moment later he passed their misty lights as he continued to speed through the tunnel. The other racers had slowed down in order to maneuver through the tunnel but Luke found it easy to orientate in the darkness. He even went so far as to close his eyes, only concentrating on the flow of the Force and the warnings it gave him.

There was a mighty rumble behind him, probably one of the racers crashing. Luke tried not to think about it and continued on.

Soon he was out in the open again. The tunnel led him straight into a forest, the trees bigger then he'd ever thought possible. He had to sway this way and that like a madman just to keep his pod under control. He went slower after that but he felt a prickle in his neck of other racers catching up to him. Soon they were drawing ahead of him.

The forest led them to a river and for a few moments the racers flew over the water. Trees turned into rock as they entered a canyon with high walls spanning on both sides. One of the racers behind him drew next to Luke. He had just a moment to gaze into an ugly scarred face with lots of tentacles sticking out of the head before the foreign pod crashed into his. Luke was thrown off-course and almost collided with the wall. He cursed and sped ahead. His pod made a jump as he flew over the next in line. There was another bang behind him as two pods crashed and Luke was drenched by water from behind. He didn't look through, he only had two other pods in front of him and they were on their way back to the stadium. If he could just get his pod to fly a little faster...!

The river had a bend ahead of it. Luke knew the racers had to slow down for it, it was the sensible thing to do but he had to find a way to draw ahead of them. The boy eyed the canyon wall and made a decision. In a breakneck maneuver he pulled the steering stick to the side. His pod creaked in protest as it was violently thrown to the side. Luke sped up some more and the velocity enabled him to race parallel to the river at the wall, faster and faster, along the bend and ahead of the two other racers. Luke drew back into the normal position, adrenaline rushing through his veins.

The Force screamed a warning at him and Luke veered to the left slightly. There was a hiss and a blackened spot appeared on the mantle of his pod. He looked up to see some figures at the edge of the canyon. They were shooting at the racers!

Luke grit his teeth, he could try flying in zigzag to avoid them but that would cost him his advantage. He had to win, he just had to. He had to show his father that there was something he was really good at.

More shots were fired but only one came close to him and he had to duck under it but didn't slow down. Then he heard a scream and a dull thump from behind, followed by another two explosions. It seemed not all of his rivals had been as lucky.

Luke was out of the canyon and the stadium lay before him. He fought to get the last bit of speed out of his pod and finally raced over the finish line under loud cheering and applause from the crowd.

“The winner is Luke Skywalker!”, the voice announced through the loudspeaker and Luke grinned from ear to ear.

Ten minutes and many congratulations later Luke met up with his crew again. His father was striding towards him with Starkiller trailing behind.

“I did it, father!”, Luke announced happily. “I won!”

“Yes you did”, Vader answered calmly. “Well done, my son.”

Luke laughed and barely held himself back from hugging his father. No public signs of affection, right. But it was so hard when he was so happy!

He turned to Starkiller instead. “Did you see that? Did you see me? That was awesome, wasn't it?”

“It wasn't too bad”, Starkiller admitted. Something sinister gleamed in his eyes as he added:

“You should consider a carrier as a pilot.”

“Let's head back to the ship”, Vader said.

“Yes, oh wait, just a moment!” Luke took the big sack of credits a manager had dumped on him and ran over to where he spotted the old dug in the crowd.

“That's for you Mister, just as promised”, he said, still with a stupid grin plastered all over his face.

“No, no, I ain't taking any more money, t'is well”, the creature said, shaking his legs. “You already gave me so much. Can keep the pod too, you can!”

“But I don't need the pod. It's yours and I promised you this. You can feed your family with it. Good luck to you!” Luke just pushed the money into the dug's feet. He wanted to get back to his family as fast as possible. When he reached Darth Vader he looked up to him, trying to let his hesitation and gratefulness bleed into their growing bond before carefully taking one of the heavily armored gauntlets into his hands. Darth Vader looked down at him but Luke didn't meet his eyes. He just stared ahead, his lips pressed shut tightly. He expected to be pushed back or reprimanded but instead Vader just began to walk, slower then he used to and Luke's hand stayed in his. Luke grinned up at him happily, then at Starkiller who shook his head slightly with a thin smile. The moment was absolutely perfect. Yes, perfect – except maybe for the bloody footprints his father was leaving in the sand.

The dug racer stayed behind. Another dug, this one female, came up behind him, staring after the boy with eyes as equally wide as her husband's.

“Did you hear what I heard?”, she whispered, shaking in fear and awe.

“Yeah”, the dug answered. “The lad called him father.”

XxX

Empire Day – Starkiller

Starkiller watched as Luke ran into the city as if he'd never seen civilization before and shook his head. Oh, why had he agreed to this? He really had absolutely no desire to celebrate Luke's birthday. But he had to start somewhere. He would not be able to kill Luke as long as his Master did not command him to as the boy's death would immediately fall back on him. The young Sith had played with the idea of capturing the next assassin that tried to kill him and apply a mixture of torture and mind control to get the agent to kill Luke for him instead. But he was not skilled enough to do that yet. He still had a chance to kill Luke in that duel his Master wanted them to have but by that time Luke's training would be complete. There was a chance Starkiller would loose and if that happened...

If he befriended Luke through, the boy could make enough of a distraction for him to get away. Then he could come back later, kill Lord Vader, make it look as if the Emperor had him assassinated and then get Luke's help in killing the Emperor in revenge as well. The boy would be indebted to him, he would succumb to his authority and then Starkiller would be the Master and Luke his apprentice.

Now he just had to pretend he liked being around that painfully bright presence, had to fake interest in his stupid stories and.... just generally not be himself. And all that right under the watchful eye of his Master.

“Starkiller.”

Starkiller flinched as his Master addressed him. He'd been ignored for the last couple of months and was only here because Luke had demanded it but was fully prepared to just hang back in the shadows. Let those two have their stupid family bond. He didn't need it. He only needed Luke to be properly enraged when he found out his father was dead.

“Yes, my Master?”, he replied calmly, double checking his mental protection.

“You will have several targets today. I expect you to kill them quietly and swiftly. No traces left. Do you understand?”

Starkiller looked up at him, momentarily breathless. It had been... ages since he'd last gotten a mission! And now he was to kill not one but several targets!

“Yes, Master.”

Vader handed him a datastick. Starkiller's hands shook a bit as he took it.

“I expect you to be finished at the end of the race”, Vader said. “Now go.”

Starkiller gulped, that was less than three hours. He quickly took his leave and went to analyze the data given to him.

There were eight targets in total. Sarun Torrik, bodyguard of Chief Magistrate Ozzik Sturn. Michael Vaneim, mechanic. Tilma Na'goz, bounty hunter. Then five others listed as belonging to a group of nasty criminals.

The Force shouted a warning and Starkiller threw himself to the side in order to narrowly avoid a vibroblade rushing down at him.

“Dammit, PROXY!”, he cursed as he saw who had attacked him. “What are you doing here?”

“I almost had you, Master”, the holodroid mourned. “I came here with the intelligence squad half an hour ago.” Then he noticed the datapad Starkiller was holding. “Oh I see, you already received the information?”

“Yes I did. Are you here to help me with the mission?”

“Not at all, Master. I am just going to stay with you until you have completed the first.”

“Well then, let's hurry.”

The data noted a time and place for every name when and where to strike. For the first he just had to stick close to his Master.

Coming out of the alley Starkiller was just in time to see his Master talking to Praji and Luke before sending them away, continuing on his way alone. Silent like a cat Starkiller followed him, taking to the roofs with PROXY, disguised as a civilian behind him. They came to a great manor in the middle of the city. In front of it stood a man in clean Imperial uniform and a group of servants behind him – as well as Starkiller's first target. The obviously high ranking official began to talk to Lord Vader and eventually they both left, leaving the servants behind.

Starkiller scowled a bit. He wasn't able to hear what they talked about but he could've sworn Vader had deliberately talked the officer into leaving his bodyguard behind so Starkiller could strike at him. That didn't sit well with Starkiller, he was perfectly capable of killing his target when it was in the middle of a group. The boy had to remind himself that his Master wanted to avoid attention being drawn to the kill and if the man died in his presence it probably wasn't so good for him either.  
Thus Starkiller waited until his Master was out of sight and the group had dispersed. He followed the bodyguard around the manor on what seemed to be his patrol. Then he dropped down from a low balcony and stabbed his vibroblade through his throat.

“As easy as stealing candy from a baby”, Starkiller sneered and wiped his blade at the clothes of the man.

“Well done, Master”, PROXY praised him. “I will take care of the body. I believe you have other places to be.”

Starkiller merely nodded retreated into some nearby shrubbery that would take him past the guards undetected. When he looked back he saw PROXY dumping the body into a dumpster.  
Starkiller shook his head. He admitted to being curious what was going on here but it was not the time to question his orders.

His next target was Michal Vaneim, listed to be found in the hall under the stadium where the pods for the race waited for their entrance. Starkiller hurried to the place and once in the hall kept to the shadows. It wasn't long before he spotted his target, a human male. Apparently he was busy doing some last minute repairs on one of the pods. Starkiller was lucky as the hall was empty save for a few unintelligent droids.

Unfortunately there was no cover from which to strike. But with no witnesses around, that shouldn't be a problem.

Starkiller simply walked up to his target leisurely, wondering how far he would get before he was spotted.

“Hey, you there! Here's employees only!”, the mechanic complained when Starkiller was already in blaster range. He waved some kind of tool at him threateningly but it was clearly not a long range weapon. Starkiller considered getting into a fight, showing his target what he could do close-range. But he still had the element of surprise and time was running out.

“Hey! Didn't you hear me? Piss off!”

Starkiller didn't bother to answer. He simply drew his blaster and shot the man in the face. Then he jogged over to him and took the dead man's legs, pulling him to the side and stashing him in a closet. Thank the Force that blaster wounds didn't bleed.

Suddenly the door to the hall opened and Starkiller quickly ducked into a corridor. It seemed the racers had arrived to prepare for the upcoming event. Starkiller waited until they had all dispersed a bit more, then he left his hiding place and simply walked out. Nobody paid him any mind. Starkiller felt Luke's bright presence nearby, seemingly on his way into the hall as well but he didn't stop. He still had a few other kills today.

Tilma Na'goz, bounty hunter. This one was a bit harder as the data only said she could be found along the racetrack. Starkiller wasted precious time searching for a speeder that could take him into the outskirts. The racetrack was long and he had no idea where or when she would show up. Then again... What reason would a bounty hunter have to travel the racetrack anyway? Starkiller could only think of one reason and that was to kill one of the racers. That narrowed down the possible locations. There was the tunnel that could easily be brought down with a well placed bomb. Then the forest, one tripwire in the right location could cause a devastating crash but wasn't very specific. Finally the canyon, ideal for snipers. But that was where he was to find his last five targets – so to the tunnel it was.

Starkiller sped up the mountain and searched for a good spot to hide. Then he waited. He waited for an awful long time but at last – he saw her. The bounty hunter wore a jet pack on her back that enabled her to fly. She seemed to search for a good landing spot but before she could find one, Starkiller had already drawn his blaster and started shooting.

The first one was a hit but swallowed by her armor. The second missed as she swerved to the side, almost crashing into the mountain. She disappeared behind a big rock and Starkiller cursed. He began climbing to spot her again but had to let himself drop down when the bounty hunter shot at him in turn.

Roaring noise closed in on them and Starkiller saw the racers approach. So did the hunter. She stopped firing and instead began to fly with purpose down the mountain. It was in that moment that Starkiller felt the familiar bright presence of his self-appointed brother. What was he doing amongst the racers?

Well, it didn't matter because the hunter was clearly about to blow up the mountain. Starkiller hurried after her and reached out with the Force. The woman was caught in his grip and Starkiller smiled grimly and he threw her against the mountain, then again and again. Her armor protected her a bit still but she was unable to fly. The first racers were in the tunnel now. Starkiller smashed her against the wall one more time for good measure and then – then she dropped the grenade she'd been holding. It exploded on the ground under her, ripping apart her body and a good portion of the mountain as well. There was a small avalanche, dust and loud rumbling everywhere and when Starkiller could see again around half a dozen racers stopped before the blockaded entrance to the tunnel.

“Well, shit”, Starkiller muttered. At least the Force didn't cry out and he could still feel Luke in the distance so he got away unharmed. But that wouldn't stay that way if Starkiller didn't hurry. He knew what was going on now. His Master must have planned to have Luke compete in the race, maybe as a birthday present and now he was sending Starkiller to kill everyone who might want to prevent that. The mechanic sabotaging the pods, the bounty hunter blasting the tunnel and the snipers in the canyon. He was using Starkiller to make sure Luke won the race.

Starkiller grit his teeth. He refused to me moved by that in any way. He had a mission to complete and could not allow himself to get distracted.

Starkiller hurried back to his speeder. The racers would have to go through the forest first but he could take the direct way to the canyon. That was exactly what he did too and he already spotted his last targets from the distance. They were a mix of human and other races, lightly armored but heavily armed. Two of them were lying on the ground with high grade blaster cannons in front of them, looking out for the coming racers. Two other were armed with blaster rifles and several grenades hanging from their belts. Only one was holding watch and it was this one who spotted Starkiller first and shouted a warning. The young Sith was speeding at them fast and just as the three who were standing turned to fire at him, Starkiller rebalanced his weight and violently pulled up his speeder bike. The machine gave a protesting creak but was momentarily lifted vertically and several blaster shots were absorbed by its underside. Starkiller let go of the steering unit and threw himself to the side. He rolled off on his shoulder while the bike continued to slide forward. It crashed against one of the riflemen and the sniper behind him and pushed both over the edge of the canyon just as the first racers sped by. There was a loud crash, the rest of the team began to scream and fire wildly but Starkiller was obscured from their view through the dust that the sliding bike had raised on the dry ground. With the help of the Force it was easy to avoid the bolts and before the men knew what hit them, Starkiller had tackled another one of the riflemen. He stabbed at him with his vibroblade, shoulder – shit, again! - throat just so he would stop screaming and then he violently grabbed his hair and pulled up the body, using it as a shield as the last rifleman began to fire at him idly, screaming obscenities. Meanwhile the remaining sniper was still shooting at the racers, either not caring about his team being massacred or too greedy for the money that was undoubtedly offered to him.

Starkiller threw the body away when the other guy stopped firing for a moment and followed up the movement with a kick that broke the man's kneecaps. He howled in pain and did not defend himself when Starkiller knocked his blaster rifle out of his hand.

“No, please, please don't kill me!”, he begged when he was lying on the ground. Starkiller almost rolled his eyes and merely stabbed down with his vibroblade. Then his gaze turned to the last sniper who was still happily picking off the racers. Starkiller went over to him and stood at his side for a couple of seconds. The guy was now targeting what Starkiller believed to be Luke's pod. For a few moments the young Sith simply watched, wondering if a few seconds of hesitation would be enough to rid him of all his problems. But Luke evaded the blaster bolts without even loosing any speed. He did fly rather well, you had to give it to him.

Starkiller sighed and pulled the sniper up at his collar. The man looked at him confused and only now did Starkiller recognize the design of his helmet. It covered the ears completely, letting no noise through and was designed to allow snipers to concentrate on their target without distractions. When the man looked around and saw the mutilated remains of his team he blanched.  
Starkiller actually dropped him and the man opened his mouth...

“No, I don't wanna hear it”, the young Sith decided. Then he reached out and gave the man a slight push. Only that push had been Force-strengthened and the sniper was practically catapulted over the canyon and met the wall on the other side with a sickening splat, leaving a red stain behind before slowly sliding down.

Starkiller rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath. Another successful job – and he barely felt winded. He wondered if Luke knew how many people had to die so he could have his stupid birthday race.

XxX

Empire Day – Darth Vader

Darth Vader listened with only half an ear as the Chief Magistrate boasted over his accomplishments on Malastare, how he'd shown the native dug population their place and established a firm Imperial hold on the planet. He'd heard it all before. Those petty men who thought they were better just because they ruled some second-class unimportant planet. It was nothing against the power Vader commanded.

Even so, Vader was... pleasantly surprised about Luke's choice of destination. There were certainly other planets around, richer or more diverse that a child like him would have found enjoyment in visiting. Malastare certainly wasn't ugly but Luke didn't show much interest for it's many sights or nature, instead setting his mind on the pod race. Vader would have to lie if he said it didn't bring back memories.

The Sith Lord had prepared himself to take out a rebel cell or two or just send his men to terrorize some people at a protest march as they often took place on planets a little more well-off. People on poorer planets rarely had means or even desire to make a fuss as they often benefited from the changes the Empire brought upon them. Vader knew he had to do something, kill someone in order to explain to the Emperor why he was here. It was such a hassle but at the same time, Vader gladly went through the trouble if it meant staying away from Coruscant and more importantly, keeping Luke away from the Emperor for just a bit longer.

As soon as Luke had declared Malastare to be his destination, Vader had sent out his intelligence squad to get him relevant information about that planet. There was one major issue in that the dugs were anything but happy with the Imperial rule. There was a rebellion brewing, he could taste it in the air. The dugs felt treated unfairly compared to the human minority and if Vader was being honest, they were probably right. The Empire wasn't too nice to non-humanoids in general. Galactic law left a lot of leeway for planet rulers how to interpret it for them and Chief Magistrate Ozzik Sturn seemed to be one of those that liked to exploit the sentients under his protection.

There was a time when such behavior would've disgusted Vader. But he was a grown-up, he had seen so much war and all he could do now was sneer at those stupid dugs that complained about only getting one meal a day, not being allowed to buy real estate or being given no vacation. Try starving on a junk planet for three weeks. Try sleeping in a bunker with twelve sweating, snoring clone troopers, fighting for the lives of a Twi'lek enclave that was so poor they ripped your clothes off your body in return. Try living under the thumb of a Master, being gambled away and betrayed and lied to your whole life...!

No, Vader had no sympathy for these people but his position demanded he take care of such matters anyway if they threatened the Empire at large. Now the situation on Malastare was nowhere as serious as on, say, Alderaan but from the intelligence his men had brought him Vader saw that it could be resolved rather easily. All he had to do was kick Sturn out of office and make a recommendation for his successor. He could promote one of his own Lieutenants, maybe one with a family who wanted to settle down.

But as Vader did not, technically, hold any official position, he didn’t have the right to just remove Sturn. His prejudice was not enough of a reason to sack him and the argument: 'He's a nasty man' didn't really count. There was one thing Vader might be able to use. Malastare held one of the biggest prisons of the Empire and according to his spies, Sturn frequently let one or two of his political prisoners escape only to hunt them down and kill them – for sport. Vader could try to bring this up with the Moff of the sector but if he didn't care about the unfair treatment of the dugs, he probably didn't care about improper execution techniques either. Not that Vader did, for that matter but if this got public it could very well be the spark that set off the dissatisfied dugs and then they'd have a problem.

Fortunately there was another method that Vader could use to get rid of the little stink. If he managed to provoke him enough so that he'd attack Vader, he would be completely justified to kill him. No Moff, not even the Emperor could berate him for that (the latter would probably even praise him). The problem with that plan was that even as Vader walked through the town with the Magistrate he could feel the fear that cloaked him. He set up a brave front, his greed and desire to please making for a good mask but Vader did have a certain reputation and a surprise visit from him usually meant something bad coming your way. He would not dare attack him head on.

So Vader had made a plan. He was eerily reminded of the race that set him free on Tatooine, it really was rather similar. Knowing the Magistrate's weakness for cruel games, Vader planned on making a little bet himself. Of course this required him knowing who would win and of course Sturn would do everything to sabotage the race in favor of his champion. That's why Vader had given a list of his henchman to Starkiller. Without any outside interference Vader would be able to use his superior knowledge of pods, racing statistics and the racer's skills to determine who had the most chances of winning the race. He had spent the last week reading up on racing statistics on Malastare for this purpose. Coupled with a bit of meditation and some good instincts and he was rather confident in his ability to predict the outcome.

That was until he entered the hall under the stadium and Luke declared he would race himself.

“You... a racer?”, Magistrate Sturn sneered incredulously.

“Sure”, Luke said with a grin and patted a nearby pod. “This is my pod. It's my first flight but you'll see, I'm gonna win!”

The Imperial just shook his head and turned back to Vader.

“Anyway, take all the time you want down here. You are of course invited to watch the race together with me from the top box. It is always quite a sight.”

“I will be there”, Vader replied tonelessly. Well, so much for his plans. He could of course forbid Luke from racing... In fact, he didn't think it was his intention to go through with it anyway... but wouldn't it be incredibly ironic if Luke flew the race... and won?

Vader knew that in that fated race, he'd won his freedom not because he was skilled or determined or his freedom depended on it. Those were all important points too but really, what he had over the other racers was the Force. Luke had that too and Captain Lokey had said he was rather good at flying.

Oh yes, the more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. It would be dangerous... But damn, Luke had proved to be a pretty pathetic Sith student. He needed to know if the boy had any talent at all, if he had inherited even a shred of his genius. If he failed or died, well...

Vader's heart gave a pang at that thought and it was a lot harder to crush it then it should've been. If his son couldn't even survive a stupid race – one were all the major threats would be removed by that – he really wasn't worth the trouble. That's what he should think but...

Apparently he'd been silent for a long time because Luke fidgeted a bit.

“What?”, he asked. “I had to come up with something.”

Screw it. This was his son. He would not only survive the damn race, he would win it!

“Except now you are expected to take part in this dangerous race”, Vader scolded. “If you have to take up a role to disguise yourself, don't choose one that can fall apart so lightly.”

“I didn't have much warning!”

“You may have no warning at all during a mission. In fact, I believe it is urgent you understand this lesson. What better way to do that then to go through with it?”

Luke's eyes widened. “You mean... I should really race in the pod?”

“You failed, you have to make up for it. I have heard from Captain Lokey that you have made good progress. I wish to see what you have learned for myself.”

Luke's face split in a large grin.

“I told the guy I would use this pod... But there's already someone else racing it. I think I could get him to leave his spot to me though using, uh... a bribe, maybe?”

There was a mischievous glint in his son's eyes that did not fit the underhanded tactic he was suggesting at all.

“After all it's a lesson about disguise and staying in the shadows so if I hurt or intimidated him he might tell someone about it and I need him to do it willingly so he'll make the changes with the application service and this way I can assure his silence.”

Was his son just... really using Imperial funds for charity?

Vader inwardly groaned. It seemed he had a long path ahead of him. At least he was asking for permission. But Vader couldn't risk revealing his plan by allowing Luke to mess up, a dead pod racer was a bit harder to hide then some random mechanic.

“Very well”, he said at last. “I do however expect you to win, son.”

Luke grinned a little wider. “Of course I will! You'll be proud of me, you'll see.”  
Vader suppressed a sigh and left the hall. He was abandoning his duties to the Empire, spending Imperial credits for personal entertainment and schemed to take down and potentially murder his allies... all for that untalented, infuriatingly happy little boy. There had to be something wrong with him.

His business concluded, Vader made his way into the stadium and Chief Magistrate Sturn. Time for phase two of his plan...

“Ah, Lord Vader, I am glad our local sport finds so much interest with you”, Sturn drawled with an arrogant smile. A tall, muscled man, his bodyguard, was standing at his side. “You should come by again in a few years. We're building a new racetrack, it's going to be the longest in the entire galaxy!”

“Where would you get the funds for that?”, Vader sneered. “Your export rates have fallen greatly during the last few years.”

Sturn's smile faltered a bit. The Sith Lord was pretty sure that he earned far more money than he reported in order to pay less taxes.

“There may have been some... minor problems in production. The local dug population is nothing if not lazy. I will make sure to... urge them on some more.”

Vader almost rolled his eyes. In order to avoid being charged with tax evasion he was honestly defending himself with the argument of not having his planet under control.

“Maybe...” Vader said slowly as if only just getting an idea, “I could get you the financial help needed to complete this project.”

“Oh?”, Sturn made, now clearly interested.

“Of course. After all only the best pilots could win such a dangerous race and the Empire needs good pilots. It could be good advertising for the academy if they occasionally send someone to compete.”

“That's a fabulous idea, my Lord”, the Imperial said with a greedy glint in his eyes.

“Of course”, Vader added immediately, “with your inability to control the local population, I am not sure you would be the best to lead this project... or the planet, for that matter.”

Sturn scowled a bit and his posture expressed wounded pride.

“I assure you that when it comes to sport, I have a unique ability for organization.”

“Is that so? I heard your organization talent is limited to illegal betting.”

“M-My Lord, I would never...! Betting is beneath me...”

“Such a shame. I was just about to suggest we made one.”

“Huh?”

“We will bet on which racer wins the upcoming race. If you win, I will make sure you get the funding for your stadium and the Empire will ignore both you stuffing your pockets with its taxes and your less then moral activities on this planet. If I win... you will make sure to better the relationship between the dug population and the Empire by both investing the money you kept for yourself from the taxes into improving their situation and releasing your little pet prisoners back into their responsibility. Then, you will resign your post as Chief Magistrate and let me appoint your successor.”

“B-But my Lord!”, Sturn sputtered. “That is... hardly a fair deal and... it would not be in the best interest of the Empire either!”

“It would if it prevents a local rebellion and makes sure the dugs remain a productive part of the Empire. I am being generous with you, Magistrate. For the amount of money you have cost the Empire, there could be ten to twenty years of imprisonment awaiting you.”

“You would never get through with it, you have no proof!”

“Are you sure about that? Don't you think there might be at least some risk here for you? Because that's what betting is all about, risking something.”

Vader could see how the gears moved in his head until he finally scowled fiercely and spat: “Fine! I'll agree to the bet. Who do you think will win the race?”

Vader was silent for a moment as if in thought. “How about the boy we saw in the hall earlier?”

Sturn's eyes widened incredulously. “That kid?”

“He's a new recruit, started learning how to fly barely six months ago. I bet those six months in my squadron are enough to beat every racer Malastare has to offer.”

Sturn laughed at him. “Your overconfidence is startling. There is no way a child could win the Vinta Harvest Classic. I bet that Satena will win, he did so the last three years.”

“Very well. I will hold you to your word.”

The two men had climbed up to their seats in the stadium. Seats had been left for both of them, Sturn's bodyguard took position behind his employer. The racers pulled to the start – and then the race began.

Great screens littered across the stadium showed key points of the racing track and Vader found that he had a surprising amount of fun watching the event. Of course his eyes followed Luke's red pod the entire time and damn, his son was good. Not quite as good as he had been at that age but still remarkable.

Vader also noticed the shadow of a great cloud at the edge of one camera. Something just outside of its view must have exploded. Sure enough, a good half of the racers were shown taking an alternative, longer path around the mountain. Vader growled for a moment, he knew what had to be the reason. Did Starkiller fail to kill the saboteur? But Luke came out on the other side of the tunnel undamaged as far as he could see and Vader relaxed again. He passed the forest without problems, then the canyon – next to Vader Sturn started fidgeting when the expected blaster fire failed to appear. Before long Luke raced over the finish line and the stadium exploded in applause. Vader was actually smiling under his helmet, feeling a ridiculous spike of pride in his chest. He tried to remind himself that it was just a race and not even with an Imperial fighter so his skills said little about his performance in actual combat situations but still – his boy had won the damn race, take that you stupid sabotaging small-time ruler!

Vader turned his head when he felt Sturn staring at him and it was only then that he realized he was actually applauding with the rest of the stadium.

“Quite the impressive piece of flying, wasn't it?”, he noted casually. “As to be expected of my son.”

Sturn's mouth fell open. “Your... Your son!?”

“That's right. He's got natural talent. The Force is strong in him.”

“This... This race is not valid! If the boy has those strange power's it's no wonder that he made it, that's cheating!”

Vader's mood darkened immediately. “You are accusing my son of cheating?”

“I...”

“You will resign your post, Sturn, and you will do so immediately or I will get very angry with you.”

“Damn you!”, Sturn shouted and drew his blaster. “You're not getting away with this!” He threw a glance back at his bodyguard. “Back me up!”

But Vader had already lifted his hand and a moment later Sturn dropped his weapon and clawed at his throat instead, his eyes wide with fear.

“Tax evasion of several million credits, illegal gambling... and now you're threatening me? That was your last mistake, scum.” With that Vader closed his fist and the pressure around the man's windpipe rose greatly until the bones broke, piercing the skin and letting a rush of blood pour down to the ground. Vader could've just snapped his neck but to actually see him bleed was so much more satisfying and it had been an awful long time since he'd last killed someone.

Once the man's eyes were empty, Vader dropped him to the ground.

“Clean that up”, he told the bodyguard coldly.

“Yes, Master”, he said and began dragging Sturn by his feet as Vader made his way through the back door. As soon as they were out of the line of the security cameras, the figure of the bodyguard flickered as PROXY reverted back to his usual self.

On his way back down the stairs a figure emerged from the shadows, smoothly bowing on one knee to him.

“Master, I have completed the mission”, Starkiller reported emotionless.

“Yes you did and everything went as planned.”

Vader noted the disappointment that still lingered in his former apprentice's aura. It was in such a contrast with his own good mood that he couldn't help to dig deeper. Starkiller didn't even attempt to shut him out. Apparently he thought his mission had only served the purpose of making Luke's birthday more pleasant but he wasn't really angry about it. It was as if he'd already expected it and was just annoyed with himself for believing if even for a moment that he'd been given a mission that mattered.

Vader was not stupid, he knew there was no gain in having Starkiller distance himself from him. The boy had long since outlived his expectations and despite himself, Vader couldn't help but notice that while Luke had won a difficult race and unknowingly helped him to put down a corrupt politician, Starkiller had just killed eight people in less then three hours without drawing attention to himself. Both boys had been equally useful to him today but only Starkiller had completed his mission following the ways of the Sith. Even when pressed hard by his competition not once had Luke tried to get back at another racer. It would've been so easy to push them against the canyon wall or swerve to the side unexpectedly and let the pod after him crash into a tree. Evidently he hadn't needed to do so in order to win but even so...

Vader looked down at Starkiller thoughtfully. Maybe it would be wise to keep him a bit closer after all.

“Your actions today helped me to take down a corrupt politician, a traitor of the Empire”, he revealed to the boy.

Starkiller looked up in surprise. “None of the people I killed where of political importance... How could their death be of such value?”

“They were tasked with sabotaging the race. You prevented that and ensured that Luke won the race… This caused the Chief Magistrate to loose his temper at me as he had bet quite a lot against this outcome, which in turn enabled me to execute him without having to bother with Imperial bureaucracy.”

“That means... Luke taking part in and winning the race... It was just a means to an end?”

“People do not simply hand out gifts or favors without expecting something in return”, Vader answered. “Especially not if they're Sith.”

“O-Of course not”, Starkiller said and lowered his head. “Thank you for explaining it to me.”  
Vader noted the contentment the boy felt through their bond. A bond that had frayed with time and negligence until, as he now had to realize, was almost as thin as the faint one he'd managed to build with Luke. By the Force... he really wasn't good with children, was he?

“You have proven that your connection to the dark side is as strong as ever. From now on you will join Luke and me for the morning hours and continue your training in the Sith arts with me.”

Starkiller's head snapped up, his mouth open.

“You... You will take me back, Master?”

“I will give you a chance to prove you are deserving of my attention”, he corrected him not too gently. “I suggest you value it.”

“I will, Master! I... Thank you.”

Vader nodded. “Come with me then. It is time for us to return... to the ship.”

Vader scowled, for a moment he'd been about to say 'return home'. He'd never considered the cold space of the Star Destroyer his 'home'. And yet... that's where he worked and spent the most time at. It was where Luke was, where he taught him and tried his best to raise him – even if he was unsure if he wasn't doing a pretty bad job at it. And now he'd have to invest even more time in a second child.

But after six months of failed attempts at getting Luke in touch with the dark side, he was growing somewhat desperate. Maybe Starkiller, being closer to his age and accepting the dark side so naturally, would have more luck teaching him that particular lesson. At least he could motivate the boy to try harder when he mastered all of Vader's challenges in record time and got to move on with his studies while Luke was stuck with the basics. If that didn't make an impact on Luke, Vader wasn't sure what else would. Short of loss and pain and torture of course. But he would save that for when Luke asked for a pet gizka.


	15. Chapter 15

Two months later

 

Luke entered the meditation chamber for his usual morning lesson, suppressing a yawn and stretching his arms out a bit to get his blood running.

“Good morning father. Hi S.K.”, he greeted the two figures already waiting for him.

“You're late”, Starkiller snapped at him.

“Yeah, sorry about that”, Luke said. “My alarm clock didn't ring. Won't happen again.”  
The truth was that Luke simply did not care for his 'meditation lessons'. He never felt anything anyway aside from an unpleasant coldness and he really had lost all hope that this would ever change.

“I know you don't care about your future, Luke, but your tardiness is cutting in on my study time and I. Do. Not. Like. It!”

Luke ducked his head a bit but was unconcerned. He remembered how happy he'd first been when Starkiller agreed to accept him as his brother. Turned out siblings too argued a lot with each other.  
“As you clearly do not value your lessons as you should, you will stay away from this chamber for the rest of the week”, Vader announced. “Instead you'll join Starkiller in his training.”

Luke groaned, he might not think his lessons with his father particularly useful but they were way better then PROXY's frequent murder attempts. And of course if Starkiller got suspended too because of him, he would try his hardest to let him know what he thought about that. Luke chanced a discreet glance over at his brother. Yep, he looked like he'd just swallowed a dozen nails.

“Today you'll wear this”, Vader said and handed Luke a blindfold. When Luke came closer to take it he noticed a round drone behind his father.

“In your lessons with the Stormtroopers you have learned to listen to the warnings of the Force and deflect their shots with your training lightsaber. You will repeat this lesson with the drone.”  
“What for?” Luke asked. “I already mastered that exercise.” He was actually quite proud of that fact as it was pretty much the only subject that was in any way Force-related that he'd passed.

“Obviously it is easier for you to establish a connection to the Force when it calls out for you in danger. The familiar feeling of it may enable you to use the Force in defense when your mind is attacked.”

“Alright, if you think so... Wait, what's that about my mind being attacked?!”

Starkiller gave him a nasty little smile that made Luke's gut clench and Vader answered:  
“Starkiller has reached the level where he can move on to advanced interrogation techniques. You'll be the test subject.”

Luke's jaw dropped open, they couldn't be serious, could they?  
“I... I'm sorry I was late! You don't have to be so mean about it!”

“This isn't about you being late, it's about finally using the dark side. It will already be there, you just have to take control of it.”

Luke glared at his father. “There's no way I'd have any chance of taking control of your dark side energy!”

“I know. That's why you're going up against Starkiller.”

Luke was sure his father was smiling under that damn helmet.

“Now I happen to have to break up a minor war between two planets so I will take my leave. If one of you succeeds within the hour he main join me for the battle. Have fun!”

Luke glared a bit more but was not at all surprised when his father left them alone to go murder some people. Now he knew where that good mood came from.

The door snapped shut and Starkiller grinned as he handed Luke a training saber.  
“You do realize I will do everything in my power to break you until you scream like a little girl, don’t you?”

“Of course. Father just handed you permission to torture me for the entire morning. You'd never pass up such a chance.”

Luke put on the blindfold with a sigh. He hoped the real reason for Starkiller's enthusiasm was the promised chance to take part in an actual battle together with their father. The winner might get to join him at the strategy table and learn something about the art of war, something that was being left out in Starkiller's education but would be important if he was to become a real Sith one day. For Luke it would be just one of many lessons, thought he was curious how it was in real life compared to what Praji taught him but for Starkiller it would take him one step closer to Luke's position so he would fight tooth and nail for the spot.

The drone started firing and Luke was stung by the first shot before he managed to concentrate. He took a deep breath and let the Force flow through him, concentrating on the drone...  
Then he felt Starkiller drop the odd cloak that smothered his presence and Luke was flooded with fear, anger, hurt and desperation. He realized that Starkiller was throwing his emotions at him and that stung something deep in Luke. For all their bickering and fighting, the relationship between the two boys had improved. Starkiller was now actually trying to help him and give him advice. It worked wonders in their combat training but when it came to the Force, he still hadn't managed to use them. They went to the meals together and spoke more often and sometimes they even watched a holodrama together in the evening on those rare occasions that Starkiller had managed to damage PROXY enough during the day so he had to go to maintenance and he didn't have to fear for his life in the evening. Since Starkiller was the only kid his age on the ship and the only one he could talk to about his frustration at not getting anywhere with his studies, he valued that bond a great deal and feeling Starkiller being still so hurt made him very sad. He tried to reach out for him in a comforting way but the presence reeled back, repulsed.

Starkiller took a step back, gripping his suddenly aching chest. His movement went unnoticed by Luke who was still concentrating on the drone and that was good because Starkiller was staring at him with wide, slightly horrified eyes.

Luke had no training in how to protect his mind. None at all. Without mastering meditation at least on a basic level, he had no chance of learning it. And yet just now Starkiller could've sworn that when he attacked his mind... Luke had struck right back at him. And it had hurt, but at the same time it was unlike anything Starkiller had gone through at the hands of his Master.

Puzzled, the young Sith tried to figure out just what had happened. He'd attacked Luke the way his Master had shown him – concentrating all his negative feelings in one pressured blade and driving it into his victim's mind. But instead of being overwhelmed by them, Luke had sent back a pulse of... of warmth and acceptance and gratefulness and happiness at him. The reason this hurt so much was because all those things, as hard as it was to admit, he'd yearned to get them from his Master, to be welcomed and cherished. The fact that it fazed him at all proved he still did and he hated it because that was Weakness with capital letters. And it hurt because Luke apparently felt so much for him and he was here with the intent of hurting him for his own gain and... why was Luke so infuriatingly nice and understanding? Why... Why couldn't his Master be like that?

Starkiller mentally slapped himself, he'd never want his Master to be like Luke. That would be decidedly horrifying. After all his strength and power and ability to inflict fear in others was a large part of why he admired him. But he could be that dark Lord for his enemies, just one time Starkiller wished he could be different with him...

“S.K.?”, Luke asked tentatively. “Are you okay?”

“Shut up!”, Starkiller snapped just as Luke let out an “Ow!” when he failed to block the next shot.

“Don't... Don't do that again”, Starkiller said with less strength than he'd planned. Furiously he rubbed his eyes.

“Do what again?”

“You're supposed to defend your mind by taking over my energy, not attack me in return! Especially not with the light side, you moron!”

“I... I attacked you with the light side?”, Luke asked, eyes wide behind the blindfold.

“Yes and it's not pleasant, so stop it!”

“I – I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, really! Did I... Did I hurt you bad? We can take a break, if you want to.”

Starkiller felt the urge to strangle the boy. Which was a good sign, he reminded himself, it meant Luke's mental hold over him wasn't very strong.

“No we will not take a break, just do it right!”

Starkiller breathed in and out, focusing his anger and desperation and shame on Luke but the boy remained totally unaffected by it. Starkiller's attack just dissipated in his mind as if he wasn't taken seriously at all.

“Why isn't it working!?”, Starkiller called out angrily.

“Uhm, what's supposed to happen?”, Luke asked.

“You are to feel the dark side and be overwhelmed by it, loosing your concentration and enabling me to sift through your memories.”

“Like this?”, Luke asked and pushed his memories of the last day or two through the bond that had slowly built between them.

“Don't just give them to me, you idiot!”

“But my memories are there, why can't you just take them?”

Starkiller scowled and stretched out his senses over their bond, this time without sending any emotions ahead. Indeed, all of Luke's memories where clearly laid out in front of him. He picked up a random one or two, then left again, frustrated.

“That's not the point of this exercise. You have to put some effort into keeping me away from your mind by struggling against my presence.”

“Why? You obviously can't hurt me”, Luke said with a teasing smile.

“Oh? And what if I went through your memories, searching for all the embarrassing ones? I could tell them to Praji and Lokey.”

Luke went a little red but stuck out his chin and answered: “That would be just petty revenge which is beneath you and I don't really have any secrets from you, so go ahead!”

Starkiller wanted to snap an answer but then he stopped and thought about it. Luke's strategy was actually rather smart. Usually when someone was being tortured and interrogated, he put effort into hiding what he didn't want his tormentors to know. By revealing everything, Luke made it impossible for Starkiller to find a specific memory in the millions he got. Maybe it would be possible for Lord Vader but not for Starkiller, who was only now beginning to learn how to do it.  
Another problem was that Luke was familiar with Starkiller and did not see him as a threat. He was able to recognize the emotions he sent to him as foreign and thus was not overwhelmed by them, he was detached but able to respond to them.

“Alright, you want to do it the hard way, I see”, Starkiller growled. “I wanted to avoid doing this... but you leave me no choice.”

If anger and fear wouldn't get to him... Pain would.

This time instead of focusing any emotions he went back to the source. He recalled all those situations where he'd felt intense pain, packed them up together and flung them at Luke.  
The reaction was instantaneous. Luke cried out and fell to one knee, ignoring the drone who happily covered his face with angry red dots.

Luke felt like he was burning. His vision blurred, different environments forming together and vanishing again around him as he felt his leg being stabbed, his arm being shot, his shoulder burned and his blood boil. There were PROXY's glowing eyes hovering over him in one second, a dirty thug snapping his bones in the next, a young Jedi woman who Luke realized he recognized but she was gone in an instant, replaced by Vader. Again and again as memories flashed before his eyes it was Vader who hurt him, who frayed his nerves and burned his flesh and broke his bones.  
Luke lay on the ground, gasping, trying to come back to his senses.

“Do you yield?”, Starkiller asked coldly. The dark side was rushing through him strongly, turning his heart to ice.

“How can you... How can you stand that?”, Luke asked horrified and ripped off his blindfold.  
Starkiller raised an eyebrow. “Stand what?”

“Being... Being treated like that from... from the man you love!”

“Sith do not love”, Starkiller answered automatically. There was another pang of hurt that Luke received through their bond and he looked up at his brother incredulously.

“You miss it!?” It sounded like an accusation.

Starkiller's fury rose. “Shut up! What do you know?! You always had all of his attention!”

“Oh right, what a wonderful feeling to have him watching me as I struggle and fail again and again! By the stars, S.K., you're... you're so broken...”

Dark energy cracked around the young Sith as his eyes glowed yellow for a moment. But he held back his anger still and when he spoke his voice was very calm.

“You know, every time you use the light side it hurts to be around you, it's like a persistent stench that surrounds you and it's disgusting. And yet I never said anything because I know you don't mean it, you can't help it. I even warned you when you didn't even realize you did it because your father would probably lose his temper with you if he found out. I expect at least the same courtesy from you so stop. Analyzing. My. Feelings, or I swear I'm gonna break that bond between us.”

Luke flinched back, that bond had taken him months to build and it was still very fragile and all the more precious to him because of it.

“I'm sorry”, he whispered, meaning it. He just didn't understand why Starkiller could stay with his father if that's what he had to go through and worse yet, wish back those times when he obviously had it better now. But voicing so would make his brother think he wanted him to leave, wanted him gone so he could have Vader for himself. He would never understand that Luke wished this for his own good.

“Very well. Let's try again.”

Starkiller took a deep breath but Luke hurriedly held up a hand and called out:  
“No, I yield! I yield, don't do it again.”

Starkiller looked confused. “What?”

“That attack really hurt. Like, really. Very effective, good job. Can we please stop now?”

“You're not nearly... broken enough yet”, Starkiller spat.

“But it's obviously not working, I feel the pain but no anger and to be honest, it's far too distracting seeing your memories to concentrate on the Force.”

“Yes well, that's why it's an exercise for me as much as for you”, Starkiller replied with a scowl. “I'll have to narrow down the memories and concentrate them until everything but the pain fades away...”

“But I already yielded! You asked if I would give up and I did, so there!”

“You yielded for all the wrong reasons!”

“It's not important why you yield!”

“Of course it is, an enemy yielding for any other reason than defeat is likely to have an ulterior motive!”

“But you did defeat me!”

“I did not!”, Starkiller practically shouted. Both boys were breathing heavily.

“You'll never be convinced you defeated me until you've killed me”, Luke finally said very quietly.

“You... You didn't even try to defend yourself”, Starkiller returned defensively.

“Of course I did... I attacked you back, remember? You beat me. Just... let it go.”

Starkiller balled his hands to fists so tightly his knuckles were turning white. There was still that rage in him, that desire to destroy something, to hurt Luke again... But he pushed it aside reluctantly. Finally, he gave a sharp nod.

Luke gave a sigh of relief and caught the drone to switch it off.

“Have fun with your prize”, Luke muttered and made his way to the door. Starkiller didn't follow him for a couple of long minutes. His victory felt stale.

XxX

Even though Luke had resigned the chance to watch Darth Vader at work to Starkiller, he was still curious how the actual battle would go. From Praji he knew that two planets in the Middle Ring had gotten into an argument because one was unable or not interested in stopping the smugglers, pirates and terrorists that started their attacks on the neighboring planet and the whole thing had escalated into a full blown war. An unauthorized war at that, which was why Death Squadron had been tasked with solving the issue. The trick was to not simply destroy both fleets but disable them and get them under Imperial control. No need to destroy perfectly good ships after all.

There were only two places on the Devastator from which the entire battle could be watched, one was the bridge where Vader and Starkiller were and the other was the control room in Vader's quarters. Now Luke just so happened to have access to the latter as his father wanted him to be able to reach him fast in case of emergency so after leaving the meditation chamber, that's where Luke went.

Once he sat behind his father's desk though with all those monitors in front of him, Luke quickly discovered that the surveillance system couldn't be accessed without a password. Cursing silently he began searching for any hints, careful to put back everything he moved where it was. He was lucky in that he found a few datapads that he could access, apparently something his father had been working on recently but anything that could be remotely considered secret was again protected and the basic computer skills he'd learned from his teachers were not enough to get through.  
Luke sighed frustrated. His thoughts went back to the meditation exercise this morning. If just he could learn how to access his Force powers. He was happy for Starkiller for getting more attention from Vader but he did not like staying so far behind either. They were trying their best to teach him but it just wasn't working.

Luke closed his eyes and tried to feel the Force as he did when he trained with the Stormtroopers. He was now able to last about thirty seconds with a whole squad shooting at him, deflecting the shots in all directions. He tried to call up that feeling again just to reassure himself that the Force was still with him.

Luke opened his eyes again when his hands touched cold metal. He was holding one of his father's datapads in his hands. As if moved by another Luke's fingers danced over the surface, calling up programs and data until finally there was one message that stood out to him like a bonfire. He scowled and began to read, wondering why the Force had pushed him onto this.

It was a message from the detention center, labeled two weeks ago. In it Darth Vader was asked if a certain prisoner was to be executed at last since his last interrogation had been weeks ago and the latest raid had filled the center with prisoners. Vader's answer had been 'no', he'd deal with the prisoner later and they were to stop bugging him about it. Well, he chose other words but that was the gist.

Luke scowled some more. He was pretty sure the Force had pointed him towards this message but why? What was so important about it? He couldn't see that it would help him to find out his father's passwords. Who was this prisoner and what was so special about him that his father insisted on keeping him even though he obviously had no time to interrogate him personally?

Luke checked the time. He still had more than two hours before he had to meet Captain Lokey for his lessons. He could make a quick trip down to the detention center, satisfy his curiosity and be back for his lesson in time. He really had nothing better to do and the Force seemed to nudge him in that direction...

His decision made Luke quickly arranged everything the way he'd found it and made his way to the detention center but of course the guards wouldn't let him in. No place for a little kid, they said.  
Huffing, Luke thought about what to do and quickly came up with a plan.

“You want me to help you break into the detention center?!”, Marvin exclaimed incredulously twenty minutes later after Luke had gotten his patrolling schedule at the barracks and searched him out.

“I don't want to break in. I just want to check up on something”, Luke answered. “Please? I can take the mantle of an astromech and hide in it and you'll take me down there to repair some mechanism.”

“Why would I do that, Luke, we could get into so much trouble. Me more so than you.”

“But this is part of my espionage training, father gave me a challenge and I have to figure out how to solve it by myself.”

“And that exercise includes getting help from a friend?”, Marvin asked skeptically.

“Well... It includes mind-tricking an innocent victim to follow my orders.” Luke stared at Marvin with big puppy dog eyes and slowly waved his hands in front of his face. “You feel mind-tricked, Marvin, you will help me!”, he said in a deep voice.

Marvin sighed, he knew that Luke had problems using that weird Force-thingy and was often sad or frustrated because of it.

“Alright, I'll help you.”

“Yes! It worked!”, Luke exclaimed.

Marvin just shook his head and smiled.

Marvin let Luke promise that they wouldn't cause any trouble down there. Then he used his squad leader's password to fake a message to the colleagues in the center to tell them they'd sent an astromech down to repair the air con.

“The air con gets broken regularly”, Marvin confided in him. “It has trouble filtering all that stench.”

Luke found a disassembled astromech near the hangars and took the mantle to hide himself in it. He'd used the disguise before when playing hide and seek with Starkiller and knew how to move the thing around and maneuver with the help of a little camera outside but of course the thing would be doing no repairing anytime soon.

This time they were admitted into the center without problems. Luke had memorized the number of the prisoner in the message. He turned out to be in solitary confinement, maximum security which made Marvin rather nervous, especially as he was to distract one of the guards while Luke pick-pocketed the key card from him.

“I swear if you break out any prisoners today, I will drag your unconscious body back to your father for a spanking”, Marvin threatened.

“I'm not going to free anyone, I just want to take a look”, Luke promised. “Can you stand guard and knock if anybody comes?”

Marvin groaned. “Fine, you've got ten minutes, no more!”

Luke nodded happily and opened the lock. The Force seemed to quiver around him in anticipation. He had rarely felt it so strongly as he did now. It was as if there was... an echo coming from that cell, calling him. Luke did not understand what it was until he actually entered the cell and laid eyes on the prisoner.

He was restrained in pretty much every manner imaginable, strapped to a stretcher with metal bonds holding his arms and legs tight so he couldn't move a single muscle save for his head and his eyes were blindfolded by another curved piece of metal. What shocked Luke though was the tattered brown cloak he wore, one that he recognized from his history lessons as being traditional Jedi wear. That was why the Force had felt so weird around here, Luke had sensed the Jedi's presence. He hadn't recognized it as it was such a different feeling from his father and brother.

“Who is there?”, the Jedi asked with a hoarse voice, turning his head in Luke's direction.

Luke flinched back and pressed his back against the door behind him. He knew now why the Force had led him here and at the same time – he didn't understand.

“I know that you're here”, the prisoner said. “Who sent you?”

Luke took a hesitant step forward. Now that he was here, he could very well find out what was going on.

“Who are you?”, he returned the question. “What are you doing here?”

The Jedi stilled for a moment.

“A child...?”, he whispered at last, disbelieving.

“I'm eleven!”, Luke protested.

“What are you doing here?”

“That was my question. Answer mine and I'll answer yours.”

“My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I am a Jedi Master and I was caught by Darth Vader a couple of months ago.”

Luke scowled a bit, the name Kenobi was somewhat familiar but for the life of him he couldn't remember where he'd heard it before.

“I just... kinda stumbled in here by accident”, Luke admitted.

“Accident? I don't think so.” The Jedi smiled thinly. “I can feel it, you know? The Force is strong in you, that ancient power that we Jedi draw on. It is like an energy field holding the galaxy together and-”

“I know what the Force is”, Luke interrupted him annoyed. Did he think he was stupid or something?

“Then you know the Force has led you to me for a reason. Free me and I will help you to find out what that reason is.”

“I can't free you, I would get in big trouble. Besides, you're a Jedi and all Jedi have to be eliminated.”

Kenobi opened his mouth slightly. “Who... who told you that?”

“My father did.”

“Your father is an Imperial?”

“He's a Sith Lord”, Luke corrected him. He figured there would be no harm in telling him, it wasn't like he was going anywhere bound like this.

The Jedi was still for a moment before he suddenly began to fight against his bindings.

“Luke!? Luke, is that you?”

“Uh, do I know you?”

“It's me, Ben Kenobi! I used to visit your farm on Tatooine sometimes, do you remember?”

“Well, no... Didn't you just say your name was Obi-Wan?”

“I used a fake name while I was in hiding.”

“It's not much of a fake name if you keep your last one”, Luke noted. It obviously hadn't done him any good.

“Luke, you have to get away from here, you have to hide! Darth Vader, he is – he's dangerous, you cannot trust him.”

“Vader and dangerous?”, Luke said with a laugh. “Sure, I guess he is but not to me. He's my father after all. Surviving his apprentice long enough to actually get to know him, now that was a piece of work.”

“I – Luke, you have to believe me. I don't know how long you've been here but you can't tell me Vader has never hurt you or ordered others to do so.”

Luke thought back to this morning's torture session and was silent.

“He only wants to use you, he wants to turn you into a weapon to kill many innocents, Luke, that is not you! You have to get away from him. I can feel that the light side is still strong in you, it' not too late yet.”

“I won't leave my family”, Luke answered with a scowl. “I would never.”

“You family lives on Tatooine”, Kenobi cried out. “They are worried about you, Luke, they're searching for you!”

“But I'm fine. I have new things and learn cool stuff and I have friends and get to learn about my family. You wouldn't believe how awesome my birthday party was. I am happy!”

“Oh Luke, if only you knew. If you stay here any longer, the dark side will corrupt you. It is so easy to fall.”

“If only”, Luke muttered.

“What?”

“Father has been trying to teach me how to use the dark side for months but it's not working. It is not easy, everyone says it is but it isn't!”

Kenobi stared in his direction silently for a moment.

“Luke”, he said then very slowly, “that you can't use the dark side... that's a good thing. It means you're a good person, you're kind and generous and compassionate. And anything you think the dark side might give you, the light can as well, if you can just learn patiently and determined.”

“But I must not use the light side, it would disrupt the galactic balance.”

Kenobi laughed hollowly. “Luke that is... simply not true. Look around, with the reign of the Sith the entire galaxy is in darkness. Believe me, we need every little bit of light we can get to restore the balance.”

“No we don't, it's a dark age because the light ruled for so many years and now it's the Sith' turn.”

“That is not how balance works, Luke”, Kenobi explained patiently. “Yes, maybe we lacked balance in the Old Republic even with so many Jedi to spread the light but I can assure you that what we have now is in no way healthy or right.”

“Then it doesn't matter if Jedi or Sith rule, it's both the same.”

Kenobi was about to answer that no, of course it wasn't the same... but he thought better at the last moment.

“If it doesn't matter then there's no reason why you couldn't use the light side, is there? You will see it will come to you far more naturally.” Well, he dearly hoped it would.

Luke thought about that for a moment. He knew his family didn't like the light side and Starkiller even said it hurt him when he used it. But he did want to learn about the Force and once he mastered meditation he could learn how to hide his presence so he wouldn't bother the Sith.

“How do you use the light side?”

Kenobi smiled at him. “The key is to clear your mind, to let go of all your emotions and distractions and submit to its guidance.”

“Clear your mind? How do you use the Force in combat if you have to think about nothing? That sounds stupid”, Luke said.

“The Force isn't all about combat, Luke. It's about so much more.”

“I know, like brainwashing people and moving stuff.”

“What? No! It's a mystical energy that connects every living being. You must not misuse it for your own gain, only for the better of others.”

Luke still looked confused. Kenobi sighed and added: “Basically, it's exactly the opposite from everything your father taught you. That's why it's called the light and the dark side.”

“I don't think my father would like it if I used the light side”, Luke decided. “I... I think I should go now.”

“Luke!”, Kenobi called out and fought against his binds again. “Please, just... think about it. And don't tell your father you were here. He... He would punish you and kill me if he knew. But if you have any more questions or change your mind, you can come back to me.”

Luke felt a stab of pity for the Jedi. He was really trying to be nice to him but Luke knew he couldn't help him even if he wanted to and if his father kept him here, he had probably done something to deserve it anyway. After all his father wouldn't imprison someone just for being a Jedi. No wait... yes he would. If he didn't execute them immediately.

Luke sighed. He knew that some of the things his father did were just plain wrong. Maybe even evil. But then there were other things he did – mostly to do with Luke specifically – that were very good. He would even dare to say he'd done more good things than bad ever since Luke had gotten to know him. He certainly tried. Even if Luke didn't get his father to be a bit nicer to people, at least he wouldn't be able to kill or torture anyone while he was with Luke so he opted to spend as much time with him as possible.

Luke and Marvin managed to get out of the detention center without anyone noticing that they really shouldn't be there. Luke continued with his training for the rest of the day but he was noticeably distracted. Always he had to think back to the words of the Jedi. In the evening when he had dinner together with Starkiller, his brother broached the subject.

“You seem to have something on your mind. Don't tell me you're still suffering from the after effects of this morning.”

That was the closest to a concerned question about his well being that Luke had heard from him ever since they first met Darth Vader. He was so surprised by it that he dropped the spoon he'd been holding, sending bits of soup flying.

“What?”, he made very intelligently.

Starkiller rolled his eyes. “You've been staring at that same pea on the edge of your plate for at least five minutes and your emotions are sorta fluctuating. You're troubled by something. Care to tell me what it is?”

For a moment Luke considered doing so but then thought better of it. Starkiller hated the Jedi just as much as his father if not a bit more and wouldn't take too kindly to learning that he'd been talking to one.

“I'm just wondering why the Force never seems to answer me, is all.”

“Then I'll tell you a secret, Luke. The Force answers to the one calling the loudest. Your voice is nothing but a whisper.”

“Thank you”, Luke said dryly. “That's really helping.”

Starkiller shrugged. “I do my best.”

“Why are you in such an awfully good mood anyway?”, Luke wanted to know. “Did somebody die?”

“A couple of hundreds died, I'm sure. It was... really exciting, seeing a real time space battle even just as an observer.”

“Oh, right.” He'd almost forgotten about the war. The Devastator had been hanging back as a reserve so he hadn't even felt any tremors.

“So, I guess we won?”

Starkiller sighed. “Really, Luke, you could show a bit more enthusiasms. And it was never in question that we'd win but yes, we did manage to break up the fight without any major material damage.”

“That's great”, Luke said and faked a grin. He wondered how many people had died.

Starkiller looked unconvinced. “Say, you... You do know that I don't actually enjoy hurting you, don’t you? Well, maybe I do, a little bit, while I actually attack but that's just the rush of the dark side.”

“I'm not mad at you for that”, Luke replied. He wasn't, it was training after all. “Besides, I think I hit you harder than you hit me.”

Starkiller looked insulted. “You did not!”

“Yeah?”, Luke returned with a grin that was a bit more honest and teasing. “I remember you suppressing tears.”

“And I remember you screaming like a little baby, now shut up and eat your vegetables!”

Both boys glared at each other in a mock duel before Luke couldn't hold it anymore and burst out laughing. Starkiller looked confused for a moment, his glare had been rather serious.

“Geez, I needed that. Thanks for cheering me up”, Luke said and continued to eat his soup.

“Anytime”, Starkiller muttered, wondering what he'd said that was so funny.

XxX

Darth Vader was having nightmares.

That was... not too unusual, actually. He only slept for maybe one of three nights, otherwise resting his battered body by means of meditation trance and it was not unusual for him to recall his most painful and traumatic experiences during the night time. Vader had learned to live with that and it didn't bother him anymore. But his newest nightmares were different in nature.

In these dreams he was fighting what appeared to be an older version of his son, Luke. That in itself wasn't so bad especially as his son appeared quite gifted in combat in those dreams. Only Luke was wearing a brown cloak over white Jedi garb and doing his best to behead Vader with his blue lightsaber. Oh, and let's not forget the shadowy figure of Obi-thrice-cursed-Wan Kenobi behind him.

The dreams had started shortly after Vader had given Starkiller his first lesson in non-combat related Sith-Arts. He'd banned Luke from the meditation exercise for a full week to make his failure taste all the more bitter and have him take his studies more seriously when he was allowed back but now he was quite restlessly awaiting the end of that week himself. He had checked up on Luke in between and the boy seemed completely normal. If he thought there was any danger of his nightmares having any meaning he'd have invaded the boy's mind right on the first day but he told himself he was overreacting. Darth Vader was quite the experienced Sith Lord and perfectly capable of telling a nightmare from a vision. He knew what he saw night after night was not some kind of prophecy like the one he'd had about his wife. Of course it was still possible the Force tried to warn from a highly unlikely variant of the future, nothing that was set in stone but rather a subtle hint that now kept bugging him.

But what was supposed to happen anyway? Kenobi was safely secured in the detention center – he had checked – and Luke had no chance of getting in contact with him or any other Jedi. There was absolutely no reason why he should get corrupted by his enemies. None at all.

But the dreams kept coming and Vader was becoming a little nervous. He wanted to know what they meant but he couldn't very well go to his son and ask if recently he'd had any desire to join an extinct, Force-wielding order whose biggest goal was to kill Vader. Well, he could, but he didn't want to give him any ideas, self-fulfilling prophecy and all that. After all Padme would've probably been fine if he hadn't tried so hard to save her.

But that had been a Force vision, this was just a stupid dream and there really was no reason to worry about it.

That was what Vader told himself when he met Luke to his next lesson. There was nothing unusual about his son at all. He showed himself properly regretful both about his past behavior and about failing against Starkiller (once again) but he did not seem overly mad or angry about Vader's parenting methods (namely to have one kid rip the other's mind apart), which he had secretly hoped for. All in all the last week was just one of many failed attempt to get Luke riled up and Vader settled into their usual routine with a sigh. As always Luke was sitting on the ground, trying to hide his boredom and Starkiller was standing tall next to him with his hands clasped behind his back, scowling at his lack of enthusiasm.

Vader had ordered a couple of glass panels to be brought to their meditation chamber. He lifted them with the Force and then turned to his most gifted student.

“Your exercise today will be to move the crate over there and aim it at the glass panels. Destroy them as fast as you can but do not move from your position.”

Starkiller's eyes glowed at being presented with this new challenge. He knew of course how to use the Force grip but the crate was rather heavy and to hit the floating glass would require a lot of concentration. Without the advantage of an actual combat situation that made his blood boil in his veins, he found it harder to concentrate on the Force. Besides, aiming a projectile at a specific spot was way harder than just gripping an enemy and smashing him against the next wall.

Vader didn't bother to watch his progress. Instead he sat down opposite of Luke.

“We will start with the basics... again”, he said and Luke sat up straight with a sigh.

Vader stretched out his mind through the Force until his presence was practically enveloping his son. He didn't try to force him out in the open, instead giving him the time to get used to the darkness and reach out for it. He'd never managed it by himself but one could hope, right?  
Vader had his eyes closed, his frustration and disappointment feeding the dark side. He wanted to give Luke a couple of minutes before he tried to force his mind into a meditation trance.  
There was a... pulse going through Luke's aura like a wave spreading in a circle around him. It was warm and discomforting and Vader heard like far away how Starkiller cursed when he accidentally dropped his crate. The Sith Lord scowled and opened his eyes.

Luke hadn't moved from his spot, however his expression had changed completely from fierce concentration to a serene smile. Something ugly and painful reared in Vader's stomach as he took in his son's form, seemingly deep in trance but emanating calmness instead of anger, peace instead of aggression and love instead of hatred. Already suspecting the worst, Vader reached out for their bond and had to draw back immediately when his mind threatened to be flooded with a vast world full of light, warmth and happiness. Luke had somehow managed to get immersed in the Force on his own. He was just stuck on the wrong side.

Vader suppressed the urge to groan and pull at his nonexistent hair. Truth to be told, he had feared something like this would eventually happen. Luke was obviously better attuned to the light side. Vader just hoped this was an accident and that it had been his first time. He couldn't imagine the dangers the boy would expose himself to if he tried this sort of thing without supervision on his own.

Vader pulled back the darkness around him like a tight cloak and stood. Starkiller had stopped his exercise and was now looking at Luke, then at Vader with wide eyes.

“Master?”, he asked hesitantly.

“Don't let yourself be distracted”, Vader scorned him. Only one of the panels was nicked at one edge. “Is that the best you can do?”

Starkiller's eyes hardened. “No, Master, I am only beginning.”

“Then show me what you can do”, he snapped and folded his arms in front of his chest. He was in a really bad mood, annoyed at Luke's continued failure and lack of worry about it but most of all mad about his son's weakness, that the dark side kept shunning him and only the light ever bothered to answer his call. It was disgusting, really.

Starkiller took a hold of the crate again and screwed his eyes almost shut in an attempt to aim but the crate just sailed over the next panel and bumped into the floor. Starkiller grit his teeth and tried again but he missed, lost his hold and the crate went flying against a wall.

Vader growled and in one smooth movement he drew his lightsaber. Starkiller flinched when he saw it but remained motionless as the Sith Lord held the red blade at his throat.

“Don't tell me I'm wasting my time with both of you!”, he snarled. “Destroy those targets and do it now or I will destroy you!”

“I- I am sorry Master, I'll do it!”

Starkiller trembled and Vader could feel his fear through their bond. He pushed all his annoyance and anger through to let him know that he was perfectly serious.

Suddenly Starkiller went very calm. Vader could still feel his fear but he hid it under a mask of indifference. When he next raised his hand there was no tremble and the crate moved straight at the first panel, smashing through it, then back again and destroying the second. The aim was off slightly this time so the crate veered up but Starkiller quickly forced it down again, crushing the last panel.  
There was a hiss as Vader deactivated his lightsaber but he did not step back. Instead he remained standing just behind the boy, their bodies almost touching.

“Your fear makes you strong”, Vader reminded him in a dark tone. “There is power in a caged animal that feels threatened and that is exactly what you are – a thing of lesser intelligence, hating the world from behind its bars. Never forget who you are, where you came from and what you have suffered through because your scars are what gives you strength.”

“Yes Master”, Starkiller said hoarsely, the fear still sitting in his bones. “Thank you.”

“Good.” Vader turned away. “Now come here. This imbecile seems to have lost himself on a light path. You will bring him back.”

“Me, Master?”, Starkiller asked with some incredulity.

Darth Vader usually made sure there was some kind of distraction around when Luke tried to meditate as this actually helped when getting in contact with the dark side. Starkiller could imagine that it was the other way around with the light and the fact that Luke had managed to delve into it with Starkiller loudly shattering glass behind him proved that his connection was strong and that he was so deeply in trance simply whacking him over the head wouldn't do anything to wake him up. It wasn't that he thought himself incapable of finding and rescuing Luke from the light – he'd done it before, months ago on their journey. But in that state Luke's mind was very vulnerable and it would be so easy for Starkiller to crush it and pretend it had been too late already to save him. He was simply surprised and maybe a bit suspicious that his Master would entrust him with such a task.

“Yes you. It's not too hard to navigate through the light side of the Force if you've already mastered the dark. It's just dirty work.” Well, that was only half the truth. While navigating through the light should not be harmful, immersing yourself in it for the first time certainly could be. The amount of pain heavily dependent on the individual and Vader had a suspicion it would be war harder for him than for Starkiller, who was still young. Vader had absolutely no intention of following his moronic son into the light if he had a perfectly capable apprentice there to do it for him. The thought that Starkiller might use the chance to hurt Luke did cross his mind – but he was so angry right now he honestly didn't care. He was reasonably sure the Force would've warned him if this idea ended in something as catastrophic as his son's mental death and anything less than that he was fully willing to risk in this moment.

Starkiller walked over to Luke slowly, never leaving his Master out of his sight and knelt in front of the other boy. The connection was easier for him to establish if he touched him so he laid his hand on Luke's forehead and gripped his hair as he shut his eyes tightly and concentrated on the Force... But of course he couldn't feel Luke in the dark side. Gradually Starkiller forced himself to relax, which was really hard with Vader breathing down his neck. The young Sith worked to lock away all his anger that he normally wore proudly and slowly dislodged himself from the dark side. It was like leaving behind a strict Master, like cowardly fleeing from the whip and sleeping in lazily when he knew he had a hundred duties to perform yet. He had to remind himself again and again that he did this on orders and he would come back as soon as he could, he was not slacking off deliberately!

Leaving the dark wasn't painful or even uncomfortable but he felt the pull the whole time and he really, really didn't want to!

Once his mind was blank, Starkiller breathed in deeply and reached out for the other side. He felt filthy doing this, as if he was betraying his Master when in truth he had been commanded by the same. Then he felt the light and it... it hurt. It hurt something deep in his soul, like a promise of all he could have, like a dream of who he could've been if he never fell into the hands of the Sith, if he had grown up with a family, free from worries, weak but contend to be so. A part of him wanted it and that was the worst of it all.

Starkiller started to look for Luke quickly. He really, really hoped his call for him didn't sound as desperate as he felt. He wanted to go back to the dark, to the familiar field that he knew the rules of.  
Eventually Starkiller found Luke in the vast mindscape that he stumbled through. He could feel his happiness and peace, could feel him being one with everything and at ease with himself.

Starkiller no longer had the strength to snap at him. He had abandoned all his negative feelings, his source of power and now he could do nothing but tug at Luke's metaphorical sleeve and timidly ask that they please go back home. Unlike the last time he'd pulled him back, Luke's mind was not floating aimlessly around. He was lodged so deeply in the light side that Starkiller was pretty sure it wasn't just a case of accidentally taking a wrong turn. Luke was here because he wanted to be and Starkiller would not be able to bring him back if he resisted.

Vader's son turned his attention to him and Starkiller recoiled a bit. In this environment, Luke was so much stronger than him. Any thought of hurting him in his bodyless state fled when Starkiller sensed that pulsing raw power and for a moment he wondered if that had been why Vader had been unconcerned about sending him after Luke, because he'd known he wouldn't be able to even touch his mind. After all if you wandered around in a poisonous environment, you wouldn't jump into a spitting volcano.

Luke seemed vaguely surprised but pleased to 'see' Starkiller. Their bond, forged in darkness, was not strong enough here to send any telepathic messages over but Starkiller felt a small explosion of thoughts, images and feelings from Luke that could be translated that way.

“Look at the world I found”, he seemed to convey, “look how beautiful it is! I never imagined the Force could be so wonderful.”

Starkiller send him a burst of worry back, filled with “You're on the wrong side” and “Let's go back, this place is itchy.”

What came back from Luke was a ringing laughter, a happy sound put together out of flowers and spring water and sunrises.

“I enjoy it, it's so vast, so wide! I can feel the Force everywhere. If only I had known before how awesome meditation is.”

“Master is mad”, Starkiller tried to convey. “You have to come back with me.”

“Oh”, Luke made, his good mood sinking a bit. “Just... five more minutes?”

“No”, Starkiller all but whined, “come now!”

His fear and uneasiness was rising and Starkiller felt that he was losing the connection. Luckily Luke decided to give in and all Starkiller had to do was hold onto him while he rode back into his own mind, his world of shadows on his fear and trepidation.

When Luke opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was his father and he... well, he looked pissed. Like, really terrifyingly pissed.

In hindsight Luke had to admit: Trying out the Jedi's advice in the middle of a meditation lesson with his Sith father probably hadn't been his brightest idea. In his defense, he hadn't really thought it would work. It was just that he was sitting through these stupid lessons for almost a year now without any progress. Whatsoever. In the beginning that hadn't bothered him too much, he'd just been happy to spend time with his father. But Vader was getting more cranky the more often he failed and seeing how Starkiller was so far ahead didn't really help. Then Luke had gotten a small glimpse of how wonderful it felt when his father was proud of him at his birthday and... he wanted to feel like that again.

Still he had not dared to think about the Jedi and his crazy ideas too much. It was just when he tried (and failed) to meditate yet again and just got bored from it that he decided to try it out. The instructions “Do exactly the opposite of what you're told” weren't very precise and at most he had hoped to feel the Force flow through him like it did when he tried to ward off blaster bolts. Instead when he focused on all his happy emotions while thinking at nothing in particular, he had entered a world that was... indescribable. It was what he would have imagined paradise to be like if he believed in such a thing. He felt utterly connected to the whole galaxy and every living thing in it. It wasn't always just good as he'd got a glimpse of much suffering out in the galaxy but it was so vast he could just take it all in, amazed at what he had missed out. He felt like floating outside of the galaxy and over every planet in it, looking at them and traveling super fast with his thoughts. Then there was that veil over everything, no not one but dozens, hundreds of veils and when he lifted them he could see glimpses of places and persons. He had a moment of shocked wonder when he thought that for a second he saw someone greatly resembling his brother, only that he was all grown up and he wondered if maybe behind those veils lay the future – or multiple futures? It was very confusing. The images passed by so quickly, he couldn't be sure.

Luke really would've liked to stay longer but he remembered the last time he had been in this vast place. He had only been here a very short time, just enough to get a quick look and yet hours had passed in the real world. Today it had felt like he had stayed several minutes and he wondered how much time had passed for real.

But that concern was quickly pushed aside when Luke was confronted with his father's presence. Either he'd dropped his concealing mantle or Luke was simply hypersensitive in the moment because he could feel the dark energy around him lashing out angrily so clearly it was as if he could see them materialize like black tentacles whipping around.

“Uh”, Luke made. He decided it was best to play dumb. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Wrong?”, Darth Vader repeated with a calm that he did most certainly not feel. “Oh no, son. You have immersed yourself in meditation without help for the first time. What could be wrong about that?” He paused for a second and Luke winced when he seemed to... grow in the Force, dark tendrils whipping his face and body, leaving him cold and trembling. With Luke still seated on the floor and Vader towering over him, he felt very small and intimidated.

“Except of course that this exercise serves to get you in contact with the dark side. You didn't just fail in that, you further blockaded yourself by connecting to the light. And there I was thinking you couldn't possibly get any worse.”

Luke actually did feel a bit ashamed. “Oh. I... I'm sorry.”

But Vader wasn't finished. He moved so fast that Luke only blinked once and in the next moment he found himself lying flat on his back, Vader stepping on his chest, the heavy black boot pressing painfully on Luke's throat, making him gasp for breath.

“Do you think I am stupid?”, Vader growled, ignoring Luke's hands clawing at his boot to stop it from crushing his windpipe.

“I know you couldn't be possibly that retarded to accidentally use Jedi techniques right in front of me. Someone must have told you how to do it. Who was it?”

“N-Nobody!”, Luke managed to get out when Vader lifted the pressure just enough to let him speak. “I-I'm sorry, please, I won't do it again!”

“Liar”, Vader spat and Luke cried out when he pressed his heel down.

Luke was now genuinely scared of his father. The image of the old man Kenobi flashed before him but he couldn't tell him about that.

“It... It was Ava, the Jedi lady I... I killed. I just wanted to feel the Force again, to make some progress and I remembered what she told me, I'm sorry!”, Luke said.

He thought it was a pretty good tale, believable and nothing Vader could really punish him for but for some reason, his words only seemed to anger his father more. He lifted his boot but the pressure on Luke's throat didn't disappear and suddenly there was a lightsaber blade at his neck and his father was surrounded by a storm of dark energies that wanted to rip him apart. He could feel Starkiller's worry at the edge of his consciousness and that scared him even more than the angry storm his father unleashed because Starkiller welcomed it when he was hurt more often than not, said it would make him stronger and to have him worry meant the situation was really, really bad for Luke.

“Do not dare to lie to me!”, Vader snarled, the lightsaber so hot at Luke's neck.

“And if you do”, he added with a dark growl, “lie better! Who told you about this technique?”

Luke's head hurt. He thought maybe he'd hit it real bad when his father had first thrown him to the ground but it was still hurting and by now it was pretty obvious that the Sith Lord was in there, rummaging through his memories. For a moment Luke remembered the Jedi's warning, that Vader would kill him if he found out Luke had been speaking to him. He closed his eyes and silently apologized to the old man. His father was hurting him so much, not physically, through that hurt too. No, it was that hint of bloodlust dripping through their bond that really scared him. His father was ready and willing to do him serious harm to get his answers, regardless of what that would do to their relationship. Luke knew that he hated the Jedi but knowing that Vader would throw away all those months they had spent together because of this, knowing that his hatred for them was stronger than his love for Luke... That hurt.

“It was an old man”, he whispered, tears in his eyes. “Down in the detention center. I don't know why I went there. I thought the Force led me and you said I should listen to it.”

The lightsaber vanished from his throat but his father's anger did not diminish. If anything, it grew.  
“You have spoken to Kenobi, the traitor! Of all the Jedi, he is the worst and you foolish boy listened to his lies! You...! I cannot even-”

Vader stepped back, lightsaber shut off and began to pace, his fists opening and closing and Luke had the vague feeling he was struggling against the urge to simply murder him. That was just... He had never seen him this out of control.

“I'm sorry, father... I... it was a mistake. I won't ever do it again”, he plead, now openly crying. He didn't like seeing his father like this, it scared him. He didn't completely understand why talking to the Jedi had been such a bad thing but evidently it was and he was afraid he'd broken something he hadn't even known was so fragile.

“No”, Vader growled, “you don't even understand what you've done wrong! You don't even know...!” Vader let out a cry of anger and there was a loud crash when Starkiller's practice crate, the only movable object in the room, was violently thrown against the next wall, leaving a deep imprint in the metal. Even Starkiller flinched back at this furious display and Luke trembled even more.  
Suddenly Vader rushed at him and pulled Luke up at his arm. The boy fought against him weakly purely out of instinct.

“You're coming with me”, Vader snapped, pulling roughly at Luke's arm and surely leaving bruises where his fingers dug into his flesh.

“Starkiller, dismissed. Return to PROXY.”

Starkiller took a hesitant step forward when Vader began to drag Luke to the exit. The boy turned around and sent his brother a pleading look, absolutely terrified in the face of the horrible punishment that surely awaited him. But Starkiller could do nothing but stare after him, feeling pity for probably the first time in his life.

Luke was dragged, crying and with snot running down his nose, all the way to Darth Vader's private quarters. There he was practically thrown to the ground and the Sith Lord, still shaking in anger, stepped to the one door that had always been off-limits for... well, everyone and entered his security code.

Luke barely had time wipe the snot off his face and lift his head when the door to the medical bay opened.

“Come here”, his father commanded and Luke got to his shaking feet with some trouble. He stepped forward slowly and let his gaze wander over all the medical supplies, droids, tubes and machines before it came to rest on an oval shaped seat, its back to him. Vader's black helmet could barely be seen over the edge. The droids came to life, whirring and reaching out with robotic arms.

Luke hesitantly stepped closer and flinched when the door locked behind him.

Slowly the white seat turned around and Luke gasped at what he saw. The robotic arms worked on disassembling Darth Vader's armor, taking off the heaviest parts and protective pieces to reveal a metallic skeleton underneath. His torso remained covered in leather but raw wires and durasteel poles connected to pale scarred flesh at his thighs and shoulders. Then the arms lifted off the helmet and removed the mask and Luke saw for the first time his father's real face.

It was a grimace of hatred and fury, dark yellow eyes piercing his. He was completely bald, even lacked eyebrows and his entire head and face was just one big patch of scar tissue.

“Do you understand now?”, Vader growled, his voice sounding disturbingly different but no less intimidating without the respirator. “Do you see what the Jedi did to me?”

Luke was shocked. “The Jedi... did that to you?”

“Yessss... It was Obi-Wan Kenobi, that same Jedi you took orders from. He cut off my arms and legs and threw me into a lava pit. He just stood there as I screamed and burned and he enjoyed it.”

“I... I didn't know”, Luke stammered.

“That is not all.”

The droids began to reattach the armor, leaving the helmet for last.

“The reason he was able to defeat me... Was because at one time, I trusted that man. I was a Jedi once, Luke, and that man was my Master. He raised me from a young age, he was the closest I ever had to a father. But he betrayed me. He turned my wife against me and used her to set a trap for me so he could kill me. But even that was not enough. When your mother died he had to take you with him and took you to the one place I hated most, the one place he knew I would've rather died then let my child grow up on; Tatooine. His Jedi code may have forbidden him to kill an infant but I have no doubt that as you grew older he planned to use you against me, to either shape you into a weapon by poisoning you with his lies and get you to fight against me or failing that, simply kill you to get to me. That is why he's been hiding on that miserable planet all those years but I made sure that he gets what he deserves and I will continue to do so till the day I die. This man is the one who destroyed our family, the same man you conspired with!”

Luke felt absolutely terrible. Kenobi was... he was a monster, to cause another human being, a friend no less such pain. Now he understood why his father had been so incredibly mad at him! Speaking with Kenobi must have truly been an unforgivable crime in his eyes.

“I'm sorry”, he repeated, his voice barely a whisper and his face still tear stained. “I'm sorry, I didn't know, I'm sorry.”

The droids wanted to set down the helmet but a gesture of Vader stopped them. If Luke hadn't been so distracted he might have noticed that the dark side slowly began to retreat back under the concealing veil Vader kept around himself.

“Come closer”, he commanded.

Luke was too afraid to disobey and stumbled forward until he stood directly in front of his father, who, even seated, was still taller than him.

“I survived only through the use of the dark side. All this pain and hatred has made me stronger. You could say that in a way Kenobi made me the man I am today, more so even then my Sith Master, the Emperor. Today I welcome the pain but that does not mean I will ever forgive. When you look at me, you can see the true face of the dark side. Always fighting on through fear and pain and anger. Every wound our enemies give us only makes us stronger. That is what the Sith aim for. Now look at me, son, and tell me: Are you repulsed by what you see?”

Luke raised his eyes, bravely looking into the yellow irises of his father.

“No”, he whispered. As horrifying as his physical scars were, they weren't nearly as repulsive as the slick darkness surrounding him, that he had somewhat gotten used to. If anything, Luke was thankful that his father showed him what undoubtedly few had ever seen.

“You will never speak to the Jedi again.”

“No.”

“As a Sith it is your duty to bring all Jedi to justice. They are all hypocrites and liars and you will report every one you find information on, regardless of whether or not you see through their act immediately or if they appear to be friendly. And never, ever will you take orders from them. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir”, Luke answered quietly.

“Good. Now get out of my sight.”

A part of Luke wanted to turn around and run as fast as his legs could carry him but another, larger part of him hesitated.

“...Father? Do you... Do you know if it was him? Do you think Kenobi killed mother?”

The white seat had already turned around and the silence that followed was so long Luke wasn't sure he'd been heard at all.

“I don't know”, Vader finally answered. “He certainly prevented me from saving her.”

XxX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted Luke to meet Obi-Wan and start his journey into the light but let’s be realistic, something like that couldn’t be kept a secret from Vader for long. Not with him regularly connecting to Luke’s mind during meditation. So, of course he found out. And of course he was pissed. Of course he made sure Luke would understand that Kenobi was the enemy. I could’ve let that all end up in disaster but I thought it was the perfect moment for Luke to learn a bit more about his father’s history. Eventually I want to reach a point where Luke, if he is ever captured by Jedi and they try to convince him that Vader is evil by telling him what he has all done, Luke can say “I know that!” to everyone and still insist that he loves his daddy. At this point, even if someone told him that Vader killed/ was responsible for Padme’s death, Luke would know how much her loss pains his father, that he regrets it and he would forgive him.


	16. Chapter 16

Five months later, on the Devastator

Starkiller woke up from his comm beeping. There were two new messages on his datapad. One was a notification for a new mission as he had received plenty during his time on the Executor but only a few afterwards. He was pleasantly surprised about this and hoped this meant he had proven his ability to his Master during the training because this was only the fifth assassination mission he got.  
The second message however made him blanch. It was a general notification sent to all military crew members and was headlined with CODE WHITE.

Code White was the Emperor's code. It meant the ruler of the galaxy was paying a surprise visit to Death Squadron and everyone, from the lowest Stormtrooper to the highest admiral was to be at their best behavior and attention. Of course in this instance, the message said: Get the hell outta here before the most dangerous man in the galaxy picks your ambition to kill him out of your head.  
Starkiller was dressed and ready faster than ever before and made his way to the hangar in record time. Captain Lokey and PROXY were already standing at the Rogue Shadow but surprisingly there was another passenger.

“Wow, this is gonna be my first mission, I'm so excited, are you excited too?”, Luke asked happily.

“Go in, quickly”, Starkiller merely snapped. “Are we ready to depart?”

“Geez, why the haste?”, Lokey said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “You've got any idea how early it is?”

“Didn't any of you get the freaking memo?!”, Starkiller bellowed. “Now get into the damn ship!”

Luke merely looked confused but complied and Lokey muttered something about missing the parade but followed his orders as well.

Starkiller threw a side glance at Luke. Under different circumstances it would've surprised, even offended him that Luke would apparently accompany him on this mission. For him, missions were a reward, an acknowledgment of his skills and to take Luke with him even though he was still making zero progress in his Force training was in no way appropriate.

However, Starkiller was fully aware that they had only gotten this mission now and were only sent together because the Emperor came for a visit and Lord Vader did not want them to meet. Vader might train them with the Emperor's permission but if he asked to see them perform, he would quickly become suspicious. Starkiller was simply too good to have only been trained for a single year and Luke was too terrible for all the training he'd had.

Under Starkiller’s grim stare, Lokey hurried to get the Shadow running and five minutes later they were in hyperspace. It was only then that the young assassin could breathe freely again.

“PROXY, give me the target”, he said.

Luke’s eyes widened when he saw PROXY’s figure flicker and transform into an older, scarred man in light armor.

“Lieutenant Karon Safozzi, 56 years old served in the Republic during the Clone Wars. He belonged to a local milita on the planet Lafonte. While Lafonte did belong to the Republic, the population condemned the usage of the clones for humanitarian reasons and relied on a small army of volunteers instead. The army was led by a Jedi General. Safozzi witnessed his execution by an Imperial agent during the purges and has then taken over the semi-organized resistance against the Empire on Lafonte. After the great raid on the planet three years later, led by Lord Darth Vader that destroyed the resistance, he fled the planet and went into hiding. Recently Imperial spies have spotted him in the capital of the planet Florrum in the Outer Rim territories.”

“A traitor to the Empire then”, Starkiller summarized.

“We’re going after an old man?”, Luke asked incredulously. “For real?”

“Don’t underestimate the enemy. Safozzi is a war veteran who was skilled enough to fight alongside a Jedi before. Even if he hasn’t been active for some time now, it’s still possible and even likely that he has assembled a few friends of similar orientation. We will have to be careful.”

The corners of Starkiller’s mouth twitched. He just barely kept himself from smiling. This was a serious mission, an important one. He wasn’t just going after some low life criminal but after a political enemy. That was what he had been trained for. This, the hunt, the fight, the execution, that was his destiny.

Next to him, Luke scrunched up his nose.

“I don’t like it”, he declared. “This guy… He may have done a few bad things but that was years ago. I mean, what if he changed his mind in the meantime? He could be a good guy by now. Shouldn’t we, I don’t know, investigate what the situation is or something before we go storming in, blasters blazing?”

Starkiller stared at him incredulously. “Are you… serious?”

“Uh… yeah?”

“Guys like this – they don’t suddenly change their mind, Luke. They’re fanatics. For them the Empire is just evil, regardless of what good it has done in the galaxy. They’re close-minded fools who only see the bad in everything. If they could, they would kill the Emperor and return the galaxy to the miserable place it was before.”

“Oh”, Luke muttered, “you mean like you?”

Starkiller went red, acutely aware of Lokey sitting just a few feet away and watching their exchange with poorly veiled interest.

“Watch what you’re saying”, he hissed.

PROXY changed back into himself, slumping a bit from the sudden energy loss.

Starkiller turned his back to Luke and folded his arms.

“For this mission, you will obviously stay behind. You will watch and learn but otherwise, you’ll pretend you’re not there. Is that clear?”

“Whaaaat?! But this isn’t your mission! It’s ours that means I get to help you!”

“I don’t need your help, stupid. You would only get in the way.”

“But I want to come with you!”

“You do?” Starkiller smiled slyly. “Fine, let’s do it like this. If you want to come with me, it’s everything or nothing. If you want to come, I will leave the execution to you. That or you stay in the ship with Captain Lokey and let me do my job.”

Luke flinched back a bit. He was excited for his first mission, he had trained for a whole year for this after all. But he was not eager, not eager at all, to kill anyone, even a traitor to the Empire. In all honesty, he just wanted to look at the planet, he got out so little traveling with the fleet.

“Thought so”, Starkiller said with a scoff when Luke remained silent. Not that his offer had been in any way honest. He would never have left this precious kill to Luke.

Luke was miffed for the rest of the ride but it got better when they arrived on Florrum and he discovered that it was a sulfonic desert planet. Nope, no need to set a foot out there. He’d had enough desert for a life time, thank-you-very-much.

XxX

On the Devastator

Darth Sidious, ruler over the galactic Empire, had just finished a very nice lunch with his apprentice and the top ten admirals and generals and whatnot of Death Squadron. Nice because obviously Vader couldn’t eat and it was always secretly fun to watch him fight his annoyance and hatred when he was forced to attend such events.

After the lunch Sidious had asked his apprentice to accompany him on a tour through the ship and he reveled in the wariness and suspicion he felt from him through their bond when he realized Vader was about to learn his true reason for coming here. It was always nice to know you were feared.

“Well, well, Lord Vader, your work with the military is efficient as always. You are doing great work in keeping our control over the galaxy strong, my friend.”

“Thank you, Master”, Vader answered stiffly.

“You have had no problems, I take it? What about your son, how is he? I would like to see him very much. I don’t think we have been properly introduced as of yet.”

To an outside observer, the question seemed innocent enough but Vader immediately tightened his mental shields and his posture, if possible, became a bit stiffer.

“He is well, thank you. However, he happens to be away on a task at the moment, I’m afraid.”

“Ah, that’s too bad. Next time, maybe. And his progress? Is he what you expected?”

Is he worth the time you spend on him?, the Sith added mentally.

“He is a child still, easy to form and influence. Already he has accepted his place at my side though the… practical application still needs some work.”

Sidious scowled a bit. He felt no lie from his apprentice but he was definitely not telling the whole truth either.

“Willing and eager to learn, that is the spirit of the young ones for you. Use it well for they grow up so quickly.”

Sidious felt the gaze of his apprentice on him and his careful prodding, trying to find out what he meant by that. Inwardly, he smirked. Did his apprentice even realize how early he had started to manipulate him, from the day he had entered the Jedi temple in fact? Now that he was growing old, he remembered those days fondly. He had all the power now, there was next to no need for the manipulations and machinations he so enjoyed. Playing out all those courtiers and Moffs against each other wasn’t quite the same as controlling two independent governments and have them fight a galaxy wide war.

“Practical application you say?”, he repeated thoughtfully. “Don’t tell me he didn’t improve at all. Not even with that young boy you chose to… keep him company?”

You had to give it to him, Vader didn’t even flinch. Of course it would’ve been stupid of him to deny he’d taken on another student. Sidious had his spies everywhere and while he admitted to not yet have figured out where he’d kept that spare before, as soon as he had him live with the fleet he had heard about that wonderboy at once. And he was skilled, this Starkiller, as proven by the many agents he had sent back to him cold and pale. Sidious had not yet dared risk his apprentice’ fury by sending someone after Skywalker but from what his people told him, he wasn’t anywhere in the same league.

“You have to decide where your resources are best put to use”, he continued. “To divide your concentration like this will only weaken the result.” Not to mention it is against certain principles that you seem to have forgotten.

You have already formed your opinion on the matter, Vader answered with distaste. “What do you suggest?”

“Oh, I would never dare to interfere with your parenting methods”, Sidious said with a small chuckle. “But if you want to hear my advice, I think you might have set your goals to high.” I allowed you to train your son because he was from your blood and you promised he had great potential. We never discussed taking up another student, however gifted. I have to wonder what your true intentions are with them…

“Taking in two children might be too much of a challenge for one as… inexperienced as you.” You have to decide which one of them has the greater potential – your son or the genius you picked up on the street. You cannot keep them both.

“The experience will come with time”, Vader countered. It has only been a year, too little time to make a full assessment.

It is plenty of time. I knew of your potential within five weeks, my friend, and I barely got to see you. “I would be willing to take some of the work off your shoulders. You know I am funding a special project that would fit these youngsters.” Your son’s potential would not be wasted and the other one already has been shaped to be a decent agent.

Sidious felt a new determination in his apprentice, coupled with a spike of bloodlust. He would rather kill his children before he gave them to him. This intent, morbid as it was, reassured the Emperor. He had been worried that his apprentice might become too attached to that son of his but if he was so ready to see his blood on his hands there was no reason for concern.

Of course, Sidious did not expect to be so lucky as to get either boy under his wing this easily. It was more likely he would have to resort to killing one of them himself.

“I will think about your offer”, Vader replied.

Oh yes, that he would. Sidious could practically see the thoughts whirling behind his helmet. He was already scheming, planning, finding the best outcome for himself. As any Sith should.

XxX

Florrum

Starkiller headed into the city alone while the Shadow remained at the spaceport. Captain Lokey kept watch over the local news channel. It was always possible that the target got wind of having become prey and caused some kind of disruption in an attempt to get away. At the same time Starkiller’s location was being observed so Lokey could give him directions if need be.

During this phase of the mission, Starkiller was basically just browsing the city for any hint of his target and Luke soon found out that watching him do that was incredibly boring and he soon announced this much.

“We could do a bit of sparring to pass the time”, PROXY offered.

Luke thought about that for a moment, sparring with PROXY was always very intense and they didn’t have a bacta tank on board.

“Fine but no broken bones, I may need to go out and rescue S.K. when he does something stupid”, he declared.

The two went into the training room and began to spar. Luke had some excess energy to work off and the holodroid was obviously holding back.

Suddenly PROXY jumped back out of his reach and dropped his fighting stance.

“Ah, young Master, you seemed to have damaged my conversion disrupter”, he said and held up his left arm from which steam emanated from a hidden compartment.

“Uh, is it bad?”, Luke asked worriedly and lowered his vibroblade.

“Well, I will not function at top efficiency like this. I will have to get a replacement as soon as possible.” He looked at Luke who felt like he was being challenged by the dead stare of the droid.

“Well, we can’t have that”, he decided. “S.K. might need your help too. But he hasn’t found this traitor guy yet so how about I take you out into the city to search for a replacement disrupter… whatever that is.”

“Thank you, that would be most appreciated!”, PROXY beamed at him, or at least that’s what his voice suggested, his facial expression couldn’t change after all. “However, as the Master has commanded you to stay here, it would be best if I went to get it on my own.”

“Aw come on”, Luke whined. “Not you too!”

But PROXY insisted and soon Luke was bored again. He sat in a chair behind Lokey, vacantly throwing a screw nut into the air and catching it again, trying to keep it afloat using the Force. To no avail.

It was around one hour later that suddenly Lokey began to work the control desk furiously.  
“What’s wrong?”, Luke asked, eager for a change.

“It may be nothing…”, the pilot muttered. “But don’t you think it’s strange how all the people are leaving the spaceport?”

Luke looked outside and indeed, barely anyone was out in the open anymore, instead people urged into the building.

“Ah”, Lokey made. “It seems there is a fire in the northern hangar, so everyone is looking for news.”

“Do you think it has anything to do with the mission?”

Lokey smiled wryly. “You’re the psychic from the both of us, you tell me.”

Suddenly the ship shook under them. Lokey was thrown forward and hit his head at the control panel, hard. He cursed and when he came up again there was blood running from his nose.

Luke had been barely able to stay on his feet. “What was that?!”

The pilot called up some cameras and Luke gasped when he saw a group of dirty looking, masked men rip out the back door which they must have damaged with some kind of explosive.

“We’re being entered! Get the ship in the air, I’ll drive them away!”, Luke called out and drew his vibroblade.

Lokey quickly worked to get the Shadow running.

“Why does that always happen to me?”, he muttered.

Meanwhile Luke ran down the corridor, blade in one, blaster in the other hand. He met the hostile group half way and held up his blaster.

“Freeze!”

The men stopped but once they realized they were being threatened by a little kid, they just laughed.  
“Look, we have a brave one!”, one of them said.

“You better drop that thing before you hurt yourself, boy.”

Luke did not drop his blaster but his hands began to tremble a bit when he realized he wouldn’t be able to scare those men – most likely thieves or pirates – away.

“You – You don’t want to do this”, he tried, putting as much of his will behind the words as he could. “You will turn around and go away.”

The group just laughed some more.

“Enough of this”, a tall, muscular guy snapped at last and came striding towards Luke. “This ship is ours now.”

The man coming at him looked really scary, holding two blaster cannons on his own and it made Luke very nervous. It was never good to make a person nervous when he had a blaster pointed at you.

The shot had been purely accidental but the man – the leader, probably – was quick to duck and the red bolt flew over his head, hitting the man behind him, who promptly fell over with a surprised cry.

Luke stared ahead wide-eyed and barely reacted when the leader hit him in the face. The punch was so hard it threw him against the wall of the corridor. One of the men knelt to check on his comrade but the other three came at him with angry howls. Two went to kick Luke as he laid on the ground while the third was dragged away by the leader to head deeper into the ship.

The Shadow made a jump forward in that moment and Luke was pulled out of his stupor. The two guys hitting him had been off-balanced and, his training finally kicking in, Luke kicked against their knees to bring them down. That only made them angrier. One of the men drew a knife and aimed for Luke’s eyes. The boy was not quite strong enough to push aside his arm and the blade scraped across his face, leaving a deep, bloody gash from his right cheek to his ear. Luke cried out in pain. He’s lost his blaster when he fell but his vibroblade was still within his reach. He grabbed it and buried its handle into the man’s gut. He made an “oof” kind of noise and Luke aimed to kick him again when the ship veered to the side dangerously and they were all thrown across the corridor. One of the men fell so badly he stayed on the ground, groaning and the other one Luke quickly knocked out with a hit to the head with the handle of his blade.

The boy held a hand to his furiously bleeding ear and winced. That cut had to be really deep. It hurt, too. Luke carefully felt his way over it and got a sinking feeling in his stomach. Was that his imagination or was a part of his ear actually missing?

The ship veered to the side again and Luke was thrown off his feet. A moment later the shaking got even worse as the ship met the ground in an uncontrolled landing.

Now worried, Luke threw one last glance at the three downed thugs and hurried down the corridor into the cockpit. He rushed into the small room and went rigid at what he saw.

There was blood – so much blood. With wide eyes Luke took in the splatter that went all the way up to the ceiling. On the front seat sat Captain Lokey’s lifeless body with his eyes staring up, empty and wide with fear. The rest of his face was barely recognizable anymore as someone had furiously smashed it in, sending blood and bone shards and brain flying. And from the sight of the muscular guy with the blaster in the hand which sported a red and dirty handle, Luke didn’t have to wonder long who was responsible for the mess. Even his companion looked freaked out by it.

“What’s that, you still here? What are those idiots doing back there, taking a nap?”, the leader of the pirate group asked.

“You…. You killed Lokey”, Luke stuttered, feeling pure horror creep into his veins.

“Who, that guy? He wouldn’t let me take the ship. I suggest you don’t make the same mistake. Now shush. I’m not into killing children but I will if I have to.”

“You killed Lokey… You… You monster!”, Luke cried out and without thinking, rushed at the pirate. He didn’t get very far. The leader grabbed his arm and pulled it on his back, forcing him to drop his weapon. Then he hit him against the head, right where the blood was just drying and for a moment black dots were dancing in front of Luke’s eyes. When he had control over his limbs again, he was bound and gagged, forced to look right at the mutilated corpse of one of his teachers.

“Get rid of the corpse”, the leader commanded his last remaining companion. “I will look after the others. We crashed pretty roughly so if they need help I’ll take care of them.”

“What about the kid?”

“We can just throw him out later once I confirm this thing doesn’t need any identity checks or something.”

With that the thug left the cockpit and Luke was left fighting against his tears as the last pirate pulled Lokey from the seat and muttered something about not being paid enough for this.

For a few minutes Luke just fought against his tears. Lokey had been his friend and his teacher. He'd spend some of his happiest moments of the last year with him as he'd been the one to introduce him to the awesome art of flying. And now that man was lying in a pool of his blood, dead, and he would never fly again. That was just wrong. The Shadow would never be the same again without him.

It was when the remaining thug began to drag the body out of the cockpit that Luke came to his senses again. Starkiller had no idea what had happened. PROXY was gone as well. Luke was all alone and if he didn't do anything, they would lose not only Lokey but also the Shadow. He had failed once, he couldn't fail again.

Luke began to struggle against his bonds. He had been bound many times before by PROXY. In fact, the droid tended to bind his hands behind his back and then send him balancing on a plank so it would be even harder for him not to fall. These binds were of the same quality but with a bit of wriggling and contorting he managed to get his hands free. Luke took care not to make any noise and when the thug turned away from him he jumped to his feet and onto the back of the man. The guy cried out but the noise was quickly stifled when Luke wrapped his arms around his neck and began to squeeze with all his might. Now Luke was a pretty scrawny little kid but in this moment, the need to knock out that thug and save the ship was so overwhelming and Luke’s mind was concentrated on this one task alone… that he actually felt the Force respond to him. At least he thought he did for just a moment but when he stumbled away, the man lying on the ground red-faced, the feeling was gone. For a moment uncertainty gripped his heart but he quickly noticed the man’s chest was still rising with his breath.

Without wasting time, Luke took the rope he’d been bound with and applied it to the thug instead. He went to check the corridor – the other pirates were gone. Their leader must’ve taken them outside.

Hurriedly Luke checked the cameras and after confirming that they weren’t on the ship, he carefully sidestepped Lokey’s corpse with a wince and sat down on the blood drenched pilot’s seat.

“Come on, don’t leave me hanging”, he pleaded as he started up the Shadow. Fortunately the damage from the crash wasn’t anything serious and he managed to get her into the air. Only when he was a good distance away from the crash side did he dare search the Captain for his commlink.

“Not a good time”, Starkiller’s voice sounded from it when Luke managed to activate it.

“S.K.?”, Luke asked, his voice timid and shaking. “We… We’ve got a problem.”

“Look, I’m this short of completing the mission so unless you’re about to die within the next two minutes, in which case I can’t do anything anyway, you will have to wait!”

With that he severed the connection and Luke winced as a sharp ringing went through his damaged ear.

What else could he do? Luke had lost the pirates for the moment so he guessed he wasn’t in any danger right now but he still didn’t fancy being alone in the cockpit with the unconscious thug and his dead friend.

“PROXY”, he remembered suddenly. The droid had a commlink installed as well. Lokey’s should be connected to his, he just had to change the frequency.

A few minutes later Luke had figured it out and contacted the holodroid.

“Ah, Captain Lokey, I have tried to contact you several times. I am back at the spaceport but where is the ship?”

“PROXY”, Luke said, suppressing a sob. “I… something terrible happened.”

“Is the Master in danger?”, PROXY asked immediately. 

“N-No but… Our ship got entered by… by pirates or something. I managed to shake them off, I think but… Captain Lokey, he’s… He’s dead!”

“An unfortunate loss, however, not as bad as it could be. You are trained to fly the Shadow as well, aren’t you?”

Luke was silent for a moment. He couldn’t understand how PROXY could simply brush off the Captain’s death like that.

“I… yeah…”, he said finally.

“Then there is no need to worry. As soon as the Master gets back we can continue our journey. However, maybe you shouldn’t return to the spaceport as of yet. We can meet up at the edge of the city to avoid further encounters like that.”

“D-Don’t you care at all?!”, Luke called out, shaking off his stupor. “How can you be… calm like that? A member of our crew just died!”

PROXY was silent for a moment.

“I am sorry, young Master”, he finally answered with his usual, clipped tone. “I am only programmed with a minimum of human behavior understanding. Are you going through a trauma?”

Luke hung up.

He couldn’t bear to speak to PROXY and he couldn’t bear to look at the bodies behind him. He had to do something to busy his hands so after a few moments of thinking miserably, he maneuvered the Shadow back to the city, landed at its edge and commed the new coordinates to his comrades.  
Luckily he didn’t have to wait too long. Starkiller returned first, looking no worse to wear except maybe for a singed sleeve and a few blood splatters on his jacket. He took one look at Lokey’s body and, without saying anything, dragged the bound pirate into the training room, closing the door behind him. Luke retreated into the medical bay to have his ear fixed. Here he had the advantage of not hearing the screams.

Luke just felt… numb by now and Starkiller sensed that he wasn’t of much use at the moment. Maybe that was why he left him alone or maybe be just didn’t know how to deal with… with grief. Starkiller wasn’t grieving. He was just angry. Lokey was the third pilot he’d lost and the one who had stayed with the Shadow the longest. He’d gotten used to him. He would even go so far as to say he liked him. Since he still had Luke to fly them back to the fleet, the problem wasn’t immediate and he doubted he would be punished for it as he’d been on his mission, doing his duty. It wasn’t his fault if his crew couldn’t protect themselves. If anything, Luke would get the blame for it for allowing PROXY to leave.

But since they were in no hurry to get back to the fleet – the whole reason they had been sent here was to get away for as long as the Emperor visited after all – Starkiller felt fully justified in revenging his pilot.

Thus his first impulse after assessing the situation was not to comfort Luke. Maybe the brat had finally gotten a good hit on the head and started harboring dark feelings for the murderers. Instead, he went for the captive and started to put all those nasty torture techniques he’d learned about to good use in order to find out what happened and where the rest of his friends were.

The set up was pretty easy. The men were a group of pirates belonging to a larger crew. They had been out drinking when one of their friends noticed the exotic ship that waited seemingly unguarded at the spaceport. Thus they made a fire to cause a distraction and entered the ship. Lokey had started shooting at them as soon as they entered the cockpit but the pirate who’d had the idea of taking on the Shadow turned out to be a very quick and efficient fighter. Apparently angry about being shot at, the guy had then forgone shooting the pilot in favor of smashing his head in and later on left his companion in order to get out the pirates Luke had downed. 

Starkiller quickly found out where their base of operations was. He killed the pirate, ordered PROXY to dispose of his body and then went to see Luke.

Luke looked up at Starkiller tiredly. He was sitting on a stool while a small medical drone floated around his head, disinfecting the gash at the side of his head. He didn’t even flinch at the sight of his brother leaning against the doorframe casually, wiping his bloody hands with a towel. 

“I’m going to take out the rest of them”, he said calmly. “Do you want to come with me?”

Luke knew that the offer was probably meant to comfort him or give him a chance to vent his anger. But he didn’t feel any anger. He just felt sort of empty.

Starkiller took his silence as a no and sighed.

“You know, there is a fine path between being an assassin who doesn’t let his emotions get in the way of his work and being a Sith who draws power from said emotions. In other words, you have to find a controlled outlet for them. Bottling it all up isn’t a solution.”

“I…” It was hard to speak, his mouth felt so dry. “I want to take care of Lokey.”

Starkiller thought about that.

“Alright. Not what I had in mind but whatever fits you. He didn’t have any close family as far as I know so you might bury him wherever you like.”

“Not bury”, Luke muttered. “Fire. I want to give him to the flames.”

It was a tradition on Tatooine to burn the dead. The sand of the desert was either too hard to bury someone or so soft scavengers would dig them out again within minutes. Burning them was really the only option and if you believed in immortal souls, you could imagine them rising to the sky together with the smoke.

Thus the rest of the day Luke and PROXY where busy finding enough flammable material in the desert world to set up a funeral pyre worthy of the great man Warren Lokey had been.

The sun had already set and the last ashes sunk to the ground when Starkiller returned.

“They’re dead”, was all he said.

“What about the tall, muscular one?”, Luke asked, remembering the leader of the group. 

“Did you…” He took a deep breath, feeling strangely guilty. “Did you make him hurt?”

Starkiller didn’t look him into the eye.

“No”, he admitted. “He… was already dead when I arrived.”

“What?”

“I don’t know, maybe his friends didn’t like the way he handled things or some rival got to him but after I cleared out their camp I found his body stuffed in a chest. The rest got what they deserved though.”

Luke didn’t know how to feel about that. He was a bit disgusted with himself for actually wishing the other would suffer but at the same time relieved this wish had not come true. Even if he wasn’t the one to torture and kill this man, he felt like Starkiller had done it for him or at least, he could’ve prevented him from doing it but hadn’t. Like this, it was one life less on his conscience.

“Are you in any condition to fly?”, Starkiller wanted to know.

Luke vacantly felt for his ear. The gash was mostly closed now, though it would probably leave a scar but his ear would forever be missing a piece.

“Yeah, it’s nothing.”

“That’s not what I meant”, Starkiller whispered back.

“I… I can fly”, Luke confirmed shaken. It would bring back memories of Lokey teaching him with the flight simulator but he didn’t want to stay on this planet longer than he needed to. He really hated deserts.

Luke settled into the cockpit. PROXY had removed all the blood and the corpse of the pirate. Starkiller retreated into the medical bay to have all the scrapes and bruises healed he got during all the fighting he’d done today. Unnoticed by either of them, the last remaining member of their crew, PROXY, silently slipped into the training room. There, he dropped on one knee before activating a holo unit that soon sprang to life, forming the imposing figure of Darth Vader.

“Report”, he said darkly and PROXY answered immediately.

“Everything went according to plan, my creator. The Master has successfully completed his mission. Young Skywalker had been left behind on the ship so a bit of improvising was in order. I found an excuse to leave the ship temporally and later returned in the disguise of a pirate with his gang. As you have commanded, Warren Lokey is dead and Skywalker was the one to find him. Neither him nor the Master suspect any outside interference.”

“Very well. How did my son react to this development?”

“With apathy, my Lord. He refused to join the Master in seeking revenge and instead organized a funeral for the Captain.”

Vader lowered his head for a moment, apparently in thought. 

“Another failure then”, he whispered at last. “I had high hopes for this one. I will watch how the situation develops but the way things are... I’m running out of options.”

“My Lord? If I may ask, what do you have in mind for the young Master?”

“His continued failure to connect with the dark side is becoming a serious problem, especially now that the Emperor has expressed an interest in him. It cannot be helped. I wanted to avoid using this… extreme measures but if not even the death of a friend will rouse any anger in him, I have no other choice. I have to abort his training. He is worthless as a Sith.”

“Then will he be sent back to his home planet?”

“No, that’s not possible. He has nobody to return to and I cannot risk any Jedi getting their hands on him. I… will have to take care of him myself.”

PROXY was lucky that he was a droid with little understanding of human behavior so he didn’t notice the waver in Vader’s voice or the pain, regret and… yes, fear that pulsed through the Force. Darth Vader would’ve killed anyone who caught him experiencing such weakness. He really, really didn’t want to do this. But Luke and more importantly the Emperor didn’t leave him any other choice.

At least he still had Starkiller to carry on his legacy. It was a small comfort, considering he’d come close to shattering their relationship once already. Now he was glad he hadn’t killed him but he had some catching up to do with his young student. Although that might have to wait for a few weeks yet. Vader knew the task he had before him was hard. It was maybe the most difficult thing he’d ever done. This was about his son, his own flesh and blood and it would… it would hurt. But he really had no other choice, he’d tried everything else short of torturing Luke and he wasn’t willing to cross that line. He’d rather kill Luke before he turned him violently.


	17. Chapter 17

For the next two weeks following Warren Lokey's death, Luke tried his best to distract himself. He couldn't help but think it was his fault and when he trained to exhaustion it was easier for him to fall asleep in the evening without having to worry about nightmares. However, his ongoing lessons about the Force kept pushing the memory to the forefront of his mind. His father insisted that he work through the experience productively and convert his sadness into anger but he couldn't. Lokey had been a kind man, he had cared about Luke even though he didn't always know how to show it, Luke couldn't help but think he would not want Luke to be angry about his death or dwell on it too much. Vader kept pushing him to deal with it in a way that he simply did not want to. This felt too personal to... abuse it for training.

Eventually Luke just became indifferent towards the whole thing. He did not forget about Lokey but he moved on and the memory didn't hurt anymore.

He could tell that his father was disappointed about this. Or maybe that wasn't the right word but it was all Luke could think of. Ever since they had returned from the mission, his father seemed... different. Closed off, colder and even easier to irritate than normal.

Luke could feel that exact moment when Vader gave up on trying to use his feelings about his teacher's death to connect to the dark side. The swirling black energy around him retreated to form that tight cloak that allowed him to sneak up even on the most sensitive people and the bond between them, used to force him to feel the dark side during meditation, was closed off and empty. It was then that Luke noticed this was different from all the other times he had disappointed his father. His rejection was far more visible and thorough and though Luke was not ready to back down, he was worried. He didn't like to be a failure, even if he was a failure at being something he despised. It was important to his father and if he could, he would use the dark side just to make him happy. Just to make him proud.

But he didn't and the finality with which Vader turned away from him made Luke cry at night for the first time since his father had lectured him for listening to a Jedi.

The young boy couldn't even put his finger on why he was affected this much. His father hadn't said anything to him. It wasn't like he'd told him that he'd given up on teaching Luke or that he'd be sent back to Tatooine or anything like that but still he was certain that something along those lines was going on in his head. Luke was such an obvious failure as a Sith, it was only a matter of time until his father would get tired of him and push him away.

Luke didn't want to leave. Sure, the Devastator certainly lacked the homely feeling of the Lars farm and his teachers were nice but nothing compared to Aunt Beru singing a lullaby to him at night or Uncle Owen showing him how to take care of the vaporators. They were more like the friends to him he'd had at school, people he liked to spend time with but that he didn't share such a great bond with.

But this ship was where Starkiller and his father lived. He loved teasing and squabbling with his brother (even if the threats and insults were mostly serious on Starkiller's side) and he loved the way his father talked to him about his past, with that raw voice that he sometimes used when he allowed his emotions to slip into it and he loved that feeling of the Force singing when he walked by his father's side after winning that race.

It was only few and far between that he had such family moments but they were there and when they were it was just perfect. It gave him hope. If he had to leave now, he knew there was just so much that he would... miss.

The next day he was awoken half an hour earlier then usual by a Stormtrooper knocking at his door. He was to report to the hangar bay for a special assignment.

Luke knew at once, that was it. His father was going to send him away. He would... He would just be cast out because he was not Sith material, because he had conspired with Jedi and been an overall bad son.

Though the trooper urged him to hurry, Luke insisted on stopping by Starkiller's training hall to say goodbye. After all he didn't know if he'd ever see his brother again.

“A special assignment? All on your own?”, Starkiller repeated somewhat incredulous.

Luke nodded sullenly. “That's what he said but... You know, I don't believe it's a mission in that sense.”

“Probably not an assassination, no. But when I started doing missions it wasn't about that either. I just had to do infiltration work, deliver messages, stuff like that.”

“I don't think that's it either”, Luke muttered. “Father, he... He was really strange yesterday. I think.... I think maybe he's just.. weary. Sick of me always failing.”

Starkiller narrowed his eyes. “You think... He ordered your death?”

Luke was sure his heart missed a beat. That... was a possibility he hadn't thought about.

“You're silly. I'm sure that's not it”, Starkiller said when he saw Luke's face fall.

“Remember, he wants us to kill each other when our training is finished.”

“Thanks for the reminder!”, Luke snarled. “And what if I never finish my training? What then?”

“Well, I... I still don't think he'd do it like this, he would at least want to kill you personally.”

“Except if he doesn't want anybody to know, he can make it look like an accident on a mission!”, Luke replied, now feeling panicked. “I mean, what if... Do you really think...?”

“I was kidding, Luke, I don't think that at all.”

“But what if you're right?” The more Luke thought about it, the more it made sense. “I mean, I know things, about the Sith and stuff that are secret. I know techniques even if I can't use them and...” And Vader would want to make sure he never ran into a Jedi again and all those problems would be solved if he were dead.

“S.K.... please help me!”, Luke plead.  
Starkiller scowled. “You are being ridiculous. Lord Vader wont kill you. You're his son. His...”, and it was visibly hard for him to speak that word, “...his favorite. I tell you, he won't kill you.”

But Luke didn't believe it. Not after the way he'd lost control when he found out about the old Jedi and not after the increasingly cruel way he was being treated during training to squeeze even a spark of dark side out of him. Why couldn't Starkiller see that Luke was in real danger? That this might be the end? But no, his brother was so utterly convinced that Luke was the favorite and he himself would always only come second to Vader that he thought their relationship was perfect and full of love when in truth it was far more complicated. It was bitter and difficult and for every step they took towards each other, they took another two back and after a whole year with his father, Luke couldn't help but think that nothing had changed, they were back at the beginning and he was that little boy looking up at the tall menacing figure, wondering if his next words would be his last ever spoken.

“Fine, then you don't believe me”, Luke said angrily. “I just thought... whatever.” He quickly turned around, leaving his brother behind.

On the way to the hangar bay, thoughts of fleeing crossed his mind multiple times. But where would he go? Hide somewhere in the ship? His father would surely find him. If he wanted to go at all he needed to go to the hangar anyway. His best bet was probably to trick whoever would be assigned as his pilot and slip away during this so called assignment.

That was his plan until he arrived at the hangar, a trooper told him to enter the Rogue Shadow... And he found none other then Darth Vader waiting for him already inside.

“F-Father?”, Luke asked, confused and just a bit afraid. “What... What does all of this mean?”

Vader turned to him fully then and Luke shivered when he realized he couldn't feel his presence in the Force at all. It was as if he wasn't even there.

“You and I will make a trip together, Luke”, Vader said, his mechanical voice sounding cold.

“A trip? Where to?”

“Away.”

Luke felt his heart sinking. Starkiller had said if Vader wanted to kill him, he would surely do it himself. Was this it? Was he being brought away to some distant place to be murdered?

“Alright”, he stuttered because there was really nothing he could do.

Vader took a seat in the cockpit and before long they had started and were souring out into space. Luke was very silent for the whole time. An hour passed, then two. Neither of them spoke a single word.

When Luke saw the timer for their hyperspace travel reach its end, he dared to ask again:  
“Where are we going?”

This time his father answered. “Hoth.”

Luke just looked ahead clueless, he had no idea what that meant.

“It's an uninhabited ice world in the Outer Rim”, Vader added after a short moment.

“Oh”, Luke made, not sure what else to say. Why in the name of the Force would they go to such a place? Was it to bury his body where nobody would ever find it?

Luke didn't want to die. The knowledge that his end might be so close made him panic before but now there was just a strange calmness that fell over him. If he was going to die soon...  
“Can I... Uhm, may I take over for the landing... please?”, he asked shyly. If he was going to die soon, he wanted to fly one last time.

Vader looked at him and for a moment Luke was sure he felt a tiny spark of surprise from him.  
“Very well”, the Sith Lord allowed and made room for his son.

Luke hopped onto the seat (he had to adjust its height a lot) and went through the by now familiar process of preparing for leaving hyperspace.

“Where do I land?”, he asked when the whitish-blue world appeared in front of them.  
“The mountains”, was his answer.

Luke swallowed again. Any chance of there being a specific purpose in their 'trip' died with these words. There were thousands of white mountains down there and if it didn't matter where he landed, it meant whatever they were here for was only between the two of them. An uninhabited ice world... nowhere for Luke to run even if he managed to get away.

Luke found a flat spot on a high mountain, overlooking a sea of clouds. Wordlessly Vader handed him a small package that turned out to contain thick winter clothing. Luke pulled it on quickly. Still he was surprised by the biting cold when they left the Shadow.

The young boy looked around in wonder.

“Is that... snow?”, he asked, letting some of the white stuff run through his fingers.

“Yes.”

“Why is there such thick mist?”

“These are clouds. This mountain is so high its top touches them.”

“That's amazing”, Luke said and breathed in deeply the cold but clean air. He turned to his father. “Why are we here?”

Vader took a moment to answer.

“Come with me”, he said then and led him away until the clouds swallowed the ship. He carried a small generator with him that gave off enough warmth for them not to freeze in the cold. After a while he put it one the ground and motioned for Luke to sit with him. They stayed there, motionless, just staring at the sea of clouds before them.

Finally, Vader began to speak.

“When you first came to me, son, I thought you could be my heir, my successor. You had great potential in the Force and I was convinced the dark side would come to you as naturally as it did to me. I was wrong. I do not know where I have failed with you. Maybe there is simply too much of your mother in you. She was always the calm, the forgiving one. These are not bad qualities but they are incompatible with the dark side. I thought maybe I could teach you, change you, give you the experience you needed to make the connection but without success. You do not want the power of the dark side and the dark side doesn't want you.”

“But I want to learn!”, Luke disagreed. “I want to use the dark side.”

“No Luke. You want to make me proud. You want to be a good son and master the challenges I give you. That is not the same. You do not crave power for the sake of power. You do not even crave power to protect those you're close to because you know these people are perfectly capable of protecting themselves. I know that you think of Starkiller, you and me as... belonging together and you realize that out of the three of us, you are the weakest. I tried to use your desire to belong, to keep up with us but even that is not enough to make the connection. At last, we have to accept it. You will never be a Sith. You will never be my apprentice and you will never succeed me. You are simply too weak.”

Luke was crying now. “Please, I... I'll try harder! You can... You can hurt me, break me, I don't care. Pain will help me to connect, won't it?”

“Not if you agree to be submitted to it. Not if you don't care.”

Luke cried even harder at that. “I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Please... Please, don't kill me.”

Suddenly there was a weight on his shoulder and Luke looked up with tear stained eyes at the black gauntlet on it and up again to his father.

“I won't kill you, Luke. You will never be in the same league as the Emperor, or me or even Starkiller. However, I believe you can become powerful enough to protect yourself against anyone else.”

Luke wiped away his tears. “What... What do you mean?”

“You have shown... an extraordinary affinity to the light side of the Force. While not as powerful as the dark side, with patience and a lot of training it can help you to get out of most dangerous situations.”

A small flame of hope erupted in Luke's chest. “But... the light side is bad.”

“It is weaker, slower but still more powerful than anything an ordinary mind can understand. Bad is only what the Jedi made of it with their twisted teachings. Many techniques the Sith use were adapted from the Jedi or the other way around. I have decided that you shall learn these techniques. The Emperor has taken note of you. Once I reject you as my apprentice you will need an alternative means to defend yourself.”

Luke was still confused. “But... who would I learn these techniques from? Only the Jedi know them and they're all evil.”

“You forget that I was a Jedi once myself. I know all there is to know about their techniques and I can teach them to you without all the... 'evil' brainwashing that they call a code.”

Luke stared at him with wide eyes.”You... You will teach me about the light side?”

“Yes. I will.”

Luke felt overwhelmed. He didn't think he had registered fully what this meant but it was a good thing... he thought. Yes, a very good thing.

“Okay. What do I do?”

“As you know, when meditating on the Force it is easy to loose oneself. In the worst case this can result in a permanent catatonic state. Even if you manage to get back, it is hard to concentrate and accomplish anything specific when distracted by everything the Force shows you. You have been at this point before, unable to feel the time pass, unable to return on your own. That is because you need a Master to guide you. I will connect my mind with yours and led you into the Force as I have done before.”

“Only now we're going to the light side”, Luke concluded.

“That's right. As you have made the connection before, in this first lesson we will concentrate on maintaining the connection to the real world so that you may know how much time passes.”

“Okay. I'm ready.” Luke closed his eyes and breathed deeply, waiting for his father.

Slowly that tight cloak suppressing his presence parted on the surface. Vader was deeply concentrated, reaching out for Luke, making a connection but hesitating there. Luke tentatively reached out and got a glimpse at a tight little ball of what could only be described as fear, something which his father tried to hide and fight at the same time.

Luke didn't know what his father was afraid of. He was Darth Vader, the most powerful man in the galaxy, what could he possibly have to fear? Still he tried to send soothing thoughts and feelings through their bond. At first that tight ball only seemed to grow and Vader started to fight it with anger. Luke retreated, confused. Where they doing dark side again? He thought this exercise was about the light. He poked his father with that innocent question and something in Vader snapped. The fear was violently pushed away, replaced by a sense of challenge. Luke felt a sudden tug at his mind and then... Then everything went white.

XxX

Darth Vader sat in the snow with his son at his side, breathing as deeply as his respirator allowed. He had chosen this place for three reasons. One, it was in the Outer Rim and no place anyone would search or disrupt them on. Two, it was a peaceful place, one where he might just be able to relax, which was imperative if he wanted to connect to the light. He couldn't go to the desert for this, as it would remind him too much of Tatooine and he couldn't go to a lush green planet either as it reminded him of Naboo. Both were places that he had previously found happiness on and both where tainted by the memory of the loved ones he'd lost. He wouldn't be able to concentrate there so a new environment was in order.

Lastly, it was devoid of any life and thus the Force was rather weak here. That might not be too good when it came to training but for Vader this was the first time he would connect to the light in eleven years and he knew he had to be careful. It would be a painful experience and if he could weaken the effect in any way, he would.

Vader closed his eyes. He had tried meditating on the light side before in preparation for this but failed miserably. He cared for his son but the fierce protectiveness he felt for him was the obsession of a Sith, not the love of a father. Yet it was the only even remotely light spark in him and if he wanted to teach his son what he had forgotten, he would have to light a fire from it.

Thoughts whirling around uncontrollably, he wondered if he could make this work at all. It was crazy, a Sith teaching a child about the light side. Would it weaken Vader's connection to the darkness? He remembered how much the dark side had opened his eyes all those years ago, how it had changed him. Would the light try to change him back? Was that even possible? How could he prevent it?

Vader tried to push all those concerns aside and tried very hard to think of nothing. Then he connected with Luke, noticing how the earlier fear had vanished completely from his son's heart. Vader had spent much effort on suppressing his own emotions, to detach himself from the dark side as much as possible during the flight and while he had caught the occasional stray thought from his son, he'd been too busy with his own concerns to worry about it.

Their connection was still frail, no more than a touching of their minds but Luke reached out for him farther... too far. He discovered the fear Vader was hiding, his fear of losing power, losing control. He poked at it curiously and Vader felt himself actually panic. Nobody was supposed to know or even suspect that there might be something he was afraid of, least of all his son, who was supposed to admire him. Vader half expected to be mocked or even attacked but of course Luke did no such thing. Instead, he tried to comfort and that was when the pain started.

Vader had known it would come and still he was unprepared for it. The way this innocent child caressed his mind, caring for him, reassuring him, letting him feel how he loved him... It was torture. It catapulted Vader back to the time when he'd been a husband, to that happiest moment of his life when he'd learned he was going to be a father, to those glorious few hours before he had his first vision when he imagined having a real family and telling stories and singing lullabies to his baby child with Padme in his arms...

It hurt. It hurt so much, to know what he'd lost, what he could've had but never would again. The pain was almost physical in its intensity and Vader tried to fight it the only way he knew how – with anger and hatred and loathing. He recalled everyone he made responsible for that loss. Padme for leaving him, Sidious for insisting on those stupid trials before giving him the power he needed and most of all Obi-Wan for taking his child from him. The pain lessened just a bit.

And then there was Luke, childishly asking if they were still doing light side stuff and Vader felt torn between laughing and crying. Of course... his son had no idea what Vader was sacrificing for him, the risks and the pain he shouldered for him. He had no idea how hard this was, to face a decade of loss and grief and guilt, of all that he had suppressed, ignored and bottled up during all those years.

But it also reminded him of why he did this. Luke needed to learn how to use the Force and if he couldn't connect to the dark side, this was the only possibility. Vader would never allow him to learn from a Jedi, his hatred for them was too strong. He would never leave this to anyone else. He was the boy's father and it was his job, dammit. He hadn't cared for him for a whole decade and he had a lot to make up for. He could take a little pain.

Slowly Vader opened up himself to the light side again. There was a moment when he wavered – what if he was to be confronted with the spirits of all the Jedi he’d killed? – but in the end he gathered up all his courage (and he needed a LOT of that), took Luke by his metaphorical hand and immersed himself in the Force.

When his inner eye was opened to the landscape beyond the living world for the first time in a decade, he was shocked at what he saw, felt and sensed. He remembered how this place had always been so serene and peaceful in his youth. It had reminded him of the soft Naboo grasslands, of waterfalls and forests. Now it was… like being on a battlefield, left behind by the living, a graveyard for the old heroes.

Luke was obvious to this. He had only ever known the dark and menacing, all-obscuring mist of the dark side that Vader had shown him. To him, even this… mutilated world was more beautiful than anything else. He stuck out his mind curiously, tentatively reaching this way and that but still staying close to Vader. The Sith Lord had the most painful image in his head of bringing Luke to a playground or an amusement park. One without any visitors, one half ruined but still Luke wanted to go and explore it, only asking for his permission to run ahead.

Vader had known that the reign of the Sith would damage the light but this… Maybe the sight should’ve made him proud but he couldn’t help but wonder how his son was supposed to draw power from this desolate place. The light side was supposed to be a well of wisdom and eternity. Obviously Vader had underestimated how strongly the Force and the Jedi influenced each other. 

The death of the Jedi had caused deep wounds in the light side, as could be sensed by numerous dark misty veils invading. The loss of the Jedi knowledge, the destruction of the archives and many holocrons, was undoubtedly mirrored in the lack of guidance and advice freely given by the Force. Instead of hearing a thousand voices whispering and many images flash before his eyes, there was just this blank whiteness, any knowledge remaining deeply hidden. Finally, the suffering of many people in the galaxy had made the light sluggish, muddy and hopeless. Where as a Jedi Vader had felt himself welcomed by the light like his mother would welcome him home after a hard day in the junkshop, now it took barely any notice of him. 

All in all it was no wonder the Jedi had been inactive all those years. While they might still be able to use the Force for combat if they connected to the light side, it would be nigh impossible to quench any vision or just general intuition or guidance from it like this. They were unable to find each other through the Force, unable to communicate, to predict their enemies’ moves or sense danger for themselves.

His son Luke had an extraordinary strong connection to the Force. With enough training and practice he might be able to coax the Force into giving him what he needed. The father in Vader thought this was a good thing. Luke could literally become the most powerful light side user in the galaxy and still there were next to no risks of him being found or contacted by Jedi. There were only a handful of Jedi Masters still alive who would be capable of finding him through the Force as long as Luke was reasonably careful and not too close to them. Vader was sure his son would tell him if he was contacted so he might even use that to hunt down these Masters.

The Sith in Vader however had other concerns. As strong as Luke was, it was entirely possible he would… ‘wake up’ the light side, that he would rebuild this world as he continued to use it. That would lessen the influence of the dark side on the galaxy at large, which would definitely be sensed by Sidious. Vader doubted a single person, even one as strong as Luke, could make a real impact as long as Vader and Sidious were holding the other end but his Master was really paranoid in that regard and wouldn’t stop until he found the source of the disturbance.

Of course by the time Luke became powerful enough to pose a threat Sidious would want to eliminate at all cost, Vader’s other student Starkiller would be ready for his final trial. Then, the Emperor would pose a threat no longer.

Feeling the conflict in his father settling down, Luke tugged at his mind again impatiently. Vader was momentarily surprised by the lonely bloom of affection that spread in him, untainted by the pain, annoyance or frustration the dark side usually brought with it. Luke was just… too... adorable. Dammit, was that… was that love he felt for the kid? The feeling was so foreign to him by now but here and now, immersed in the light side, it was so obvious, so easy to recognize. He loved that child. He loved his son.  
Oh, there would be so much pain waiting for him from that realization alone once he came back. But for now he was… just happy.

Very well then. It was time for Luke to have his first lesson about the Force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're finally on the same page as ff.net! Therefore, from now on the chapters will come faster but also be shorter.  
> Comments are much appreciated! They give me new inspiration and ideas. I tend to really take my reader's ideas into account and maybe even build it them into my story. Except for that latest twist. That was totally mine. Even my beta was shocked.


	18. Chapter 18

One week later

Starkiller whirled around, a dangerous glint in his eyes as he let his training saber sing through the air. With deadly precision it landed in the center of PROXY’s chest plate, cutting off the circuits and causing the droid to slump over.

Starkiller looked at his mechanical friend with a snarl. “I guess that ends today’s training session”, he muttered darkly.

Starkiller sheathed his saber. Now that the rush of battle was over, he felt a tremor in the Force that he had previously ignored. With a scowl he turned in the direction it was urging him. Something was going on. Now that he concentrated, he could feel his Master’s presence, still far away but it was unmistakable.

It had been one week since his Master had set out together with Luke. Starkiller hadn’t even realized that this special assignment Luke had gotten was involving his Master personally until the Sith Lord’s presence had just vanished into thin air. It was only in the next morning that PROXY told him his Force lessons would be canceled for the near future and he was to step up his combat training again.

Starkiller didn’t understand. What kind of mission would his Master possibly need Luke for? Anything that he might actually need assistance with, Starkiller was way better suited for. Or was Luke just receiving special treatment again? Was he learning new powerful techniques that he was except from? But how could he if he was still struggling with the basics?

Doubt and jealously had fought within the young boy while he continued to train this past week. What really got to him wasn’t the thought of Luke getting extra training – the stars knew he needed it – or even that Vader wanted to spend time alone with his son (true Sith did not crave company for company’s sake) but rather that he hadn’t been told any of it. He wasn’t ever told anything because he was just the tool, the one to be used when convenient and forgotten when not.

Starkiller realized that the sensation was leading him to the hangar bay. His Master was only just returning, it seemed. Yet his signature was unnaturally weak. That was most unusual. Either he filled the room with his terrifying power or he hid it entirely to get the element of surprise on his enemy.  
Starkiller followed the whisper of the dark side, the… promise of opportunity. Carefully hiding his presence himself he sneaked past the guards, hiding himself at the edge of a catwalk overlooking the hangar bay. He was just in time to see the shields opening to admit the Rogue Shadow in. A group of troopers and various droids hurried into the bay, led by Lieutenant Praji. Then the ramp lowered and Luke stumbled out of the ship, looking disheveled and obviously in panic. Starkiller could feel his fluctuating emotions, his fear and worry.

The young Sith was too far away to hear what they talked about but the troopers and droid hurried into the ship and Starkiller’s heart skipped a beat when they came out again, carrying Darth Vader on a stretcher.

At first, Starkiller couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The powerful figure of his Master lay completely motionless. Praji was bellowing commands. Luke was clutching one of the big black gauntlets, tears running down his face but he was soon pulled away by a trooper when Vader was carried away, undoubtedly into a medical facility.

Starkiller reached out with his senses, trying to connect to his Master but found him unresponsive.  
Something cold and hollow settled in his stomach as he realized how serious the situation must be. His Master was hurt badly, he was… weak and defenseless. How was that possible? What happened on that mission?

The initial shock was quickly replaced with anger. He was quite convinced that whatever had happened – it had been Luke’s fault. He’d probably done something stupid like running away or getting captured and Vader had been forced to fight his way through a small army to get to him. Yes, that must be what happened. If only Luke weren’t so weak, if only he didn’t need to be protected all the time!

With an angry snarl, Starkiller jumped from the catwalk, the Force softening his landing. He caught up to Luke just as he was leaving the hangar and before the other boy could react, Starkiller grabbed his shoulder and violently turned him around while slamming him against a wall. The glowing blade of his saber lay at his throat a moment later and Luke’s eyes widened as he saw the angry grimace of his brother.

“What happened to Lord Vader?”, he demanded to know. “What have you done to him?!”  
“S.K.! I – I didn’t do anything, he-"

“Liar! I can barely feel his presence anymore. You thought he would kill you, what, did you think you could turn the tables on him?”

Luke gaped at him in shock. That accusation was so outrageous, it managed to calm Luke down and made him reply in a serious tone: “S.K…. Listen to yourself. You know very well that I would never be able to do anything to him.. Even if I had the power… which I don’t.”

Starkiller narrowed his eyes but he could see the truth in his words. Of course Luke could never do anything to harm his Master, that was ridiculous. Still his Master was unwell and someone had to be at fault for that. Luke was just the most likely candidate.

“What happened to him then? What kind of mission was it he took you on?”

“I don’t know what happened. We were just doing meditation stuff. One morning he didn’t show up for the lesson and I went to look for him in the meditation chamber and he wasn’t moving. I was so scared, I didn’t know what was wrong and I just flew the ship back here as fast as I could.”

Starkiller had a hard time believing that but he sensed no lie in Luke’s words and reluctantly he pulled back his lightsaber.

“Was there anyone else around? Did you check the ship for infiltrators?”

“Nobody was around, we were all alone. I don’t know what happened to him.”

Luke carefully laid his hand on Starkiller’s while looking into his eyes.

“Uh, if you don’t mind… It would be real swell if you shut off that lethal weapon, brother.”

Starkiller rolled his eyes, ripped his hand from Luke’s grip and, to the utter shock of the younger boy, stabbed the blade at his chest.

Luke gave a yelp when a small, painful shock run through him but other than that, the lightsaber blade went straight through him without doing any harm.

“It’s just my practice saber, idiot. You know I don’t own a real one yet”, Starkiller said.

“Well, you could’ve fooled me, looking all bloodthirsty and stuff” , Luke complained and rubbed the painful spot on his chest.

“Good. I would hate to lose my touch.”

“No worry, you can still scare the shit out of me”, Luke returned with a wry smile. However, it died quickly when he added: “Right now though, I’m more scared for father. Do you… Do you think he’s going to be alright?”

Starkiller didn’t answer. He was too distracted by the horrifying idea that he might not be. What if his Master died? What would happen to Luke and him? The Emperor would try to replace Vader and he would certainly come and look at them to see if one of them was suitable. If he looked at Luke, he would kill him because he was useless and a danger because of having shown sympathy to the Jedi before. If he looked at Starkiller he would find that hidden ambition in his heart to kill him. While that would not disqualify him as a Sith, he would be given a choice: To serve under the man he had been raised to hate and trained to kill or to die as an unknown number, one of millions of victims.

Surprisingly though, Starkiller found that this choice did not unsettle him as much as it should have. Instead he felt a strange pang at the thought of Luke being killed together with his Master. Lord Vader was his anchor in life, his idol and Luke too had become increasingly important to him. Even if he was given the chance to prove his power, to get recognition and respect as Vader’s successor, how hollow would it be without those two in his life?

“Let’s go and check on him”, he said at last and Luke nodded.

As it turned out, Praji had organized for Lord Vader to be brought into his personal med bay as it was best equipped to take care of him. The Lieutenant himself sat in Vader’s office, keeping an eye on the monitors.

“How is my father?”, Luke wanted to know.

Praji sighed. “The examination is still going on.”

Starkiller looked ahead at the door to the med bay. “He is in there?”

“That’s right. His personal med bay is best fitted for his needs. I’m afraid you can’t see him, the air has been cleaned and enriched with oxygen and must not be contaminated. Once there is any news, the med droids will relay a message to these monitors. That could be a while still though.”

“You have the code for his med bay?”, Luke wondered. He had always had the impression his father wouldn’t leave anyone in there. That’s why he used the med droids after all.

Praji shifted uncomfortably. “He, well… He actually gave me the codes shortly before he went on his trip. In case something like this would happen.”

“Wait, what do you mean?”, Starkiller asked. “What’s wrong with him?”

Praji scowled a bit, unsure what to tell the children. “Lord Vader is… not in a perfectly healthy condition. Occasionally… old wounds open again and further surgeries are required. It has happened in the past before.” According to the notes of his predecessor, Vader’s last personal aide. Who was dead. Murdered shortly after witnessing Vader’s last relapse, apparently. Which did absolutely nothing do reassure Praji’s worries. What did confuse him however was that said last relapse had been the result of a major battle he’d taken part in. The origin of this particular event eluded him.

“Can we... Can we see him?”, Luke ashed hesitantly.

“I'm afraid there a no cameras in there.”

Just in this moment one of the monitors started to blink in an angry red light.

Praji paled. “I think you should leave now.”

“What? What happened?”, Luke wanted to know, feeling panic again.

“Nothing. He just needs rest.”

“Come one, Luke”, Starkiller muttered and pulled Luke with him.

“But...!”

“There's nothing you can do now.”

Starkiller realized now that he was not the only one worried for his Master. Whether it had been Luke's fault or not that he was in this condition now, he was certainly affected by it. Maybe even more so than Starkiller himself.

The young Sith didn't know why but somehow he felt his respect for his self-appointed brother rise. That didn't make any sense because Luke's loyalty came from true affection, not military devotion and that ought to be a weakness and yet... Though their background was different, Starkiller couldn't help but realize how similar that made them.

It would do Luke no good to dwell on what happened too much so Starkiller simply delivered him to PROXY, who had returned from maintenance by now, for one especially rigorous training session. However, he himself was elsewhere with his mind. Something about the whole incident bugged him. His Master would not simply waver just like that. There had to be a reason and Starkiller was still somewhat convinced Luke had something to do with it even if it might have been unintentional. This reason must be something obvious too because apparently Vader had suspected something might happen as he had prepared for this case. He must have misjudged the risk or else he and Luke wouldn't have gone so far away in a ship that was not suited to tend to his Master's needs but he had been aware that there was some kind of danger waiting for him.

What could possibly harm a Sith as powerful as his Master without leaving any visible signs? The answer came to Starkiller almost immediately: of course, the light side. They couldn't have met a Jedi as it would have resulted in a fight and Luke had said there was nobody else around. That could only mean whatever happened, Luke had made it so and with his natural affiliation being what it was, this did not surprise Starkiller. Luke had done something – unintentionally – to harm his Master. This would explain why his condition suddenly got worse again after they had entered the room.

The Force seemed to nudge Starkiller and he was sure he was in the right direction. Now the question was how to help his Master. The Force could be used for regenerative purposes, though that was no specialty of the dark side. Starkiller didn't know how to heal and his Master's body was probably already doing everything it could. There was however something he might be able to do to support him.

The Sith drew power from the fear and pain of their victims. If Luke's light presence, the presence of someone he valued had weakened him, then maybe the pain of one he hated would strengthen him.

Quite conveniently, they had someone on this ship who Vader hated with an unusual passion.  
The dark side sang around Starkiller as he arrived at this conclusion. He didn't know if it was just happy about him going to torture someone or if this would actually help his Master. Either way, he was going to risk it.

Starkiller hurried back to his Master's quarters.

“Lieutenant Praji”, he said said, “I need your help.”

XxX

Obi-Wan didn't know how much time had passed since he'd been captured or even just since he'd met young Luke. The realization that this innocent boy had fallen into Vader's clutches still made him sick. He felt some comfort in the fact that he hadn't been able to feel any shred of darkness in the boy's presence but he also had no illusions: Vader would rip away the innocence of this child soon enough. He would twist him into something evil and cold just like himself. That or he would kill Luke, be it because he reminded him of the man he once was or simply in a burst of his infamous temper. 

Obi-Wan wished so much there were something he could do to help but he just couldn't see anything.

A few days after Luke had come to him, Obi-Wan had gotten a visit from his old student for the first time in weeks. The experience had been... beyond painful but surprisingly, he had been kept alive. Vader had accused him of feeding his son lies about him so Obi-Wan knew he had found out but he had no idea what kind of punishment the boy had gotten for his transgression. He shuddered at the mere thought of it.

For the next two weeks or so Vader had come to him almost daily as if to remind him why he was here but after that he had slowly lost his interest again.

It pained the old Jedi to see his former brother reduced to such a hate-filled... thing. Many times he'd wished he would've had the courage to kill him all those years go, to spare him this terrible existence. It would've saved countless of people.

Months had passed and when Obi-Wan's door opened again for the first time in what felt like eternity, he was almost relieved. But it wasn't Vader who entered his cell. This person, whoever it was (his eyes were still covered so he couldn't see him) felt dark and angry and scared but his signature was different from his former student.

“Get him out”, a young, male voice said and Obi-Wan felt his blood freeze in his veins.

“Are you sure this is a god idea?”, another, older man answered. “If Lord Vader learns of this...”

“I am not in the mood to argue”, the young one said coldly. “Move him. Now.”

“Luke?”, Obi-Wan asked with a raw voice. Oh by the Force, please don't let this be Luke. Had Vader won after all? Had he corrupted Luke, turned him to the dark side? He thought the voice sounded different but then again, it had been so long since he'd heard anyone's voice.

Suddenly pain exploded in his chin when it was met by something hard.

“Don't you dare say that name!”, the child called out angrily.

Obi-Wan felt like crying. Those were the exact same words Vader had used when he'd dared to call him by his real name. Like father like son...

The stretcher Obi-Wan was bound on was raised upright and rolled out of the cell. Something soft and light fell over him and the Jedi realized he was being covered by some kind of linen.

“If you dare to make a noise, I'll put my blade through your eye sockets. In through the one, out through the other”, the boy threatened, sounding completely serious. Obi-Wan didn't answer. He had failed... He'd lost Luke. He had become twisted and cold like his father and he knew, he just knew the whole galaxy would suffer from it.

They rolled him around for a long way. At last when they stopped and the sheet was removed, Obi-Wan knew that Vader himself was close. He couldn't be too close as he couldn't hear his respirator but he felt his presence close by. However it was strangely dampened. Even Luke next to him left a stronger imprint in the Force. That confused Obi-Wan. He knew if Vader wanted he could hide his presence completely or he could flood the room with his power. This felt like something in the middle and it made no sense to him.

“This is crazy”, the second voice muttered worriedly. “The Lord will not be pleased at all.”

“What does it matter”, the boy shot back, “if it works?”

Obi-Wan felt the clasps around his arms give away.

The second man let out a startled sound. “What are you doing!? You can't free him!”

“I can't cause him as much pain as I need to if he's bound like this.”

Obi-Wan had barely a moment of time to realize what was going on before a blade was brutally stabbed through his shoulder and he let out a pained cry.

“Help me out, will you?”

“I can't! Do you have any idea how many rules you're going against with this?”

“Don't be such a coward! It's not like he can get out, the door doesn't open without a code. Now take his arm, will you?”

“Are those... thumbscrews!?”

“Ancient but efficient. Think of it like this, he won't be holding a weapon anytime soon … Oh come on, really?”

“I think I need to go.”

“You've been working with Lord Vader for years, how come you have such a weak stomach?”

“I'm doing organization work, I'm not being personally trained by him!”

“You're a weakling, that's what you are. Now hold that knife for a second...”

Obi-Wan had a very bad feeling about this.


	19. Chapter 19

When Darth Vader came to himself again, it was in a world of pain, fear and coldness. It should've felt familiar. It should've felt like he belonged. Instead, he felt his mind flinch away from it, repulsed by the shadowy ghosts dancing around him. He was overly aware of the black armor surrounding him, cutting him off from the world, trapping him. His limbs ached and his lungs burned. He felt like he was on fire, like being transported back to that day on Mustarfar. Obi-Wan was watching him and behind him dozens of other Jedi stood, the small ones first, the younglings he'd killed and behind them all those Masters he had hunted down. They were all looking at him betrayed and hopeless and there in the first row stood Luke, holding his mother's hand, his mother who still sported bruises around her neck.

The pain he felt at seeing them was excruciating and yet it made him stronger. He could hear the whisper of the dark side. He could make the pain stop. He could crush them all. The mere thought repulsed him. Truly, it was his fall all over again but slowly... ever so slowly... he remembered.

He remembered that he was a Dark Lord of the Sith. He had given into the dark side long ago, he had mastered its power and defeated his own weakness. Out of necessity he had turned his back on it temporarily but with every intention to turn back. That darkness was his, that anger, that hatred, it belonged to him. It was his food and drink, it was the air he breathed, it was a part of him. Then why... why did it suddenly feel like it was the last thing on the world he wanted to do?

"Luke...", he rasped, coughing as another stab of pain went through his lung. Where was Luke?

What had happened?

Vaguely Vader remembered taking him to Hoth to teach him. They had spend hours each day immersed in meditation and every time he came back from it, Vader had felt weaker, more exhausted. His suit had started giving off all sorts of alarms but Vader had known that if he returned now without at least teaching the basics to Luke, he would have to come back later. He would have to do it all over again and he honestly didn't think he could do that.

All the deaths that he'd never cared about had suddenly started to haunt him. He felt no guilt about what he'd done in the name of the Empire but he couldn't help but blame himself for the loss of his family. And the Jedi... Even though he knew they had no place in the galaxy anymore, even though he knew he'd had no other choice and he would kill them all over again if he had to, he felt... disgusted when remembering how he'd betrayed them. He wished they hadn't known him as one of their own. He wished he could've given them a chance to fight back. It had been easy to kill them because they trusted him to protect them. Just like Luke was trusting him now.

The experience had been … just so intense. For years Vader had strengthened his will with the dark side and he knew that will to live, to keep going and to fight back was keeping his body in shape as well. His desire for revenge had had a lot to do with his survival back when the Empire had been founded and so it was no wonder that the blow the light had dealed him would affect his condition as well.

Luckily, Luke had been a fast learner. By the time a week was over, Vader was sure he would never again be in any danger just from meditating and all further lectures could be passed on verbally without the need to demonstrate. But by that time his suit had already begun working on emergency reserves, having to use an unusually high amount of energy to keep him alive. Fortunately in order to stay connected to the light side, Vader had to let go of all that pain and so he doubted Luke had any idea of what happened to him. It would've only distracted him from his training anyway. But he had miscalculated the danger. It looked like he was back in his private medical bay though he couldn't remember how he got here.

Either way, it was time to return. It was time to wake up and to embrace the dark side yet again. He could feel it waiting for him. He could feel... suffering. Someone close by was suffering from great pain, someone... familiar.

His heart that had still secretly fought against having to go back to a dark and unhappy place was suddenly filled with hatred as he recognized the signature. Shoving the droids away that had just finished reattaching his armor, he got to his feet, feeling new energy rush through him. He practically ripped open the door leading to his quarters – and his anger rose to unfathomable heights at what he saw.

In one corner of the room his personal aide, Lieutenant Praji lay, groaning and obviously just waking up from unconsciousness. In the other he could see the unmoving form of his apprentice, Starkiller, more or less covered in blood. The source of his anger however was in the stretcher that stood upright in the middle of the room, one very familiar, bloody stretcher with its bindings open – and no Jedi in it.

Vader let out an angry shout and the dark side practically exploded around him. Together with many monitors and other equipment that was unable to withstand the wave of power he sent through the room – Praji promptly fell unconscious again.

Searching for someone to blame for what had happened – Kenobi! Escaping! How could that happen? - Vader pulled the motionless body of his apprentice up at his collar and slammed him against a wall. However, that did not serve to wake him up and when Vader viciously tore through his mind, he realized why.

Apparently his young student had recognized where his symptoms came from. That alone was disturbing enough but instead of doing the Sithly thing and giving him the rest by encouraging Luke to stay at his side, he had formulated an efficient yet highly risky plan to save him. He'd convinced Praji to help him bring the Jedi prisoner up to his quarters and then spent a good amount of time torturing him in order to strengthen the dark side in Vader's vicinity.

Of course the only encounter the boy had ever had with a Jedi was a banished Padawan. He had no idea what a Master like Kenobi was capable of. Plus the pleasure of inflicting pain on his victim and his own hatred for the Jedi had made him careless. Kenobi, while severely weakened physically, still had an extraordinarily strong mind and in a moment of distraction had overwhelmed his apprentice, using the Force to send him to sleep. Having used a considerable amount of his mental power on the young Sith, Kenobi had to knock out Praji the old fashioned way. He'd then searched through the Lieutenants memory to get the code for the door and made a run for it.

The good news was that Kenobi was severely wounded. From what Vader saw in Starkiller's memories, he doubted the Jedi would ever be able to use his right hand again and he'd actually separated large portions of his skin from his back and legs. Vader had thought those were bloody rags at the foot of the stretcher. Apparently not. So, he couldn't run very fast or fight adequately.

The bad news was that the whole escape had taken place roughly twenty minutes ago. Storming out of his quarters and putting the entire ship on high alert, he found out that nobody had been aware of having a prisoner running free. People generally tended to avoid the wing Vader resided in and so the bloody trail leading away from his door hadn't been discovered immediately. The Sith Lord knew the Jedi could mind-trick pretty much everyone to overlook him and said trail stopped after another three corridors or so when he must've managed to stop the bleeding but where he went from there was anyone's guess.

At last Vader commed the hangar crew and was informed that a couple of minutes ago, there had been a defect in a closed-off section, resulting in the ejection of a dozen rescue capsules. He immediately ordered those capsules to be brought back in or shot down before heading for his personal TIE-fighter.

Kenobi was hiding his presence well. He could feel him around somewhere but could not pinpoint his exact position. Just in case he told his crew to send a message down to the planet they were currently orbiting and command them to hold onto any vessel that might get through their atmosphere. Only to discover that said planet happened to be Alderaan, which had one of the most uncooperative governments he'd ever had the displeasure of working with. This was really not his day.

Vader personally shot down eight of the twelve rescue capsules that had been ejected and got the confirmation that another two had been brought in and found empty while one was destroyed by another pilot. The last one however, was missing.

Vader was absolutely furious. He knew that an awful lot of officers in charge for security protocol and guarding of the infiltrated sections would die by his hand today and Starkiller – oh, that boy would feel his rage as well.

The pain from his old wounds however had all but vanished.

XxX

Starkiller couldn't suppress a pained gasp when he hit the ground. This time, the angle was unfortunate and he was sure he heard a silent crack as a spike of agony soured through his rip cage. Yes, that was a broken bone right there.

Before he even had time to assess the damage, his body was already lifted upwards again. He slammed against the wall with his head first and for a moment everything went black. When he opened his eyes again all he could see were his Master's boots and the tip of a glowing red blade.

"You cannot even imagine the damage you have done", his Master growled darkly and that more than the violent treatment made Starkiller shiver in fear because for the last half an hour Vader had shouted and ranted at him about losing the Jedi. Calmness always meant his punishment would come to an end.

In the past, when Starkiller had messed up something, his Master would punish him lightly, giving him a taste for what was to come and then inflict some kind of grievous wound on him that he would have the droids patch up without using any sedatives, leaving a scar for sure.

This time around, Vader was angrier then ever before with him and Starkiller was almost sure that his final punishment this time would be death.

Starkiller didn't want to die.

"Master... please!", he begged. "I will make up for my failure. I will hunt down the Jedi and bring him back myself."

"You lost the Jedi when he was bound and blinded in a high security facility!", Vader roared. "How can I expect you to bring him back? You freed Kenobi. That makes you a traitor to the Empire. There can only be one punishment for that."

Starkiller felt panicked. He looked around in the room for anything to help him. It was the same room he'd tortured the Jedi in, in Darth Vader's quarters.

The Sith Lord raised his lightsaber for what was sure to be the final swing.

Starkiller raised his hand as if to ward it off.

"Wait! Wait, what about... what about Luke?", he said panicked and was surprised when Vader actually stopped.

"What about him?", he spat.

Alright, what he was about to say next could either save Starkiller... or it could make his Master ten times more furious. But well, it wasn't like things could get any worse for him at this point.

"I know that I... I failed you but I'm still ten times better than Luke will ever be. If you kill me now, Luke will have to take my place and he isn't ready for that. With only him you can't... move forward with your plans."

Starkiller was not sure if arguing logically was the best thing to do right now. Vader was clearly in a rage and pointing out the mistake he was making as well as criticizing his son might not be a good idea. In fact, judging by the rise in dark Force energy around him, Starkiller was sure it had not been a good idea. Damn. This looked like it would be his end.

The red blade was about to rush down at his throat when a comm beeped at the desk behind Vader, accompanied by the red blinking light of an emergency call.

The fiery hot plasma blade burrowed into the duracrete floor just next to Starkiller's head and melted a couple of inches through it.

"What?!", Vader called out, angry at being interrupted and used the Force to activate the comm.

Suddenly blue light was filling the room and Starkiller's face lost all color when the image of none other then the Emperor appeared in the middle of it.

Damn. He shouldn't have thought things couldn't get worse. He'd cursed it with that.

"My dear friend", the Emperor said, addressing Vader with a sickly sweetness. "You don't look so well. What has you in such a rage today?"

"Nothing", Vader bit out, too angry even to show the Emperor proper respect. "I am merely taking care of a little pest."

Starkiller flinched back at those harsh words. Coming from his Master who he so admired it was bad enough but in front of the Emperor it was the greatest humiliation.

"You cannot tell me it is nothing", the Emperor said, now with a sharp edge to his voice. "I could sense your wrath from half a galaxy away and that so shortly after I left you. Tell me what has enraged you so, my friend... We can find a solution together."

Starkiller made sure not to make a single sound. He was reasonably sure he was outside of the holo projector's range so the Emperor couldn't see him and he had no intention of drawing attention to himself.

Vader still hesitated but there was no way he would be able to hide this disaster from his Master for long. Without leaving Starkiller out of his sight, he answered: "The Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi... he escaped while I was away on a mission."

"And you are punishing those responsible", the Emperor concluded. "While I understand your anger, my friend, I believe you would make a mistake by handing out death today." The old man paused for a moment.

"Let me see him, that young student of yours", he said at last.

Ice cold fear filled Starkiller's veins, fear as he hadn't even felt it in the face of death. The Emperor knew! He knew he was here!

Vader seemed to visibly fight with himself for a couple of seconds but in the end, he gave a sharp nod and gestured Starkiller to move forward so his image could he assessed by the projector.

The boy sat still for a few more minutes, sending a pleading look over to his Master but he didn't even acknowledge him. In the end he moved forward, under intense pain from his broken rips. Even so he was unable to stand up and could only save some dignity by kneeling down, covering up his weakness.

"My Emperor", he muttered, gaze held down, trying to look like an unremarkable underling.

"What is your name, my boy?"

"My name is Starkiller, your highness."

"That is your code name but what is your real one?"

Starkiller was confused for a moment. "My... my real one?"

"Yes, the one your parents gave you. Don't you know who your parents are?"

Starkiller's thoughts were whirling. From all the things the Emperor would want to talk about him, he had never imagined this to be a part.

"I don't know, your highness."

The Emperor turned back to Vader with an obviously fake thoughtful expression.

"Lord Vader, what is the boy's given name?"

Starkiller thought his heart might stop any moment. He couldn't help but look up at his Master with wide eyes. For a moment it seemed as if Vader would refuse to answer but in the end, he spat out the words that would change Starkiller's view of the world forever.

"His name is Galen Marek."

Starkiller was sure time must have stopped for a second only to pass faster a moment later. A name. He had a name... a real name! One with a meaning, one that might have a family standing behind it. His Master had known that name all along... and hadn't told him.

"Very well, Galen. Tell me, how is it that you were responsible for the Jedi's escape?"

His mouth suddenly felt very dry and yet he managed to answer:

"I was... interrogating the Jedi and got careless. His body was weak but his mind overwhelmed mine."

"You were interrogating the Jedi?"

"Practicing interrogation methods", he corrected himself. "I thought... I was foolish enough to think that in the absence of my Master I could measure myself against one of the greatest enemies the Empire has."

Starkiller saw the disappointment and disgust flash over the Emperor's face before he was able to hide it at the same moment that he felt surprise coming from his Master. Starkiller knew that the Emperor must not know the true reason he saw fit to move the Jedi from his cell and up to Lord Vader's quarters to torture him. He must not know of the weakened state his Master had returned in because not only would that make him look bad, it would also raise question about the why, which would led to questions about Luke and what they had been doing. The young Sith wasn't exactly sure what that had been but he did know that the Emperor wouldn't like the answer to those questions.

"I see", the Emperor replied, now noticeably colder. "That was indeed very rash and reckless of you. However, your enthusiasm is to be commended. The dark side is strong in you... Lord Vader, I have a proposition to make. I believe this young one would benefit greatly from being trained here, in the Imperial palace."

"Master!", Vader objected even as Starkiller felt his heart stop for the second time that day, "he is hardly worth your notice, you heard how he failed today!"

"Exactly, my friend. Clearly between your duties with the military and your new status as a father you have not invested enough time in teaching this youngling proper behavior. We talked about this. I intend to take the weight off your shoulders. You don't have to worry, your charge will be in the best hands. In fact, I will personally oversee his education."

That didn't reassure Starkiller at all. Not one bit. In fact, he felt some unadulterated terror course through his veins.

"I still have need for him", Vader ground out. "I had to... unfortunately abort my son's training. He does not have the talent I first saw in him."

"Yet you were about to kill this child just a few minutes ago, Lord Vader. I am glad you now see what a waste that would've been but it does not change the fact that you lost control. I am afraid this proves you are not fit to raise this boy and I will not have you throw his talent away like that. Do with your own son as you like. He is from your blood and I will not interfere. But this boy from now on belongs to me."

Those words sounded terribly final and Starkiller tried to catch his Master's eye, tried to convey that he'd do anything, anything at all if he was spared this fate. But Vader wouldn't even look at him.

"Master... please", Starkiller begged. He was so terrified he couldn't even find it in himself to be disgusted at how pathetic and broken he sounded in that moment.

Objectively, he knew his Master had no choice. The Emperor had watched their little game long enough, had sent his spies to assess Starkiller's and Luke's potential and dismissed the latter as useless. Then, in a moment of weakness he had struck. Vader was completely outmaneuvered. His own attachment to his son was now his downfall as he had chosen Luke over his long trained student when he'd first had Starkiller removed from his safe hiding place on the Executor. He could not refuse the Emperor's proposition, not when he was just one second away from killing Starkiller himself a moment ago. He had let his emotions dictate his actions just as Darth Sidious knew he would and now Starkiller had to pay the price for it.

"It will be as you wish", Vader said coldly and for Starkiller it sounded like the last nail to be hammered into his coffin.

Once again, he was being dismissed by his Master. Thrown away, sold... betrayed.

"Very good. I expect you to organize a transport for the boy to the Imperial Center as soon as his physical condition allows it." The Sith Lord turned his cold eyes to Starkiller, smiling that disgustingly nice smile. "I look forward to meeting you in person... Galen."

Starkiller could only stare at him numbly. He barely managed to get a "Yes, your highness" out before the blue image thankfully blinked out of existence.

For a couple of seconds, everything was silent. At last, Starkiller struggled to get to his feet.

"If you don't require my presence any longer", he said stiffly, "I ask permission to find a med droid, my Lord." He was very specific in addressing Vader with 'my Lord', not with 'Master' as he would've normally. Vader, it appeared, was no longer his Master.

"Permission granted", Vader returned equally short and though Starkiller felt some disappointment at it, he didn't let it show. It wasn't being left behind and given away to a devil that was the worst. No, what hurt most was that Vader hadn't even fought all that much about keeping him. Vader had tried to kill him and the Emperor – the Emperor had saved him. Up was down and left was right. When had the galaxy stopped making sense? Oh right. When Luke had entered it.

When the door closed behind him and Starkiller stumbled in the direction of the next public medical station, he couldn't help but wish his Master had killed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another plot twist. This one came out of nowhere, I hadn't planned on it before I actually wrote it down.
> 
> About Vader's condition: The wounds he received on Mustarfar really should've killed him. What helped him to survive was his iron will and his desire for revenge. During to his Sith training, that hatred has been fed for years and never once has he wavered in it. That is, until he met Luke. I believe that teh will of a person plays a great role in helping him overcome a sickness. Padme too died for no reason just because she lost that will.
> 
> Now I'm not saying that being confronted with his loss and guilt during his training with Luke made Vader suicidal but he did waver in his will to fight dor a tyranny he knows Luke (the only person he loves) doesn't approve of. This has weakened both his connection to the dark side, affecting any Force-induced regenerative abilities he might have had as well as weaken his bodies immunsystem in general. Coupled with being stubborn and not receiving his regular medi check ups for a whole week, that's the reason he came back in such a bad shape.
> 
> SK's plan, as crazy as it sounds, was actually a great help. Now teh droids in teh med bay did half the work by repairing the worst damage but he certainly wouldn't ave been able to be on his feet again so quickly if it weren't for the rush of dark side hatred upon seeing Kenobi escaped.
> 
> About SK's punishment:
> 
> I thought, Vader has to punish Starkiller and he's currently full of dark side. I think of it as a seesaw that lies flat when Vader is in normal state and that has been put terribly off balance when Vader touched the light side. Now Starkiller with his stunt put the seesaw the other way around, now it was off balanced to the dark side, which caused him to lose control.
> 
> I thought it would be pretty ironic if the emperor were to save Starkiller. Originally it was just meant to wake up Vader and make Starkiller doubt his Master but it went completely off course from there and now poor SK has to train under evil Sidious! Oh my gosh, what have I done!? I don't eve know if that's brilliant of just plain crazy. It was certainly never part of my plan.
> 
> After receiving his wake up call, the seesaw was once again pushed into the light spectrum, just not nearly as strongly, causing him to realize what he really had in SK and having him react in a semi-human manner by asking his son for advice. He will probably still have bad mood swings for some time before his emotional seeasaw is in the right position again, so this is not to be seen as a radical change in character. Rather like he's recovering from a drug trip. With lots of pink elephants dancing around his head.
> 
> I hope that clears up things a bit. Sometimes I do crazy stuff because Rule Of Cooland it's just great for teh story but I DO try to find a reasonable explanation for it for you^^


	20. Chapter 20

Vader was pacing up and down in his room, his thoughts spinning madly. A droid crew had come to clean his room after what had happened with Kenobi but now there were once again red patches to be seen on the wall where he'd punished Starkiller. They stood out like a mockery to him, proof of his inability to control the dark side.

Now he'd lost his apprentice and Luke would never turn to the dark side. He had made great progress during that week, more than he'd ever dared to hope but it remained fact that the light side was weaker than the dark and Vader would never be able to defeat his Master with only him to help him out.

As much as he hated to admit it but in one thing Sidious was right: Vader couldn't just find another child to train to replace Starkiller, not now that he had his hands full of Luke. Starkiller had been far enough ahead that he could learn by experience or self study with minimal guidance but now... Now that promising student was in Sidious' hands.

It was the worst possible outcome. True, the Emperor hadn't punished him for the obvious breaking of the Sith code. Instead he'd taken his weapon from him. Vader had begun to play this game and now Sidious wanted to have a part in it as well. He could see it, how they would both raise and train one child and shape them to hate the other. One day Sidious would send Starkiller to kill Luke and it would be a mockery because it was to represent the inevitable fight between Vader and Sidious himself. Starkiller would kill Luke and it would serve as a warning to Vader not to go against his Master ever again. It would only be a matter of time after that before Starkiller came to kill Vader, taking revenge for everything Vader had done to him. Oh, he had raised him, he had spared his life and given him food and shelter and power but Sidious would twist it all. Vader had felt it, the moment his Master had forced him to reveal the boy's true name, that Starkiller's unshakable loyalty had broken down. He would twist the boy to think Vader had taken his family from him – never mind he was the spawn of a Jedi and Sidious would've done nothing different. He would use Starkiller's jealously of Luke against him and make him hate his son just as much.

Punishing him like that, it had been a mistake. He realized that now. Starkiller was too valuable. Yes, he had freed Kenobi but Vader at least understood why he did it. He had done it to help Vader reconnect to the dark side, to help him heal – because he, just like Luke, honestly cared about him. He had known he would be punished for it and yet he'd done it anyway. Vader felt an unnatural ache in his heart at the thought. It wasn't the first time Starkiller had proven his admiration and even affection for him but it was the first time that Vader felt moved by it, even if just a little bit. It wasn't just the fact that he'd wanted to help alone, it was the way he'd gone about it – the Sith way, the way he'd taught him. Bringing in Kenobi, the man he hated most and torturing him was a brilliant move on his part and it had worked – only it had worked too well. Vader had shed every connection to the light side upon feeling the disturbance, he had completely engulfed himself in the dark yet again. However, in doing so he'd been thrown in a rage, worsened yet when he discovered Kenobi was gone. Furious, he had been unable to think clearly. The Emperor must have watched the boys for quite some time, monitoring them through the Force and while Vader doubted he would discover Luke's progress in the light side – that's not where the Sith Lord tended to search after all – he had undoubtedly discovered Starkiller's talent. He must have set his mind on him for some time and been warned through the Force when Vader was about to kill him. That's why he'd called.

Now Vader had to deliver this child to his Master. That boy that he raised for eight long years, that he shared a connection with – he would have to give him away. Before all of that happened, Vader had his mind made up that he'd allow Starkiller to accompany him more often. He wanted to have him at his side when he went on missions, he wanted to evaluate him in the field himself and teach him everything he'd missed out. Vader could see it before him, Starkiller's reaction when he told him about it, his delight, his pride. His eyes would widen and the corners of his mouth would curve in an attempt to suppress a smile and he would bow down and promise not to disappoint him. Yes, Vader had actually looked forward to seeing that reaction. It would have put an end to the rivalry between him and his son as well. They could still compete when they were both using different sides of the Force but the pressure of the Rule of Two would no longer hang over their heads as their positions would be clearly outlined.

It had all been perfect. But then Kenobi fled, Vader almost killed Starkiller and Sidious insisted on calling in his ultimatum far earlier than expected. He had given Starkiller away and the look of betrayal in his face made Vader hurt just as the one of pride would've made him happy.

He didn't understand. Sure, the situation was bad, he'd lost his apprentice but it could be worse. It wasn't like he had always depended entirely on Starkiller to kill the Emperor. He had half a dozen other plans in place. So what if Sidious trained the boy? So what if he was being sent after Vader? He would just kill him and be done with it. As talented as the boy was, it would be decades before he reached Vader's expertise. He would just have to move one of his other plans forward before that time came.

But he found that prospect troubled him more than he cared to admit. That child had depended on him, counted on his protection until he was ready and he'd let him down. This was entirely his fault and if Starkiller hated him now, it was justified. He didn't want to take his life on top of everything as well.

But he might have to, if Starkiller came after Luke – and the Emperor would make sure he would. As much as it irked him, Luke was now Vader's only weakness and one Starkiller knew all to well. The smart thing to do would be to kill Starkiller today while he could still pretend he'd died from his injuries. But he found he didn't want to do that.

Vader let out a curse and threw one of the monitors against a wall in his anger. Why did he care so much? He should just kill the brat! He had to in order to protect his son. He wouldn't have hesitated before so what had changed? What was wrong with him?

Vader had to support himself on the wall with one hand, breathing heavily. All the excitement of the last day was getting to him. He had only left the med bay from a life threatening operation a couple of hours ago after all. The Sith Lord felt the by now familiar ache in his chest and he knew what the problem was.

His training with Luke – the connection to the light side. It had done more than damage his health. It had changed something within him. It had made him care. He had realized the depth of his feelings for his son and he'd thought that was bad enough. As a Sith Lord, he couldn't allow himself to love someone, even his own child. He would forever be vulnerable. To take pride in what was his was one thing, to obsess over one person was unhealthy but could be overlooked but to actually love someone... that would only led to trouble. He only had to remember Padme to know where it would led him.

Vader refused to believe that he should harbor similar feelings for his apprentice as well. That would simply be too much. But he did care that he'd lost the boy, he regretted having attacked him and he felt pain at the thought that before long, Starkiller would be taught to hate him. This... attachment may prove to be even worse than his love for his son. At least Luke was with him and the Emperor had as of yet no interest in him. Starkiller would one day return as his enemy, driven by hate and betrayal and Vader was not sure he could face that.

Suddenly he wondered if this was how Kenobi had felt when he confronted him on Mustafar.  
Vader cursed again. He could not allow things to get that far out of hand! But what could he do? He had but hours before Starkiller would depart. What could he say to him? Which words would make up for all the pain he'd caused him? Where there even any? Vader didn't know. He felt helpless and maybe even a little depressed and that was so atypical for him it disgusted and scared him at the same time.

His thoughts wandered off to his son. What if it had been him who had freed Kenobi? Would he have reacted the same way? Probably not. There was just something about Luke, something that made people forgive him, made them love him. Vader wasn't the only one affected by his charm, he knew. In the reports his teachers wrote him he could always feel their affection to him and even Starkiller who had more reason than anyone to hate the boy, had grown fond of him. Nobody could stay angry at Luke for long.

… Maybe that was the solution. It was a crazy idea and Vader wanted to dismiss it immediately... but it stuck around. Luke would know what to say. Luke would now how to make Starkiller not hate him, how to.... apologize. Damn, was he really considering this?

… Yes, he was. Starkiller was just too important and... he owed him. It would be awkward and maybe even painful. It could potentially expose Vader and be used against him later on. But he found he didn't want Starkiller to leave, thinking he had been thrown away yet again.

XxX

Luke held onto his brother's hand, bravely holding back his tears. He didn't know what was going on. When he'd gotten the memo from the med station, he'd feared the worst – that his father was feeling worse again. But it hadn't been Vader who'd called for his presence but Starkiller. Luke couldn't imagine what had put him in such a terrible state. The staff didn't know, just said he came stumbling in here like this and Starkiller himself was too full of sedatives to tell him anything. Luke had heard the alarm blaring through the ship a few hours earlier and he thought maybe that had something to do with it but nobody would tell him anything.

Luke felt a quiver going through the hand he was holding and looked up just in time to see Starkiller groggily open his eyes.

“S.K.! Thank the Force you're awake. I was so worried about you!”

“Luke, you're... you're here.”

“Yes, I'm right here! Don't fall asleep again, come on, talk to me!”

“I'm glad”, Starkiller whispered weakly. “I wanted to... see you one last time... before I have to go.”  
(Dammit. Those droids must have pumped him full with drugs. He could barely think straight.)

“Go? What do you mean? Where are you going? Did father give you another mission? You're not well enough to go on one! Did you talk to him? Is he better?”

Starkiller gave a weak snort. “Well enough beat me up, obviously.”

Luke's eyes widened. “He did this to you?”

“Luke...”

“No... that can't be. Why would he do that? It doesn't make any sense!”

“Luke please!” Starkiller was breathing heavily now. (He could barely follow Luke's rambling, his head was so fuzzy.) “I don't know how much time I have left. They're going to put me back in a bacta tank and when I get out again I might not be here anymore already.”

“What do you mean?”

“He sent me away... I did something stupid and the Emperor found out and... I'm not even sure how I've landed in this mess myself but I'm leaving. I... I will continue my training under the Emperor.”

“What? But you hate the Emperor! And what about... What about the plan? What if he finds out?”

Suddenly the familiar noise of the respirator sounded behind Luke.

“I believe he already has.”

Luke turned around to see his father, smiling.

“Father! You're feeling better!”

“Yes”, Vader answered. He hesitated, then added: “Thanks to your brother, I am.”

The two boys stared at him in wonder. Vader had never addressed or done anything to acknowledge the way they called each other brother, he had never given any sign that he might consider Starkiller family. That he was doing it now when it all came to an end, brought a bitter smile on Starkiller's face.

“My Lord”, the boy said stiffly. “Is there something you require?”

Vader decided to overlook his rudeness. He'd wanted to talk to Luke first before coming here but it seemed his son had beaten him to it. This could potentially get very awkward.

“I believe the Emperor is well aware of the reason I trained you”, Vader said. “He does not take the threat seriously and this confidence will be his downfall. The Sith are notorious for betraying each other. He will have no problem with you hating him or even planning his demise, as long as you follow his orders. However, you must know that you are not the only student he's taken on since the Empire was founded. There are others who will want to take your place. At the Imperial palace, nothing is as it seems and you must trust no one.”

“I see”, Starkiller merely answered coldly. “Thank you.”

“If you don't think you can do it...” Vader hesitated. “I could... arrange for your transport to be caught in an attack from pirates or rebels. I do not believe the Emperor knows where I hid you before, you could return to that place.”

That actually got a surprise out of the boy. “You... You would do that?”

“I don't understand”, Luke whispered, turning pleading eyes on his father. “Why does S.K. have to leave at all?”

“We always knew that day would come”, Starkiller reminded him. “Only I thought it would mean the death of either of us.”

“But why now?”, Luke whined. “Everything was going so well.”

“That's reality catching up to you, little brother”, Starkiller said with a weak smile. (Hey... Was that a butterfly sitting on Luke's shoulder? Great, now he was hallucinating. He hated med bays.)

Starkiller turned back to his former Master. “I'm not looking forward to it but I want to complete my training. I can't do that in isolation and the suspicion would never really leave. Besides, this way I can learn a lot about the Emperor... About his palace, the security, his powers. That could be useful.”

“I don't want you to leave”, Luke whispered, holding his hand tightly. “I have a bad feeling about it.”

“That doesn't surprise me”, Starkiller scoffed. (The butterfly had mutated into a little krayt dragon, nibbling at Luke's scared ear. He tried not to stare.)

“Will I ever see you again?”

“Of course you will. It will probably be on a battlefield and you might not recognize me because of all the blood covering me but you will see me again. When my saber lies at your throat, at the latest.”

Vader honestly couldn't tell if his former apprentice was threatening his son or pulling his leg but Luke just gave a sob and asked: “Promise?”

“Promise”, Starkiller replied hoarsely. He gave a weak cough when Luke lunged forward to give him a tight hug. (Was that his imagination or was his brother sporting six arms all of sudden?)

Well, what did you know. It seemed Vader wasn't the only one caught in Luke's web of adorable friendliness. He had known that Luke clung to the young Sith rather strongly but when had Starkiller started to respond in kind?

“It is time, Luke”, Vader said, feeling uncharacteristically sad for having to break up the boys.

“Five more minutes”, Luke muttered and Vader found he couldn't bring himself to insist.

“Alright”, he whispered.

They stayed like that for a few moments longer, Luke holding onto his brother and Starkiller awkwardly patting his back. (In reality, he was trying to inconspicuously wipe away the pink slime that crawled over Luke's back. It splashed on the floor. Great and now it was climbing up Vader's armor. Starkiller groaned inwardly.)

At last, Vader made Luke leave. The medi droids came to put Starkiller back in a bacta tank but before they could do so, Vader spoke to his former apprentice again.

“I need to... apologize for the way I treated you earlier”, he said. “You did not deserve it.”  
Starkiller stared at him silently for a few seconds.

“Who are you and what have you done to my Master?”, he said at last. He didn't know what made him speak out this boldly. Maybe it was the emotional pain from being given away, maybe the betrayal had come at the cost of his respect for the Sith. Maybe it was just all the medication running through his veins. Yeah, it was probably the medication. (The pink slime was now sitting on Vader's helmet, winking at him.)

Vader scowled at his tone.

“I take that back. Maybe you did deserve it after all.”

Noticing the lack of real anger through their bond, Starkiller actually chuckled a bit in disbelief. So that's where Luke got his brazen manner from.

“Everything you did to me, you did it to make me stronger. I always knew that the penalty for messing up was death.”

“That might be, however, Starkiller-”

“Galen”, the young boy interrupted him.

“Excuse me?”

“Galen Marek. Is that... Is that really my name?” Starkiller stared up at his former Master. His face was an emotionless mask. (It was really hard to keep it that way when Vader's helmet was glowing in all colors of the rainbow.)

“Yes.”

“Did you... Did you kill my parents?”

“...yes. I killed your father during an invasion. Your mother, as far as I know, had already been dead for a few years by then.”

Starkiller turned his head away. “I see.”

It shouldn't matter to him but... But dammit, it did. It did.

Vader turned to leave. “Be careful in the way you deal with the Emperor. Never take what he tells you at face value. And do not try to take him on on your own. He would surely kill you.”

Starkiller didn't answer and Vader was almost at the door when he called out: “Wait!”

The Sith Lord turned around slightly. “Yes?”

“You should...” Starkiller bit his lips and looked down. “You should get rid of the rainbow. It doesn't suit you.”

Under his helmet Vader raised an eyebrow. What was that?

(Vader's armor was now glowing colorfully from head to toe. Little TIE-Fighters flew around his head, closed to a formation and started making a nose dive before beginning an attack on the control panel on Vader's chest. Little explosions were going off as tiny pilots cheered over a comm channel only Starkiller could hear. Strangely, their voices didn't sound like humans at all. They sounded... like sheep.)

Starkiller couldn't help himself, he started to grin stupidly. “They will ruin you. The colors. The light. You should get rid of them.”

Vader scowled at him. Starkiller was the only one who knew how Vader's little trip to the light side had affected him. He had been sure however that it had been more a guess than anything else, Starkiller didn't know he was training Luke in the light side.

“I will”, he answered nonetheless. It was a warning he intended to follow. He must be very careful in the way he handled being around Luke or else it could very well mean his death.

After Vader left, the droids pumped more sedatives into Starkiller, causing the bright colors to fade to a dull black. They put him in a bacta tank and said tank on a transport to the Imperial Center.  
When Starkiller awoke from his medically induced coma, he couldn't remember a thing about his last conversation with Luke and Vader.

XxX

7BBY Alderaan

 

Leia Organa knew that she was a lucky girl. She'd been raised in a loving family on a beautiful planet and in a position that allowed her to have the best education. She knew that was far more than the majority of the children her age in the galaxy could say about themselves. Especially so since she had been adopted and things could've turned out pretty horrible for her if Bail and Breha Organa weren't such nice people.

 

But just because she had grown up as a princess didn't mean she was naive or stupid. She knew what the world out there looked like. She knew of the atrocities the Empire committed. Her parents tried to keep her away from the most gruesome news but she had a curious nature and would often sneak around the palace listening in on people and watch the news holo channels, something other kids her age usually found boring.

 

She knew the Empire was full of hypocrites. They were praising the advancement on Outer Rim planets where crime regimes were overthrown and slaves freed but then they went ahead and oppressed and enslaved the Wookies and other non-human races. They talked about keeping peace and order and then committed genocide by sterilizing an entire planet with their weapons. They advertised the important work of the senate while all the while the Emperor could dismiss all their decisions and do his own thing whenever he wanted to.

 

The galaxy was a cruel place and through Alderaan was a peaceful and rich planet, Leia knew that this peace was in constant danger. Just last year the Empire had started a major raid on their planet, killing hundreds of people for the flimsy excuse of searching for a traitor to the Empire. Although her father, the king of Alderaan, had protested against the treatment, he had been all but brushed aside by that awful machine even the media only dared to whisper about. Lord Darth Vader wasn't even a Moff or an Admiral and yet nobody had done anything when he'd come to terrorize the people and as far as Leia knew, there had be no repercussions on him afterwards either. That was Imperial justice for you.

 

That's why Leia knew life was not sunshine and butterflies for everyone and while she knew her parents loved her, she was getting increasingly annoyed when they acted all protective over her. Today was a good example for that. Their sector, the one Alderaan belonged to, was getting a new Moff who was now visiting all important planets to flout his superiority over their rulers. Leia had been to all sorts of political get-togethers before. She was a princess after all, fully intending to go into politics herself one day and she had to learn and practice how to act around important people. However she'd never been to a gathering largely made out of high ranking military and while she despised the lot of them out of principle, she knew they were important and didn't see any reason why she shouldn't learn how to handle them as well. In fact, it was probably even more important than knowing which cutlery to use to which course. If she was ill behaved in front of a foreign senator, he might get insulted and deny her planet some favor or another. If she misbehaved around one of these ruthless people, she might get executed.

 

Alright, that may have been exaggerated but that's how her father explained to her why she couldn't come. But surely even if she did make a mistake, which she didn't think she would, they would be lenient because she was only twelve years old, wouldn't they? Wasn't it better if she made a mistake now and learned from it than do it later when everyone expected her to know everything?

 

Yes, Leia had made up her mind, it was important for her to learn how one dealt with the military and if her parents wouldn't let her to the party that was taking place this evening then she would just have to watch them from a distance. She knew every hiding place in the palace and there was that wand hanging with the big crescent moon on it that was the perfect place for her to hide behind.

Thus when the party started, the little princess was secretly watching all the Lieutenants and Generals and what not. They had brought their wives, some even their children and everyone was having quite the time. In fact it was a lot wilder than any other gathering she'd been to, which had usually been littered with political debates and underhanded schemes. These people where not here to make allegiances or enemies, they weren't here to reward or threaten. They were really just having a party, solely for the purpose of celebrating said promotion. It was a sight Leia had rarely seen.

 

There were exceptions of course. Most military men married into politically important families, either for the money or to further their power and so it came as no surprise that it were the women who could be seen mingling with the Alderaans the most. A few of the children – all of them older than Leia though – also talked to them, probably curious about the foreign planet.

 

And then there was them.

 

Leia had noticed the dark figure of Darth Vader the first when she entered the room. It was hard to miss him after all, he was a towering black machine that pretty much summarized in appearance everything bad she'd ever heard about the Empire. Everyone who got too close to him would inevitably shy away with a shudder and even the people he talked to – military exclusively – seemed to be very nervous in his presence. Everyone but one person and that's why she thought about them and not just him.

 

He was the youngest child in attendance, no older than her. He looked quite lively with his sparkling blue eyes and sandy blonde hair and while he wore the uniform of a cadet it didn't seem to fit him right as he would often pick at the hem of it as if unused to wearing it. What made him so special was that while he did mingle with both locals and military, he always returned to that tower of terror, smiling and talking to him animatedly with Vader giving short answers.

 

Leia had heard about this boy. The media had made quite a feast of him a couple of months ago when he first showed up at Vader's side at an official function. Apparently he'd been introduced as Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader's son.

 

It had blown the mind of many. Vader was a huge mystery and most even doubted he was human at all. Leia himself had firmly believed him to be a droid. Those two looked nothing alike and if Luke was really his son, wouldn’t he also carry his name? Maybe he was and this boy was adopted just like she had been? It certainly made more sense than this thing doing anything that would... you know, led to a child. Ugh, that was just disgusting. No, the boy was probably a clone, bred in a vial and programmed to be just as heartless a killing machine as Vader himself. Yes, that was a picture she could live with and yet... it didn't fit the scene she now saw in front of her.

 

The boy looked no different than any other normal child his age. He looked happy, talking to different people and seemingly finding it easy to connect with them. He was obviously a very social person and blood related or not, Leia couldn't imagine anyone raised by that monster to be so... normal. And yet he obviously had to spent a lot of time with the machine because he talked to him as easily as to everyone else and more astonishing, the machine seemed to answer patiently. Leia even thought he might relax his posture a little when talking to him compared to the other men.

It was puzzling and honestly a bit disturbing. It was also distracting and when Leia felt after an hour or so that she had pins and needles in her legs, she hadn't gained all that much information about anyone else.

 

Frustrated she decided to take a break and left the hall to go get some air in the gardens.

 

Unbeknownst to Leia, the object of her interest had noticed her as well.

 

Father, Luke called out through the Force when he was on the way to get himself some juice, there's a Force-sensitive around here.

 

I know, son, Vader's voice sounded in his head.

 

What are we gonna do about it?

 

Nothing.

 

Nothing? But it could be a Jedi planning an assassination. Not that he would be very concerned about that but it would make this party a lot more exciting.

 

Luke felt his father's annoyance, though it was mild.

 

If there was any danger to anyone here, the Force would've given us a clear warning. Since it hasn't so much as twitched, it means the reason the person is here has absolutely nothing to do with us.

Luke was making his way back to his father with his juice, subtly scanning the minds of the people around him in search for the quiver he'd felt. As soon as he was close enough he picked up the conversation verbally just where he'd ended it in his head. His connection to his father was so strong, there was literally no border between them talking aloud and mentally. Sometimes they even mixed it up, very much to the annoyance of anyone dealing with them.

 

“Who do you think is it?”

 

Vader shook his head. “While I appreciate your caution, you have to understand that not every Force-sensitive you feel is a Jedi. In this case, it is likely one of the children that you feel, one untrained and unknowing of their talent.”

 

“Oh. I hadn't thought about that”, Luke admitted. “Does that happen a lot?”

 

“Relatively, yes. Some of them are taken in by the Empire but the majority just goes on with their lives without the Force ever influencing them.”

 

That's because there are no Jedi there to collect and train them, Luke concluded. The thought made him a bit said. These children would never know the wonders of what lay behind the material world.

 

The Emperor wanted them all dead, all the sensitives even the untrained, Vader sent to him. He wanted the purges to go on forever and for every child to be tested at birth to find out if it had the talent to wield the Force or not.

 

That's terrible!, Luke exclaimed. Despite having practice at schooling his expression to one of indifference regardless of the emotions he was feeling, Luke couldn't help but grimace. He's not going to do that, is he?

 

No. I talked him out of the idea early on.

 

Luke let out a relieved sigh. I'm glad.

 

“It is merely another reason why it was so important to wipe out the order completely”, Vader said. “If there are no Masters to train the young, they pose no threat and can live their life in peace.”

 

Luke nodded, he could understand that.

 

“Of course, if you're in a battle it is always wise to cut down the sensitive first, if you encounter one”, his father added. “Even untrained they tend to have an edge over everyone else.”

 

Luke rarely ever took part in real combat even after he'd started to make progress in his Force training and he doubted he'd ever encounter numbers large enough that a random sensitive would be amongst them but he nodded anyway.

 

His attention drifted off again to the presence he'd felt earlier. He sensed that his father was repulsed by it and seeing as it was obviously not dangerous, didn't care to examine it at all. Luke had no such reservations however and closed his mind to stretch out his other senses. He never got to see any sensitive besides his father and certainly not one his age. Not ever since...

 

Luke swallowed and violently pushed that thought away. There was one sensitive now and when he reached for the presence he felt it simmer soft and beautiful and full of light. Yes his father was right, this had to be a child. Everyone had a Force presence and those of children were usually purer. This one was pure and very, very strong.

 

Luke opened his eyes again. “How do you tell if somebody has been trained in the Force or is just sensitive?”, he wanted to know.

 

“The presence is stronger with those that delve into it regularly”, Vader explained patiently. “Other than that, simply brush over their minds lightly.”

 

Luke had spotted a very tasty looking bunch of grapes at the buffet table and began to wander off again.

 

And what if you can't see into their eyes?, he asked while he walked.

 

You don't have to read or control their mind. Simply touch it and see if their mind reacts. A trained Force-user, regardless of which side he is on, will always defend his mind or even attack back.

Luke tried that, he grabbed one of the grapes and ate it, pretending to close his eyes to enjoy the taste while really he searched for that presence again.

 

It was gone.

 

“Huh?” Luke blinked, feeling thrown off.

 

Is something the matter?

 

No... I just wanna try out something. I'll be back in a minute, Luke promised. Nobody had left through the main entrance, he was facing that one and would've noticed. That only left the door at the right side. That's where Luke went, searching for the mysterious presence. He didn't doubt his father's judgment. Undoubtedly he had used the same method described to him to test everyone in the room before he even entered. But Luke was still learning and though the lesson seemed easy enough he wouldn't have the chance to try it out at home.

 

As soon as Luke reached the gardens though, he knew it was unnecessary to try. The only person present was a child. However he still brushed her mind and while it did not react to his probe, her body did. The girl whirled around quickly and Luke couldn't say if it was because she had felt the intrusion of if she simply heard him approach.

 

The girl's eyes widened in a moment of fear when she saw him though she hid it quickly.  
Luke tried to ignore it. It was a normal first reaction upon seeing him. In fact, it was a pretty good indicator to figure out who knew who he was and who didn't it. It had stopped hurting a while ago.

Luke put on his most cheerful smile and stepped forward, though he stopped before his approach could be seen as threatening.

 

“Hi, I'm Luke Skywalker. Who are you?”

 

The girl scowled at him and actually folded his arms in front of her in a reproachful gesture.

 

“I don't know what it's to you”, she snapped at him.

 

“Hey, I just wanted to be friendly”, Luke said. “You don't have to be afraid of me.”

 

The girl went a little red. “I'm not afraid! I simply don't appreciate people sneaking up on me or being so rude.”

 

Now that was annoying.

 

“First, I didn't sneak up on you. If I had, you wouldn't have heard me coming, I assure you. Second, how was I rude, I just said hello.”

 

“Well, it certainly wasn't a proper introduction!”

 

“How would a proper introduction sound?”

 

“First you don't just say 'hello', it's too informal. You say 'Good evening'. You would have to apologize for disturbing me, then you would introduce yourself with your full name and home world. You don't just ask 'Who are you?' either, you ask 'May I know your name, my Lady?'”

 

Luke blinked, honestly a bit stumped.

 

“Uhm, okay... I'll try that again.”

 

He turned around, went back to the door and made his way to the gardens again, this time taking care to walk slowly but noisily.

 

“Good evening, my Lady. I am sorry to disturb you. I am Luke Skywalker from Tatooine. May I know your name?”

 

Now Leia was the one feeling stumped. When she had first seen Vader junior and he'd been so short and forward, she'd thought him to be just like all the other arrogant boys around the court who'd sneer at her for being a girl or try to impress her because their parents had told them they had to be nice to her. But the way he had started over his introduction, taking her advice and putting it into practice perfectly when most would have stumbled over the words was not only impressive but actually... kinda endearing.

 

“You don't know much about palace protocol, do you?”

 

“Nope”, Luke replied, lost his stiff posture and moved to stand next to her, all formality gone. “I usually fall asleep during those lessons.”

 

She let out a small sigh. That was the military for you, she guessed.

 

“My name is Leia Organa”, she said at last. “Princess of Alderaan.”

 

“Wow, you're a real princess? That's pretty cool.”

 

“I'm lucky”, she admitted, wondering what he really wanted from her.

 

“What is it like to live on a planet that is so... green?”

 

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

 

“Your planet. I heard it has forests and rivers and lakes and stuff. That must be beautiful.”

 

“Doesn't Tatooine have that too?” Most inhabited planets had some sort of flora after all. How else would you support life?

 

“Tatooine is a desert planet. Not much to see there except for canyons and dunes”, Luke told her. “I don't get to see places like this very often and then never for long.”

 

“It is very beautiful”, Leia agreed. “Sometimes my mother takes me to the lake to see the sun set. It looks as if the whole sky is on fire and you get to see the mirror image in the water.”

 

Luke grimaced a bit. “The suns on Tatooine usually try to kill you.”

 

“You have more than one?”

 

“Two. They boil the sweat right on your forehead.”

 

Leia couldn't help but giggle a bit when she imagined that and Luke smiled at her again.

 

“How did you come to live with Lord Vader?”, she wanted to know. Normally she wouldn't have dared to ask, it was a personal question and she barely knew this boy. But he was the one that started being so informal and she was curious.

 

“Tatooine isn't exactly a nice place and he's my father. I wanted to learn more about him so I got onto a ship and went to him.”

 

“He's actually your father? You're not adopted or something?”

 

“No.”

 

“Wait, does that mean that all those years that nobody knew Lord Vader had a son, you weren't hidden in some secret place on a bare world for your protection but you... had a normal life and decided to throw it all away for that?”

 

That was a grossly inappropriate thing of her to ask but she couldn't stop herself. Fortunately Luke didn't look insulted, just a bit sad maybe.

 

“The people who took care of me before couldn't anymore and he was the only one I could go to.”

Just a few hours ago Leia had thought about how lucky she was and hearing that response, she could sense that Luke was one of those people who hadn't had fortune on their side. Still she couldn't imagine what would drive someone to accept Darth Vader as the better alternative.

 

“Let's stop talking about me”, Luke said suddenly. “I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to do that anyway. Let's talk about you. What is it like, being a princess? I'm sure everyone always has to be nice to you. Do you enjoy the people's attention or does it get lonely sometimes?”

 

The question was provocative, even potentially insulting and yet she had the feeling he didn't mean it that way. He was Lord Vader's son, people were probably nice to him just in fear of being killed by his father so he knew what he was talking about. He just had absolutely no idea how to express himself in proper protocol. At first, Leia found that annoying but as she continued to talk to him, it was also strangely freeing.

 

They talked about a lot of things, about their home planets, their friends and their hobbies. Leia shyly admitted to loving flowers and having considered becoming a florist if her political carrier didn't work out and Luke told her about his love for flying and that one day he would love to be a professional racer. They walked the gardens together for a good two hours, just talking and laughing. They were no longer a princess and the son of a Sith Lord, they were just two children enjoying each other's company.

 

“I can't believe how easy it is to talk to you”, Leia said. “I haven't had so much fun with someone my age since I was little.”

 

“I know, right? I haven't had his much fun since...” He stopped abruptly.

 

“Luke? Is everything alright?”

 

“Yeah, just... missing somebody”, the boy muttered. “I don't know, maybe it's crazy, but I feel like there's something connecting us. Maybe it's just the Force.”

 

“The Force?”, she repeated with wide eyes. She'd heard about the mysterious Force, once used by the Jedi to protect the galaxy, then by Vader to enslave it.

 

“Right, you probably don't know but the Force is strong in you. It's what made me notice you in the first place.”

 

“You mean, I'm like a Jedi?”, she said and could've slapped herself the next moment. How could she be so careless, saying something like that to someone like Luke?

 

“No, no, there's no need to worry”, Luke hurried to reassure her, misinterpreting her shocked and scared expression. “You're untrained and probably will never be affected by it. Some people just have a stronger presence in the Force than others.”

 

“Like you.” Her lips were suddenly very dry. “Is Vader teaching you about the Force?”

 

Luke hesitated. “No. I just sense stuff. Sometimes.”

 

She didn't believe him.

 

“Leia!”

 

The two children turned around to see Bail Organa hurry through the gardens in their direction. When he spotted Luke, an expression of utter fear crossed his face and Luke took a step back involuntarily when the king roughly grabbed his daughter at her shoulder and pulled her towards him.

 

“Leia, by the Stars, what are you doing here – and with him!”

 

“Father, stop it, that hurts”, Leia complained and tried to free herself but her father insisted on pushing her behind him, away from Luke.

 

“We were just talking, what is this all about?”, she asked.

 

“I would like to know that as well.”

 

Everyone froze when the harsh hissing of a respirator sounded through the air. Darth Vader stepped towards them and his presence seemed to suck in the lights of the stars and the warmth from the air.

 

“Excuse me, Lord Vader”, Bail said stiffly, still trying to hide Leia. “My daughter seemed to have wandered off. She was supposed to stay in her room.”

 

Luke looked up to his father. I was just making friends.

 

Not with this family, Vader answered without leaving the king out of his cold eyes.

 

“I believe this party has come to an end. Come with me, son.” Vader turned around. Just then Leia fought herself free from her father's grasp.

 

“Luke”, she whispered sadly. She knew she would probably never see him again.

 

“Leia...” He wanted to tell her something, anything to apologize for the way their evening had to end but he felt his father's impatience and knew he shouldn't.

 

“Goodbye”, he muttered and turned around, following in his father's shadow.

 

Bail Organa continued to watch the pair until they were out of sight. Even then he was stiff for the rest of the evening and was only able to breathe freely when the guests finally left.

 

His daughter threw a fit both about not being allowed to the party and then having her evening ruined when she'd been having so much fun. He tried to explain to her, tried to tell her how dangerous a man Darth Vader was, that she must never get his attention and that speaking to his son was a sure way to do that. She wouldn't listen, claiming that Luke was a nice boy and not like his father at all and that it was unfair that she shall shun somebody because of which family he came from.

 

It honestly surprised Bail that she would be so adamant about it as she looked down on the Imperial Navy in general. That she would make an exception for this boy was disturbing.

The next day too she was miffed and wouldn't talk to him. Instead she took a guard and her handmaiden, who was posing as her nanny with her to go to the nearby lake, undoubtedly wanting to be away from him.

Leia was walking at the beach, which was largely empty. Since their guests hadn't left yet (the new Moff was still inspecting a local Imperial base) the palace and with it the beach had been closed for the public. She really just wanted to be away from her father. She didn't understand why this was bothering her so much but for some reason it did. It was like Luke had said, there seemed to be a connection between them and now she would never get to see him again.

Thus imagine her surprise when she walked down the beach and spotted none other than Darth Vader standing at the shore, one hand outstretched. Before him in the water something was splashing around wildly and took Leia a double take to realize it was Luke, struggling - and failing! - to keep his head over water. The boy was just vanishing under the surface again and not getting up for an awful long time when Vader raised his arm a bit the boy came magically floating out of the water, gasping for air, before being pushed down again.

Pure horror filled the princess' heart as she realized Vader was drowning Luke. His own son!

Without thinking Leia rushed forwards, leaving her confused guard and handmaiden behind.

"What are you doing?! Stop it!", she cried out and without hesitating, plunged herself into the water, swimming towards Luke. She had to save him!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dudududoom! Enter: Leia Organa. It took her 20 chapters but she's finally there. For the first part I was hugely inspirated by Lion King II when the two lion cubs first meet. For the second part... you get three guesses on whose lucky reader's idea I used.
> 
> We won't be staying in this time period for long, I plan to take a few snap shots of what happens during the years until we can throw our favorite trio together again.
> 
> Let me know what you think of my characterization of little Leia!


	21. Chapter 21

Earlier...

Vader was working at the Imperial Base on Alderaan. He took the time to speak to the Stormtroopers there, knowing that they seldom received the respect they should be granted with all their hard work and making sure they were doing alright. He could've entrusted the inspection to someone else but it was important to him and he had some time to kill planetside.

He was then approached by his aide, Lieutenant Praji. The Lieutenant had served him for several years loyally and efficiently. There were a few times when he had come close to losing his temper around him but ever since he'd spared him after the fiasco with Kenobi he hadn't messed up again.

It was small miracle that Vader hadn't killed him then. It was really just because he'd unleashed his fury on Starkiller and his temper had cooled down considerably by the time he'd decided how to punish the other collaborator. He'd demoted him all the way down to a lowly cadet but in the following years he'd worked his way up again and when Vader's next aide had to be put down after some scandal involving bribery, he'd had enough and ordered Praji to take his old position again.

"Lord Vader", the Lieutenant addressed him, "there is a problem."

And the day had started out so well.

"What is it?"

"The droid who was sent to accompany your son has ceased communication with the base."

That didn't sound good.

"It stopped sending signals rather abruptly and it has to be assumed that it was destroyed."

That didn't sound good at all.

All kinds of scenarios from a simple prank to an attack on Luke crossed his mind and without losing any time Vader reached out through the Force to connect with him. However, as he did so he found his son's mind strangely inconsistent, thinking of a thousand irrelevant things, pushing a thousand memories at him when he tried to dig. It was a rather annoying habit that Luke had developed when wanting to hide something from him without outright defying him by closing off his mind.

Partly that was reassuring, if he'd been in any danger he'd most likely call for help but on the other hand it was just plain annoying.

"Leave it to me", Vader decided. He made his way to the hangar and took a speeder to the beach where he'd sent Luke. It came as no surprise when he found the boy (unharmed) playing around without a care in the world in only a pair of swimming trunks. Indeed it appeared he was building a sand castle.

Luke waved at him from afar when he first sensed his approach but Vader was not in the mood for his games.

"Luke, what are you doing?", he asked. Vader had given up getting angry at his son's antics, he was just sort of sighing to himself about them.

"I'm trying to build the Alderaan palace! Doesn't it look beautiful?", he asked, smiling brightly.

"Where is B7-MO?"

Luke crunched up his nose. "I don't like that droid. It always tells me what to do."

"Of course it does, it's supposed to teach you." B7-MO was the protocol droid Vader had assigned to Luke to teach him about manners and politics after he'd degraded Praji. "Now where is it?"

Luke looked at his feet guilty before gazing out at the lake.

"You threw it into the water?"

"I didn't mean to!", Luke defended himself immediately. "It's just… I don't see why I have to learn how to swim. It's not like there is any water on the Devastator. It's not like I'm a soldier and will have to go on survival missions or anything. Why do I even have to learn that? And then, his instructions weren't even helpful anyway. So I just sort of told him he should try it out himself and I pushed him and he fell and… he might've fallen really far…"

Vader looked out at the lake. His son must've gathered all his power to sling the heavy droid so far out into the water that it was not possible to see him anymore once his circuits had died and he'd sunken to the bottom.

Great. Just great.

"It is important that you learn how to swim", Vader insisted. "Everybody knows how to do it, it should embarrass you that you don't."

Luke didn't answer and stared at his feet again.

"I just don't like water very much", he admitted after some time.

"It is understandable that you are afraid, given that you hail from a desert planet", Vader allowed. "But this skill is an easy one to learn and it could save your life one day."

"Can you swim?", Luke wanted to know.

"Of course."

"When did you learn it?"

"I was younger than you." It had belonged to the first lessons he'd learned at the Jedi temple and he remembered hating every second of it.

"Can you show me?"

Vader stared at his son for a couple of seconds. At first he was angry, thinking he was being mocked but he felt his son's hope as he said this, saw it in his eyes. He would feel much safer trying this if it was Vader next to him and not some unfeeling droid who wouldn't even be able to save him if he were to have troubles. He meant nothing by it and it puzzled Vader how he could possibly forget…

"I can't", Vader answered stiffly. "Not anymore."

Understanding dawned on Luke's face and he went red. Of course Vader would short-circuit and sink just as fast as B7-MO had.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

Anger walled up in Vader, partly because Luke had dared to mention this issue, partly because of the reminder of what he'd lost. The ability to swim was not something he missed terribly but it belonged to a wide range of things that he longed for desperately ever since he'd been forced into the suit.

"Go into the water. Now", Vader commanded, his voice like steel.

Luke got up slowly but stopped as soon as the water touched his feet, looking back at Vader uncertainly. "And if I sink?"

"You won't."

Luke still didn't move.

It was oh so very tempting to just push Luke in, to force him to do what had to be done. It twitched in his fingers to do so.

But over the last few months, Vader had learned better. Violence, harsh words and punishment would only serve to make Luke miserable, they would not serve to actually improve his performance. He responded far better to a few earnest kind words. It was why Vader had allowed their bond to strengthen so much. He was not good in expressing himself but he could let his son feel his emotions through the Force. The desire to please him had become deeply ingrained in the boy and letting him feel when he was disappointed or content with his accomplishments, it served to motivate him far better than any punishments. That wasn't to say he didn't use them when he thought necessary but he found that to be the case less and less.

"I won't let you sink", Vader promised and finally, Luke took a breath and went into the lake.

For the first few moments he seemed fine, even getting brave enough to go a little farther, moving awkwardly but staying over the surface.

"I can do it!", he called out, elated, mimicking the movements B7-MO had explained to him. "I can-"

And then his concentration broke, he found no ground under his feet anymore and panicked.

"I can't do it, I can't!", he was now calling out, his head vanishing under the surface.

"Father! Help!", he cried when he came up again, only to sink again.

Trust your instincts, Luke, Vader spoke to him through the Force. Find a balance.

I can't! I'm drowning, help me!

Vader shook his head and raised his hand, lifting up his struggling son with the Force.

For a few seconds Luke continued to wave around his arms and legs wildly, looking rather ridiculous before he realized that he could breathe again.

"Uff… thanks, that was really cl-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Vader had already dropped him again and Luke fell into the water with a splash.

Try again, he commanded, folding his arms in front of him.

Luke's panic and fear rushed through their bond as he was submerged yet again but Vader stood watching mercilessly. He waited for Luke to appear again but there were only a few bubbles rising. He waited. And waited.

Aww, damn.

With a sigh Vader raised his arm again, pulling out a gasping, snorting Luke.

Come on. It's not that hard.

Shut up, it's not like you can do it either!, Luke shouted in his mind, panicked and still coughing water.

Vader dropped him again. Mind your tongue, young man.

Son or not, nobody spoke to him like that. He knew Luke tended to be a lot more open within the confines of their mind and he allowed it, knowing that it was hard for the young one to control his thoughts and not wanting him to close himself off. But there was a border even Luke must not broach.

You better apologize.

Luke began floating into the air again, gasping loudly. I can't – I – I have enough – let me out!

Apologize.

Down he went again, staying under the surface for a shorter time.

You are being so mean!

Or if you don't, Vader added, at least start to swim. Else you won't be getting out of this anytime soon.

"What are you doing?! Stop it!", a panicked voice was suddenly calling out. Vader turned to see a little girl run towards them, the Force-sensitive brat of the Organa's who Luke had spoken to the other day. She looked quite frantic, probably misinterpreting the situation and he almost expected her to tackle and beat him with her tiny fists. Indeed he already prepared to grab her with the Force, punish her for her insolence. But she did not head towards him, instead she threw herself into the water and began to swim towards Luke.

And then… something strange happened.

Luke had stopped struggling for a moment. He knew it was getting him nowhere and even if he was sinking, his father would pull him out again. So instead he held his breath, tried to calm his racing heart and follow his father's advice. Trust your instincts. Find your balance.

He had been trained to connect to the Force even under the most dire of circumstances and this was no different. Everything appeared easier if he let himself be guided by the Force and he could've slapped himself for not thinking of it sooner. The moment he grasped for the Force though, next to the familiar swirling black hole of darkness that was his father, he felt another strong presence in the light. Small hands touched his arms, tugged at him and as Luke sent a pulse through the Force in his surprise, the presence… responded. For a moment it was as if their separate presences in the Force merged together and became one. Luke could feel her fear and desire to help him as clearly as he could feel his father's annoyance. That shouldn't be possible considering how long it had taken father and son to build that bond but with this strange girl, he felt like he was building a connection to her within seconds. No, it was… like a connection that had always existed finally snapping back into place. He recognized this presence from the palace gardens even before she pulled his head over the surface and he saw her face.

"Leia", he gasped, feeling overwhelmed by all the confusing sensations that reached him through the Force.

He shook his head, trying to get rid of those strange thoughts. "What are you doing here?"

She was holding them up while treading water and Luke found that subconsciously he mimicked her and when she let go of him carefully he continued to do so, finding it the easiest thing in the world.

"I…", Leia tried but then turned to gaze at Vader fearfully. By now her handmaiden and guard had approached.

"Princess, please come out of the water! You will get a cold", her handmaiden called out in worry.

"Let's go", Luke said.

"But… you…", she made, slightly touching his arm again. "You sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you for your help", he answered with a smile and started awkwardly swimming back to the shore.

The children got out of the water, Leia immediately being attacked with a towel by her fretting nanny.

What was that?, Luke asked in wonder, looking at the foreign princess.

What do you mean?, his father wanted to know. He stood still with his arms crossed in front of him, sneering down at the guard that did not quite dare to point his blaster at him but had his hand on the handle just in case.

That… surge in the Force. It was so strange. It was… as if I had known her all my life.

Vader had to keep from shifting uncomfortably, being reminded of his first meeting with Padme. Oh no, that was so not happening. Not for at least another thirty years, he wouldn't let it happen!

"Let's go", he commanded coldly.

But… Didn't you feel it?, Luke insisted even as he turned to him.

Whatever strange impulses you catch through the light side are of no consequence. Forget about it.

Vader began to move but Luke took a moment to smile at the girl.

"I'm sorry, I have to go now but I hope we will see each other again in the future."

"A-Alright. Good luck to you", she returned awkwardly and Luke wondered if she had felt the same movement in the Force.

As he turned to walk with his father, Leia was left with her guard and handmaiden, feeling utterly confused. For a moment she had really thought Vader was about to murder Luke but now she wasn't so sure anymore. When Luke turned up again he'd been so calm and followed Vader so readily without argument. Had she misinterpreted something? But what other reason could the monster possibly have to treat Luke like that? Maybe he hadn't wanted any witnesses with his deed and had mind-tricked Luke into following silently to finish what he'd begun later on? She's heard terrifying tales of the powers he had. And yet there was… something that told her that Luke was safe and happy. She didn't know why but she just knew that he would be okay.

"Princess… please let's go back to the palace", her nanny begged and reluctantly Leia followed – but not without turning and throwing a look after big bad Vader and his oh so different son walking down the beach. It was such an odd sight.

Several days passed and things got back to normal quickly. Leia was well aware that she was unlikely to ever see the boy again (at least if Bail Organa had anything to say about it) and though she didn't like how her father scolded her when he heard what had happened at the beach, it simply wasn't worth arguing over.

Relieved to have dodged that arrow, Bail opted to forget about it. That is until one day he came home to find none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi waiting for him.

Bail Organa had a great deal of respect for the Jedi Master. He'd worked with him before and had gotten to know him and his... student through his friend Padme Amidala. He knew Kenobi was a good man. But he also knew he had changed a great deal after witnessing the betrayal of the man he considered a friend. It hadn't been overly obvious when he'd departed into the Outer Rim to go into hiding. He'd had little to no contact with him after that but one year ago he had suddenly shown up again, broken in body and mind. He had escaped from Vader and even though he'd been in obvious need of medical attention, he hadn't dared to approach Bail until after the troops sent after him where all gone. Only then had he told his story, how he'd been hiding on Tatooine, looking over Luke Skywalker and how the boy had escaped. How Vader had come rushing in, arresting the boy's family and capturing the Jedi. He didn't say anything about the months he'd spend in captivity only that he had been able to confirm that Luke was with Vader and that the Sith Lord was working to corrupt him which, ironically, had been the reason he was able to escape.

After recovering from his grievous wounds, Kenobi had left again without telling him where, just that he didn't dare stay any longer and endanger the Organas.

Now he was back again and that he came so shortly after Vader's last visit couldn't be a coincidence.

He was no longer wearing his brown Jedi cloak but the simple linen of a farmer. The only hints to his violent past were the scars covering his arms and the black eye patch he wore.

"Master Kenobi", Bail greeted him carefully. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Bail." The Jedi smiled weakly. "I hope you are well. I heard Vader was here last week. Did he make any trouble?"

"He wasn't here long enough for that", he returned. "But I doubt that is the reason you are here."

Kenobi was silent for a moment before he answered: "Have you... Have you seen him? The boy?"

"Yes", Bail admitted.

"How is he?"

The king didn't think he meant his well-being.

"He was... not what I would've expected. I would describe him as normal, a social person, even cheerful." He hesitated for a second but decided to voice his question. "Master Kenobi, are you... Are you sure it was him who... hurt you last year?"

Kenobi shook his head sadly. "I don't know, Bail. I don't want to believe it either. The way he reacted when I called him Luke... and they even said he was personally trained by Vader. How many students that age do you think he has? If he is able to pose as a normal person, that only means he can potentially become worse than Vader. He can become like the Emperor."

"So you aren't sure?", Bail pressed. "Did you see his face?"

Kenobi didn't answer for a moment. Then slowly he raised his hand and lifted the black patch covering his right eye. Bail couldn't help but flinch when he saw the thick scar tissue underneath. The eye itself was horribly swollen and entirely white.

"I was a little busy back then and almost blind when I managed to stumble out of that room with my last strength, so no, I didn't see his face", Kenobi returned with an uncharacteristic coldness. "I cannot be sure. But I know I haven't felt the Force so strongly in someone so young ever before."

"I apologize, it is just... There were… signs that Vader might be abusing Luke. I would try to do something about it, help him get away from that monster but I have to think about my own family first. It is hard to believe a child so young could be so cruel and yet act as if nothing was wrong but if that is the case I dare not interfere."

"That is exactly the reason I wanted to keep the twins away from him. I have spoken to Master Yoda... For years the Jedi have tried to hide, to preserve our knowledge so that one day, we could teach the next generation. But there are so few of us left and now Vader has his heir back. Once the boy is fully trained, there will be no stopping them."

"What do you have in mind?", Bail wanted to know.

"There is only one person who could one day rival their strength."

"No", Bail said immediately. "You leave my daughter out of this."

"She is now the only hope of the galaxy, Bail. I didn't want to pull her into this either but now..."

"Vader was here just last week, Master Kenobi! What happens the next time he comes by? He is already suspicious of Alderaans loyalties! I was barely able to keep him from noticing her this time, what do you think will happen if she actually starts Jedi training!?"

"Your daughter wants to go into politics, doesn't she? She wants to be a senator, just like you. Forget about Vader, she's going to meet the Emperor. She wouldn't be able to hide her principles and get into trouble sooner or later. With the right training, at least she would be able to protect her mind."

"No", Bail repeated, "it is too dangerous. I am sorry Master Kenobi but the Jedi... They don't exist anymore. I am not sacrificing my daughter so you can hold onto the past."

"Bail..."

"I said no. You have overstayed your welcome, Master Kenobi. I think it is best you leave now."

Kenobi let out a heavy sigh. "Please... at least think about it. Only a Jedi can stand up to the Sith and have a chance of winning. As long as the Force is with them, the Empire will last."

"I'll keep that in mind", Bail answered coolly.


	22. Chapter 22

5BBY Imperial Center

 

Galen Marek threw his lightsaber. It bounced off the hull of the ten feet Imperial walker. With a quick Force-induced dash he was out of range of the blasterfire, forced the blade to turn mid-air only to send it back again. The walker shuddered, its electronics finally giving in. Not wasting any time, Galen reached for the Force and compressed the metal until the core was damaged and the whole thing died in a violent explosion.

 

Galen lowered his hands with a sneer. There was no challenge anymore to fighting droids. He'd gone through all the models and none could surprise him anymore. They all had their individual weaknesses and he knew them all. Not for the first time he wished he'd had his old training droid PROXY at his side. While he had no doubt that he would be able to defeat him too, at least he was always good for a surprise and got regular updates.

 

But PROXY had stayed behind when he'd left the services of Darth Vader three years ago. At first Galen had been angry about that. He was forced to adapt to a completely foreign world, couldn't he at least have that one piece of familiarity with him? However, over time he had learned better. The Imperial palace was a snake's pit. Galen was not the only Force-sensitive trained here. In fact, he'd found about a dozen other students ever since he had arrived. The Emperor said that he was the favorite, the strongest one but Galen knew that he told the others exactly the same. They were his agents, his assassins, his many right hands. Galen could barely believe how stupid and brainwashed they all were, craving the attention and praise of a man so twisted, so evil.

 

And yet, he'd been like that too at one time, wasn't that right? He had believed with the same utter confidence that he was important to his Master, that the greatest plans stood and fell with his actions. Until he had found out how replaceable he really was. Until the time had come where he really had to lay down his life for his Master and been walked over in return. Until he had been betrayed and all childish fantasies of respect and equality and freedom and family had been brutally ripped to shreds right in front of him.

 

He was no better than a hundred other agents; he was just a pawn in the game of the great ones. But his time would come. There would be a day where he rose against his slavers, when he broke his chains and unleashed the Force on his enemies. The day would come when he fulfilled his destiny and killed the Emperor. Maybe he would humor his old Master and pretend he'd done it for him. He'd wait until he thought himself safe and then, when Galen had recovered from what would undoubtedly be a hard battle he would go ahead and kill Darth Vader as well. Then, his revenge would be complete. Then, he would finally be free and nobody would use him anymore.

 

Until that day he would train, become stronger and put every piece of knowledge the Emperor threw at him to good use. It would not be easy. Already, Galen was treading on thin ice with the Emperor. The old man was well aware of his hatred for him. In the beginning he had tried to win Galen's trust. It had almost worked too. He got to use his birth name, he had his own flat and servant droids and whenever he wanted to see the Emperor, he cleared his schedule just for him. On the first day he'd gotten his own lightsaber, something which he'd always dreamed of and what he had worked tirelessly to earn. He had felt respected, even appreciated, something that was so foreign to him.

 

Then the first assassin had come. Galen had interrogated him extensively to find out that he had not been sent by either the Emperor or Vader. He had acted on his own because he feared the Emperor's new toy would take his place, he feared for his position. Others had come after him and Galen had discovered the Emperor's hands. That's when he realized what he was being trained to be. He was used yet again to be a weapon. He wasn't an apprentice; he wasn't the heir to anything. He was just another weapon.

 

Every child Galen's age eventually went through a rebellious phase. Some kids took to drinking or taking drugs or racing. Galen rebelled by killing every single Hand he came across.

 

At first it had amused the Emperor. Tool or not, Galen was incredibly talented, certainly more so than all his other toys. He even started to use him to separate the wheat from the chaff. Galen noticed the exact moment when he went too far, the moment he killed an active hand with quite some experience, a valuable agent. He felt that exact moment when the Emperor noticed Galen had killed more loyal Imperial agents than assassination targets, that he was costing more than he earned. It was the first time the Emperor punished him using Force lighting. That had been agony but it also totally failed in its expected result.

 

Instead of stopping, Galen put even more effort in discovering his rivals, hunting them down methodically. Sidious punished him again and again the more agents he lost and Galen took it all, he let the lighting course through his body – and he watched very, very closely. He'd just killed the current head Inquisitor when he came for a visit, breaking his very busy schedule. The man hadn't even been trained by the Emperor himself but Galen unleashed hell on him, destroying half a building in their duel. The following punishment was one of the worst yet. Galen honestly thought the Sith Lord intended to kill him. That was until Galen stood, absorbing the pain, turning it into power – and sent the lighting right back at him.

 

The attack had not been very strong but it was the first time Galen had ever used lighting intentionally. Sidious had never taught him how, he had learned by watching him do it and he had deliberately provoked him into doing so. Realizing this, Sidious had been shocked for just a second. Then, he'd started laughing.

 

Things had changed after that. Galen no longer got punished for killing other agents. They were becoming rather scarce by now and he even suspected the Emperor had sent them all away for their protection. Of course he still wouldn't tolerate it if he randomly killed staff members, civilians or politicians but that's not what he did anyway. Galen had no interest in terrorizing the innocent. He simply wanted there to be no other next to him, he didn't want to share his position and – though he kept that thought carefully hidden – he wanted to thin out the Emperor's legions.

 

Galen took the Emperor's new tolerance as a sign that he was getting stronger. Strong enough to be able to defeat Darth Vader one day and replace him as the apprentice. That's why the Sith Lord ignored his escapades, he was becoming too important. Of course Galen didn't plan on being anyone's apprentice ever again. He would kill Sidious first and only then would he get his revenge on Vader. He would make him regret ever giving him away.

 

Seeing as there were no more droids for him to destroy, Galen decided to end his training here. He went back to his room to wash the sweat off his skin, his head still filled with dark and brooding thoughts. When he came back he had a message on his personal comm from his pilot, Captain Lassley. The man was the 7th in a line of pilots that had either died on his missions or been killed by Galen himself. He really doubted anyone would take the job willingly at this rate if they knew about his record.

 

Of course, it wasn't like any of that was Galen's fault. His first pilot had been killed by Lord Vader. It had been the first human being he'd built up any kind of relationship with aside from his Master and of course that had to be crushed in order to strengthen the dark side in him. The second pilot, Corton, had died on a mission while Galen was away, as had his third. It was a natural risk but one he had learned from. After he began his service with the Emperor, he had taken to ordering his pilots to stay in orbit and only come to collect him when he was done with the job.

 

His 4th pilot had died pretty much the same way his first had for pretty much the same reason with the exception that Sidious had made him kill the man himself. His 5th pilot, the first female one, had lasted longer but ended up betraying him for a sizable sum of credits and so he took her out himself. His 6th pilot had actually been ordered to spy on him and he'd killed him just to make a statement to his Master. He did not appreciate having his loyalty questioned any more than he liked to share his position.

 

Thus, Lassley was his 7th pilot and Galen honestly wondered how he would die.

The message called him to the staff hangar on the backside of the palace so that's where he went. There he found Lassley talking and laughing together with a few other officers. They greeted him cheerfully and with the kind of smiles that made Galen wary.

 

Lassley had been his pilot for only a few weeks and had no idea what it was he was really doing for the Emperor. He only dropped him off at random planets, lost all communication with him for a couple of hours and picked him up again when he was called. Thus he hadn't learned to fear Galen yet and though it was tempting to open his eyes, Galen said nothing. As long as Lassley was unaware of who he was serving, it would be more obvious to Galen once he did get an offer to betray or spy on him.

 

“There you are, Marek! My friends and I, we have a little surprise planned for you”, Lassely announced once he was within hearing range.

 

Galen merely scowled. “What is the meaning of this, Captain?”

 

“We're going to celebrate your birthday, that's the meaning!”

 

Galen blinked. That was not at all what he'd been expecting.

 

When he first came to the palace his presence of course had to be explained in some way. Officially he held the rank of a cadet and once he reached fifteen he went under the guise of an officer working for the palace security. As such there did exist a file about him that someone with Lassley's clearance could access. Most of the information in it was of course fake. In fact, only his picture, name and blood group were correct. He'd made up the rest of the information himself. When it came to his date of birth, any random number would've done the job but for some reason, he'd picked a particular one, the one when his old Master had first found him. He'd celebrated that birthday only once together with PROXY, his pilot and... that boy and silly, weak little brat that he'd been, he had wanted to keep a reminder of that happy day. According to that date, he was turning sixteen today.

 

The day used to have a meaning to him. It didn't anymore of course but Lassley didn't know that. Undoubtedly his offer to celebrate was just a sycophant's desire to suck up to him.

The crew began to cheer and it took Galen a moment to realize that he'd agreed to come with them. What? Why had he done that? He had better things to do than celebrate his birthday! Like reviewing the last mission or searching for new agents or... Alright, he had nothing better to do. Let's just get this over with.

 

Strangely excited, Galen hopped into the transport with the rest of the men. He rarely ever got out without a particular goal or mission and for a moment... for just a moment he enjoyed the illusion of being one of them.

 

The trip of course turned out to be fairly disappointing and awkward. He really should've known better. The men were merely looking for an excuse to get drunk, driving from one bar to the next and getting more ridiculous as time passed on. Galen never drank alcohol out of principle but seeing as his headache grew with all the noise and stench around, he seriously considered it today. In the end, Lassley actually talked him into taking a few drinks, just enough to be able to ignore how disgusting everyone was being but not enough to impair his abilities.

 

It was around midnight, they were in some kind of bar belonging to a dirty hostel when Lassley laid his arm over Galen's shoulder and slurred:

 

“It's time for you ta get ya birthday present, don't ya think?”

 

It spoke of Galen's lack of concentration that he didn't fight against the captain's informal behavior. The man pulled him up some stairs, laughing and patting him on the back and pushed him into one of the rooms. Galen had barely any time to realize what was going on before the door was closed behind him, a key turned in the lock and a mad cackle sounding form outside.

 

Within a second, all drowsiness was gone from his head as Galen's hand flew to the hilt of his lightsaber. The Force seemed strangely dampened today and he cursed his stupidity at getting involved in this. He could see no immediate sign of danger, there was only one other person present, a civilian as he learned from brushing her mind. It seemed to be a standard room in the hostel but there was a window just large enough for an assassin droid to sneak in.

 

“Hey handsome.”

 

Galen turned with a scowl to the civilian woman lying on the bed. Now that he thought about it, it was strange that Lassley would lock him in here with someone else unless that someone was out to kill him. Maybe she knew something about the plot?

 

“What are you doing here?”, he snapped at the woman harshly.

 

“Me?”, she replied innocently. “I can do whatever you want me to.”

 

Slowly the woman stood. She was wearing a long red fur coat that parted to reveal black nylon stockings reaching her thighs and equally black lingerie that barely covered her private parts. Her blonde hair was open and falling over her shoulders. Though he could see that she used a lot of make up to cover dark circles under her eyes, she was still beautiful. Galen had realized what she was the moment she left the bed but it took him a few seconds longer to figure out what it meant.

 

She was his birthday present. Lassley had paid this woman to sleep with him. There would be no attempt on his life today.

 

The relief over that distracted him long enough for the woman to reach him. She laid both hands on his shoulders, leaning against him, rubbing one leg between his.

 

“I am here to show you the greatest pleasure”, she whispered into his ear, her breath hot at his neck.

 

Galen looked at her, really looked at her. The plot did look obvious but was it really that innocent? His eyes wandered down her body and he felt himself grow hot. He would have to make sure...

 

Galen pushed her away from him slightly. “I'm sorry, Miss, but I will have to search you for weapons. You could be an assassin out to kill me.”

 

Instead of being affronted like he'd expected her to be, she merely winked at him naughtily and returned to sit on the bed.

 

“Of course, officer. Feel free to search me... everywhere.”

 

Her lack of protest did seem to make it unlikely that she was dangerous. Galen's gaze flew to her long legs, then up to her round breasts and he felt a longing in himself that he'd never felt before. The dark side seemed to urge him on and his previous fear and anger began to turn into something else, something equally passionate. Yes, he would search her very thoroughly.

 

XxX

 

Galen woke up the next day from his comm beeping. The moment it did, years of training and honing his instincts kicked in as he felt the unfamiliar mattress under him, smelled the bad air and took in his foreign surroundings. There was a movement next to him and he reached for the vibroblade under his pillow – only there was none. Panicked and now convinced he was in danger, Galen whirled around and pushed his bare hands forward against the shadow that rose to loom over him. Blue lighting coursed from his fingertips and he barely had a second to take in the sight of the very much naked woman leaning over him, eyes wide, blonde hair tussled and in disorder before she let out a tortured scream. He stopped his attack at once and she fell on the mattress next to him, quivering spasmodically, her presence radiating fear and pain.

 

The memories of last night came rushing back to him. The celebration, the drinking and the... the most wonderful night of his life. The pleasure this woman had given him even though she barely knew him. He knew she'd been paid, he knew she was a whore and yet he couldn't help but feel a connection to her. He'd never felt anything as glorious as what she'd given him last night. Sex didn't have a place in his Sith training and yet the dark side had embraced his passion and lust as it did his anger and he'd felt more powerful than ever before.

 

Galen cursed as he stumbled away from the bed, not caring about his own nudity. He hadn't wanted to hurt her. It had been an instinctual reaction, worsened yet by the alcohol-induced headache that was plaguing him. Now she was in pain and he would have to act fast if he wanted to save her. Of course he knew absolutely nothing about healing and she had stopped quivering. He hoped she was just exhausted.

 

The Force gave him a nudge and Galen's eyes fell on the commlink that lay discarded next to the bed with the rest of his clothes. He remembered the message on it. The urging of the Force grew stronger and he picked it up.

 

He had a new mission. It had arrived just minutes ago. His target was a prostitute working at the same motel he was in, fitting the description of the same woman on his bed.

 

Something cold settled into Galen's stomach as he processed this information. Then, anger exploded in his chest, followed by unimaginable hatred.

 

This whole night, the celebration, the woman, it had all been one of the Emperor's little games. Galen was a young, healthy and not too bad looking man and he was at just the age to take interest in the other sex. Of course the Emperor, control addict that he was, would want to dictate every last part of his life, even the most personal. He had decided who he was to share his first night with. He had made sure he learned of the carnal pleasures under his conditions and now he forced him to kill the woman. It was almost embarrassing that the Sith Lord should teach him this lesson, the lesson that sex had nothing to do with emotions or attachments. Galen knew that the Emperor had concubines on his own. This message said nothing else than that he could have sex, as much as he wanted, but woe him if he got too involved with any woman for the Emperor would not hesitate to have him kill her.

 

It made Galen absolutely furious. Not because he'd planned on having any sort of relationship with this woman that he barely knew but because the old man wanted to control a part of his life that was utterly private and had absolutely nothing to do with his duties or his training. As much as he had loathed being left alone and ignored more often than not under Vader’s tutelage, at least the other Sith had always respected his privacy.

 

Galen felt the woman rise behind him. He could feel her fear of him and that she was about to scream. With a shout of rage on his own, Galen grabbed his lightsaber, activated the red blade and stabbed it right through her chest. As he looked down at her corpse falling down on the mattress, Galen's thoughts where with his Sith Master. He couldn't wait for the day when he was finally ready to kill him. In the meantime, he would take care of Lassley. The guy would set a record for the shortest time served with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me some time to write this chapter. It was clear that SK had to change under Sidious' training but I wondered in which direction he would go. I finally chose to make him more temperamental, rebellious and even openly defieant. Partly, this is a result of Sidious turing his entire character upside down in an attempt to destroy his loyaltry to Vader (which is evidently working). But also I thought about the diffrent teaching/raising abilities of the two Sith.
> 
> When Sidious began to guide Anakin into the dark side, he did so by supporting his strong emotions and emotionally influenced decisions. This caused Anakin to become emotionally unstable and vulnerable to his manipulations. Sidious tries the same method now with SK, pushing him to carry his emotions more openly, emotions that have always circled around anger and jealousy.
> 
> After Anakin fell, as Vader he has with time shed his skin, turned away from his overwhelming emotions and learned to control them until his anger was cold and efficient instead of hot and burning. He tried to raise SK the same way, supporting dark emotions but teaching him to supress them until teh time was right and then unleash them in powerful attacs. It's what made him act so mature all the time.
> 
> In summary, SK has been brainwashed by two Sith Lords who want to push him into different directions and it will be some time before he can find his own way and act independantly, even led other people like he did in teh end of Force Unleashed.
> 
> He is truely, for a lack of better term, in his rebellious teenager phase. Before long, Vader will thank his Master for taking that load off his shoulders^^


	23. Chapter 23

3BBY Death Squadron

Luke let out his breath slowly and opened his eyes. He could still feel the Force humming around him even as he woke from his meditation. Dusting off his clothes he stood and made his way to the door, pondering over the vision the Force had shown him. It had happened again. While he'd been meditating, collecting his thoughts and just enjoying the flow of the energy, he'd felt a presence. The presence of a Jedi.

When he'd first started his journey into the light side, this had occurred maybe twice a year or so. The Empire said there were no more Jedi; that they had all been wiped out but that was a lie. There were Jedi, hidden everywhere in the galaxy and while traveling around with Death Squadron, Luke had felt their presence.

He knew he should tell his father about them but he found he just couldn't. Most of them were just hiding, doing their best not to draw attention to themselves. They were desperate, depressed and without hope but above all they were no threat to the Empire and while sharing a connection with them, Luke couldn't bring himself to betray them.

There were exceptions. Sometimes he got a glimpse of a Jedi causing trouble, one that planned an assault on the Empire or rallied others to fight with him. Such actions would endanger both Imperial soldiers as well as civilians with barely any fighting experience to speak of and Luke could not allow that.

This latest vision belonged to the latter. Luke had seen it – the army. He'd seen how the Jedi had trained the beings to withstand the Force and even use it on their own, not trying to build up the old order but raising an army of creatures barely more than animals, caught in a Force rage. His father had to learn about this.

Luke raised his hand to knock at his father's door but before he could do so, it swung open on its own. His father was sitting behind his desk, filing in reports. When Luke entered he looked up, regarding him closely.

“You look troubled, my son.”

“I have another one”, Luke answered and closed the door behind him. “Master Shaak Ti. She's raising an army on Felucia.”

“Felucia? I see... The Felucians are known to be naturally Force-sensitive. However they are neither strong enough for Jedi training nor are they suited for it as their minds are composed differently than most. They are little more than animals.”

“We have to go there, we have to put an end to this madness”, Luke urged him. He'd seen the worship the Togruta Jedi got from her pawns, the religion that had been built around her. He had no doubt that she planned a large attack on the Empire and the Stormtroopers would be massacred by the savage beasts she had raised.

“Have you seen her target?”, Vader wanted to know.

“No... But the longer we wait, the stronger her army will become.”

“Do not worry about the army. It will fall apart once the Jedi is dead.”

“Then you will kill her?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not?”

Over the last couple of years, Luke had given his father five names. Five names of Jedi that he had located through the Force. Two of them had been killed by Vader but three others, including Shaak Ti as it now seemed, had been spared and Luke did not understand why. He had found many more Jedi but those five he had considered too dangerous to be left alone. It had hurt him to tell on them and somehow seeing his father dismiss the danger only worsened this hurt.

“Master Rahm Kota, attacking an Imperial TIE-fighter facility at Nar Shaddaa. Kazdan Paratus, a mad Jedi hiding on Raxus Prime. Shaak Ti, raising an army on Felucia. You want to know why I haven't killed any of them yet.”

Luke nodded mutely.

“The facility at Nar Shaddaa has my people on it. No attack took place there during the last two years and reports are coming in regularly.”

“But I felt his presence when we passed through the sector”, Luke objected. And not only the presence, through he didn't voice that out loud. He'd felt the intent – Kota wanted to kill his father. The attacks were merely a trap to draw him out.

“I believe you. However, I think what you saw during your meditation was nothing set in the present.”

“You mean... a vision?”

“That's right. I have the place monitored extensively and once Kota attacks, I will know it and take care of him.”

“What about Paratus?”

“The drones I sent have found no trace of him on Raxus Prime either. He might already hide there but it is an entire planet to search. You said that you have seen him falling into madness. If so he might crawl out of his hole soon. Now about Shaak Ti. This report is alarming. Knowing that Kota’s attack was likely a vision of the future, you tell me if what you saw on Felucia is as well – or if immediate action is in order.”

Luke thought about that.

“Well... it doesn't really matter, does it? If all three have been visions we will likely have to face them in the order I saw them, meaning we can't do anything until Kota and Paratus are dead. If that's the case going to Felucia now would not only be a waste, but once the Jedi gets there she might sense that you were there and flee. If we wait however and Felucia wasn't a vision of the future but of the present then Shaak Ti will still be there after you defeat Kota. She might have a larger army but that will also mean she is less likely to flee. And since preventing the Jedi from getting away is the first priority, we will act as if it was a vision.”

“That is correct. With time you will learn to tell the present from the future but in the meantime you will have to look at it strategically.”

“We could still at least send some droids to check out Felucia”, Luke tried.

Vader scowled at him a bit. “You are unusually eager to see these Jedi dead.”

Luke looked flustered. “I’m not. It’s just, well… Empire Day is coming up again and as morbid as it sounds, I’d rather spend my birthday planning a battle with you then having to attend the festivities on Imperial Center.”

“I know you would. Believe me, I feel the same. But Sidious has been rather put out the last time I rebuked his invitation and I fear he might soon take matters into his own hands. Your will be sixteen years old soon. In Imperial Center, this means you are no longer a child. While not as important as the 20th birthday where you’d be recognized as an adult, it is still a meaningful number.”

“I don’t think you can throw me in with the typical teenagers”, Luke muttered. Truly his training and constant interaction with his father had him grow up faster than normal, though not nearly as fast as he might have if he’d had to study the Sith arts.

“While that is correct, remember that the Emperor does not know of your training and must never find out. You have drawn the eye of the public, shrouding you in mystery too much could make him suspicious.”

“No, you have drawn the eye of the public. I’m just famous for being your son”, Luke disagreed.

At the beginning of the Empire, Darth Vader’s role had been undefined at best. Nobody knew what position he had except that he could apparently get away with doing pretty much whatever he wanted. In the eyes of many people that were already antagonizing the Empire, he became the symbol of corruption and instability, proof that the Empire could not control such a monster, proof that the Emperor did not care. This was rather ironic as Vader fought for order and peace, even as he tried to bring it with sometimes cruel means. The military, in particular the Stormtroopers and Navy command, realized the truth first. Vader had proved that he was an exceptional commander, cold and efficient but slowly shaping Death Squadron into the elite, the best of the best and his men admired him for it.

With time even his political opponents, Moffs and senators and independent rulers, came to see the change he brought. On first glance the devastation he brought looked random, the determination with which he hunted down the Jedi ridiculous but the consequences could be felt all over the galaxy. Nobody dared to oppose the Empire and crime and corruption was at an all time low. When Darth Vader gave a command, people followed it without question and that was very important for when Vader at last claimed the throne for himself. It was useless if people only followed him because of his title, he didn’t want to spend years of civil war on the question of whether or not he was a strong ruler and could hold the throne. No, when the Emperor declared him heir – or when he killed Sidious and took the throne by force, whichever came first – he wanted there to be no doubt in the minds of his people, he wanted there to be no hope in using the confusion about the change in government to spark any thoughts of rebellion because essentially, there would be no change. At least, not a very noticeable one because Vader was already essentially ruling the Empire, at least the militarist part of it. And since the Empire was essentially a militarist dictatorship, that was a very important part.

Yes, Vader had firmly established himself as a prominent figure. He had even worked to broaden his influence into the political field even though he despised most of the politicians. However he’d still done it. At first it had been solely because of Luke. His son would never become a Sith Lord and while he was a fabulous pilot, he was still too squishy about killing people to ever be a capable soldier let alone commander. Though it was disappointing, Vader had accepted that his son’s future probably didn’t lie in the military and thus he’d made sure his education encompassed other fields as well, including the political one. He just thanked the Force there was no chance of him becoming a blasted senator as those were planet-bound and Luke had no connection to any planet, not even his home world anymore. Still Vader had started taking him to some of the political functions that he was always invited but rarely went to just so that he’d learn how to handle himself. Also he hadn’t thought the news of him having a son could stay secret for much longer and he’d wanted to reveal it on his conditions.

Whatever Luke would chose to do with his life later on, the Emperor was sure to keep an eye on him. Vader had been very careful in choosing the moment on when to introduce Luke to the Emperor, knowing that doing so was expected of him. Therefore he'd first taken Luke with him to Imperial Center after he'd heard rumors about a major rebellion on Callus. The news had been far more troubling and important for Sidious than Luke and thus the boy had gotten away without being subjected to any mind games. After that if Vader was being called to his Master he left Luke on the ship in orbit.

While his son's safety was Vader's first priority, whenever he was on Imperial Center he kept his senses sharp, trying to sense the other child he'd spent years raising. It had taken Luke an awful long time to get over Starkiller's loss and Vader too had been forced to put any plans about overthrowing his Master on ice, at least until he was sure Luke could defend himself. He was pretty certain Starkiller was being trained to kill both of them. It wasn't just the necessity of watching out in case the kid came jumping at him trying to murder him. A part of him, the one that knew how much Luke yearned for a sibling, someone his age to connect to, the part that remembered that he'd done his first fledgling steps into fatherhood with that child, that part of him simply wanted to see him again. To have a chance to speak to him and maybe find a way to make it up to him.

But if Starkiller was ever aware of his presence, he didn't show himself and though sometimes Vader was sure that he was around, he could never sense his presence clearly enough to find him.

Now Luke was turning sixteen and the Emperor had officially invited them both by name to the festivities. It was a command Vader could not ignore but he dreaded the day almost as much as Luke, though he didn't show it. The Force whispered to him of past shadows coming back to haunt him. Starkiller would be eighteen by now, old enough for his training to have been completed. He was still lacking the experience to take on Vader but he couldn't help but think that if he were to try an attack on Luke, this would be the best time.

XxX

Galen gasped, holding his side where a lightsaber had burned through his armor, meeting the flesh underneath. He had been defeated yet again… and looking up at Sidious’ burning yellow eyes, he was not sure he would survive this time.  
For the last year, whenever Sidious gave him a ‘lesson’ in dueling, Galen had always come at him with the intent to kill. He’d always given everything in the hope that one day it would be enough and he’d off the old bastard. Every time he’d been defeated.

Against his fear, the Emperor’s blade vanished, though he didn’t let go of the hilt.  
“Your hatred is strong”, the old man hissed. “But you are a fool to think you are ready to measure up against me.”

Galen was kneeling on the ground, his weak legs unable to support his weight anymore. Still he glared up at the Emperor challenging. He was getting closer, he knew it. The smell of burned flesh didn’t only come from Galen and he could see in the slight falter of his steps as he moved back to his throne that Sidious was exhausted. Yes, Galen had been defeated but if he lived through the night, he would be fighting again in the morning. Sidious however would need longer to get back to full strength. He was getting closer to his goal with every day. Time was working to his advantage. Sidious was old and he was only just reaching his prime. Just a little longer…

“I have a new mission for you. I believe you shall like this one.”

Galen was not surprised at the sudden change of subject. If Sidious had heard his treacherous thoughts, he didn’t say anything. What would be the use of that? Any punishment inflicted on him would kill him in his current state of injury and he had obviously decided to keep Galen. Just a little longer.

“What is thy bidding, my Master?”, Galen asked between clenched teeth. It was hard to fight down his rage. He had tried to kill Sidious not a minute ago, tried to finally free himself. He always went all out on his so called training sessions with the Emperor and it was always hard to swallow his pride after defeat and go back to being submissive. That he managed this at all might be the only reason he was still alive.

“Empire Day is approaching and my apprentice has finally decided to honor us with the presence of his precious son.”

Another rush of anger went through Galen both at the thought of Vader and the reminder that despite everything he’d done, Galen was still not considered an official Sith apprentice. Vader was and Galen would not gain any recognition until he killed him.

“Lord Vader has become… complacent in his role as a father. The way he is holding onto that untalented boy is ridiculous and shows weakness. You are to kill Skywalker, preferably without drawing attention to yourself. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Master”, Galen replied immediately. Already he could feel a heap of mixed emotions rising in him but he fought them down violently to be figured out later. Right now he must not show any weakness. A single lightning bolt form Sidious’ fingertips could end his life. Now this explained why the old man had called for a ‘training session’ before telling him what he wanted.

Galen was dismissed and left for the med center.

Empire Day was in two days. In two days, he would see Vader again. The Sith Lord had come to Imperial Center several times before while Galen was planetside. He had kept to the shadows then, knowing he was not ready to take on the Sith Lord yet. He was not entirely sure he was ready now. His latest defeat by Sidious’ hands made him careful. Vader was not old and neither was he weak. But if he followed his Master’s directive, if he killed that boy then Vader would be on his heels and a confrontation would be unavoidable.

Again Galen felt a rush of emotions threatening to overcome him at the thought and this time, he allowed it.

Luke Skywalker… The boy had been the first friend he’d ever had and really, compared to the cowards, spies and bootlickers that he now had to deal with, he might’ve been his best friend. No, his only true friend. It was a memory not even Sidious had been able to blemish, though he’d tried.

Yes, Galen was jealous of the family bond Luke had with his Master. He envied him for the warmth and safety he had received from his family during his childhood and he loathed him for taking the position of Vader’s right hand, as his son and heir. He hated him for standing next to Vader openly, recognized by the whole galaxy while Galen had to stay hidden in the shadows.

But he didn’t hate him. He didn’t hate Luke as a person because let’s face it, that was impossible for anyone to do. None of what happened was Luke’s fault. He had only ever been nice to Galen and tried to support him. That is why all of Galen’s hatred focused solely on Vader and he had consciously worked to except Luke from all his thoughts, had tried his best to forget about him because if he didn’t… it hurt. It hurt him to remember the good times they had because they would never come back again. Galen could just imagine his disappointment, his loathing when he killed his father. His desire to make the fight a public display of his superiority fought with his wish to keep the deed a secret from Luke so that the boy wouldn’t look at him with those big blue eyes of his, devastated and so lost…

Now his Master had commanded him to kill Luke. Immediately that thought summoned an image of Galen standing over the body of that child, mercilessly chasing the light out of those blue eyes with his lightsaber and he felt sick. Of course Luke was no longer a child, the young Sith reminded himself. Though Sidious had said that Luke had remained untalented, Galen wouldn’t put it past his Master to further train Luke in the Force. If he had found a way to finally connect him with the dark side, he wouldn’t tell the Emperor about it. Sidious probably suspected this as well. This mission wasn’t meant as a punishment for Vader but as a test for Galen. It was the final showdown that had been waiting to happen ever since Luke revealed his parentage. A part of Galen wanted this showdown to happen; he wanted to prove once and for all that he was more powerful than Luke. Another part of him though didn’t want to kill his best friend.

Galen groaned and pressed his palms against his eyes, trying to get the swirling maelstrom of emotions within him under control. Concentrate.

He had to kill Luke. He was ordered to do it and refusing could potentially trigger a final confrontation with Sidious. While Galen never shied away from those, he knew he was not ready to defeat the Emperor yet. It was too early. Killing Luke would satisfy that burning jealously within him and maybe even help him to get over the fact that he’d been abandoned. It would be another pain off his soul. Plus it would weaken Vader, which was essential for when Galen exacted his revenge on him. Yes there many reasons, good reasons to kill Luke.

But deep within, that’s not what Galen wanted. He did not believe that Luke had managed to connect to the dark side, at least not enough to match up against Galen. He did not believe the boy would prove to be a challenge and thus any fight with him would be unfair. He’d made a promise once to that boy, that he wouldn’t kill him before he had killed Sidious. At that time he had seriously considered running away from Vader if he was forced into this fight. But years hunting down and eliminating enemies of the Empire had taught Galen one thing: Whatever there was in terms of resistance against the Empire that he might be able to hide with was pathetically weak. There were a few brave people that called themselves ‘rebels’, their leaders annoyingly anonymous but they were scattered around the whole galaxy in tiny cells of three to ten people, doing little more than attacking random Imperial transports. They were a pest, organized enough to stay alive but no more than an annoyance to the Empire. They had no army, no fleet and no plan. Sometimes a Jedi would spring up from his hiding to lead a major attack or two but they’d be put down by Vader or the Inquisition faster than they could blink.

No, there was no place for Galen to run or hide at, no outside help that he could get. He would not be getting out of this.

He did not want to kill Luke. It would not be fair, it would not be right and he didn’t want to.  
But what he wanted rarely ever mattered. This wasn’t about what was right but about what was necessary. It had to be done, not for the good of many, not for the good for the Empire but only for his own good, for his self-preservation. Because that was the way of the Sith, you always had to put yourself first. Nobody else would care about you.

That’s what it came down to. Was he Sith enough to kill his best friend?

The thought left him feeling terribly hollow and sad because he knew the answer was yes. He was no longer the silly boy yearning for a family. He was a true assassin now, a monster born from many nightmares. What did Luke even mean to him? He’d known the kid for one meager year. That was so little compared to the five he’d spent training under Sidious or the seven years before that in Vader’s service. His friendship with Luke defined only a small fraction of his life. It might’ve been the happiest fraction he could remember but it was still nothing in the grand scheme. He would be able to kill him. He just didn’t want to.


	24. Chapter 24

Dinner with the Emperor, Luke decided, was a decisively odd affair. For one the power he emanated was suffocating. Luke honestly wondered how people could stand being in the same room with him, what with the dark side being so powerful. It was like being the target of Vader's rage. Constantly. His father had fallen into the habit of hiding his presence around Luke more often than not and Luke did the same so their clashing aura's wouldn't disturb the other. Darth Sidious obviously had no such concerns.

Another thing that made Luke twitch in his seat was the Emperor’s voice. He was fairly nice on the surface. Maybe it was the knowledge of how ruthless and powerful one had to be to led a galactic Empire, maybe it was the hideous visage under that hood but what would’ve been a perfectly inviting, grandfatherly voice under any other circumstances sounded like a snake’s hiss to Luke’s ears.

Thank the Force that Luke wasn’t sitting anywhere near him. For Empire Day, Imperial Center’s most important people had been invited to a dinner with thirty or so courses at a table long enough to count as a pod racing track and Luke, holding no official political position whatsoever, thankfully sat on the far end of it. His father as usual stood behind the Emperor’s throne like a menacing bodyguard. As if there was any need for one.

It was later on when his father grudgingly told him to stay behind – apparently having received a mental order from his Master himself – that Luke started to really get nervous. The Emperor invited him for a walk through the palace, Vader thankfully trailing behind and Luke had no choice but to bow and pretend he’d be delighted to.

“How do you like Imperial Center so far, my boy?”, Sidious asked pleasantly.

“Well, it’s very big… and there are a lot of people”, Luke answered, trying not to stammer.

“Indeed. Have you ever been on a city planet before for more than a short trip?”

“No your majesty, I haven’t.”

The Emperor turned to Vader slightly. “Surely you have taken him on a vacation or two, showing him the wonders of the galaxy?”

“Our course is practically orientated”, Vader replied stiffly. “There is no point in indulging in pointless frivolities, a lesson that I made sure to teach my son.”

“Those are very hard words”, Sidious decided, which caused Luke to raise an eyebrow in incredulity. “You are young, you have to enjoy your life while you still have the time. Later on it is all about work and responsibility. Tell me, Luke, do you know what you want to do with your life when you’re of age?”

“Well, I would like to become a racer”, Luke replied carefully. His father had warned him not to lie around the Emperor, it would be very hard to hide. “If that doesn’t work out I might be joining a TIE-fighter squad but I definitely want to do something with piloting. It’s what I’m best at.”

“Ah yes, that is something you have inherited from your father, no doubt. He is an exceptional pilot.”

Despite himself, Luke had to smile, some of his nervousness falling away. “Yes he is. Beats me every time.”

“Well at least that is something. After the worrying reports about your training, I was beginning to doubt your parentage, young man. Why, Lord Vader, didn’t you say something about your late wife betraying you with that Jedi Master?”

Vader and Luke stopped walking at the same time, staring at the Emperor. Then Luke felt a sudden explosion of anger and hatred through the bond with his father that made him stagger and gasp for air. Vader was clenching and unclenching his fists and Luke was sure he was a second away from ripping out the old man’s throat.

Sidious however merely looked at him with a cunning glint in his eyes and continued quietly: “Why, that would explain his annoying affinity to the light, don’t you think?”

Luke couldn’t believe it. Was the Emperor actually implying that… that Vader might not be his father?

“I can assure you that is not true”, Vader said, his mechanical voice betraying none of the emotions Luke felt coming from him.

Luke didn’t doubt it, he was fairly sure his father would’ve tested his identity before even considering taking him in. He even remembered having his blood taken for ‘infection tests’ when he first arrived. There was no way Vader would be wrong about that.

Sidious now looked directly at Luke with his mean, yellow little eyes. “Are you sure?”

That’s when Luke realized what he was really implying. Not only was he saying that Vader wasn’t his father but that he knew and had lied to Luke about it. Which made absolutely no sense since his father wouldn’t have had any reason to keep him, to bond him after he’d proved to be a slouch at everything dark-side related.

It’s not true, Luke, he heard his father’s voice in his head. He couldn’t help but look at him in surprise. They had decided to cease all mental communication while on Imperial Center so Sidious wouldn’t pick up on it. But even more surprised he was at the wave of pain, regret and… fear that accompanied those words.

“If it were true, you know, you might be able to use it to catch that traitor. I believe he escaped you yet again a few years back. If anything were to draw him out again, it would be this young man…”

Luke hadn’t thought his father’s hatred could rise anymore. He’d been wrong.

Luke was actually wondering if his mental shields had failed and the Emperor had read his thoughts because right there was the reason why Vader would keep him around if there was no relation between them. Luke knew all too well that he would go to any lengths to get his hands back on the Jedi that had tortured him.

It is not true!, his father called out again, now almost desperate.

I know.

You must not believe a word of what he’s saying. He’s trying to turn us against each other, that is his game.

I know, Luke repeated, sending calmness and reassurance through their bond. I believe you. You’re my father. And even if you weren’t – it wouldn’t really matter to me. Not anymore.

Luke felt his father pushing at his mind as if to test if he really meant that. That was a little bit insulting but in the end he felt the wave of relief that went through the Sith and knew the immediate danger was over.

Sidious scowled a bit, no doubt having sensed the silent exchange between them.

“I do not believe Kenobi has any interest in Luke and I would not allow him anywhere near him even if he did.”

“Very well, if that is what you believe”, the Emperor relented and they continued to walk.

Luke was still amazed at how utterly… rude and offensive the old man was acting. Weren’t his father and he supposed to be friends? At least on the surface, you know, ignoring the underhanded assassination attempts and plots to overthrow him? Weren’t they supposed to project an image of unity at least in public? Or did Luke not count as public?

“I always found it a bit strange how adamantly this Jedi keeps hiding himself”, Sidious continued after a moment. “I would’ve thought he would’ve been more… passionate in his revenge. After all it is hard to swallow when your own student goes off to wipe out the order he used to serve.”

Vader’s tension rose again but Luke didn’t react and was even confused when the Emperor stopped speaking to look at him. What did he expect him to say? Oh, right. The knowledge about his father’s past as a Jedi was supposed to be a secret so Luke should probably act as if it surprised him.

Pretending to be a bit slow in his way of thinking, Luke widened his eyes in a comical expression and looked at his father. “Does that mean you were a Jedi once?”

He could actually feel his father’s amusement at his acting.

“Yes”, he replied simply.

“That’s why you’re so good at hunting them. You know their way of thinking.” Luke nodded to himself as if proud of this simple observation. “Very clever.”

“Yes”, Sidious said slowly and Luke wondered if he’d thrown him off course. Two to zero for Luke.  
“It was not always easy, of course. Sometimes things have to be done for the good of the galaxy. Hard decisions have to be made. But Lord Vader has overcome all that. Though after what he did to those Jedi younglings, I truly would not have expected him to enjoy fatherhood himself… or excel at it.”

The dark dread was there again, pushing through the bond and Luke looked up at the Emperor in puzzlement. “What do you mean?”

“I think that is quite enough for today”, Vader decided, laying a hand on Luke’s shoulder to stop him from moving any further.

“Ah but Lord Vader, there is no shame in what you did. They may have been children but they were enemies of the Empire. You had no choice but to dispose of them. It is the curse of the ruling ones to make hard decisions like that and it only tells of your inner strength.”  
Luke felt the dread and horror rise in his father with every further word the Emperor spoke. Luke realized they were talking about the Jedi massacre, the day his father had butchered dozens of children younger than Luke. That hand on his shoulder, it was tainted with their blood.

Luke shuddered, shaken by a wave of repulsion, disgust and pity. Some of it must have shown on his face because Vader retracted his hand and on Sidious’ face grew a small, evil smile.

“I find it absolutely amazing that all of that doesn’t bother you, my boy”, he said amiably. “I am so glad Lord Vader has found a family that accepts him the way he is and I wish the best luck to you two. Now if you’ll excuse me, my duties are calling for me again. You know what they say, Imperial Center never sleeps. It was a pleasure getting to know you, Luke Skywalker.”

While the Emperor left, Vader and Luke stood rooted to the spot, the shock of what was an encounter with the galaxy’s most potent mastermind still sitting in their bones.

“Well, I don’t feel like celebrating my birthday anymore”, Luke said at last.

“Luke”, Vader started, “I-“

“I really just want to go to bed”, Luke interrupted him decisively. “Please?”

Vader’s shoulders sagged a bit. “Of course.”

They began walking again in an uncomfortable silence.

Apparently Darth Vader did indeed have a home just for himself on Imperial Center. He was just never there to use it. It was a huge tower with only the top five floors actually meant for living, the rest being used by a company that invented droids that Vader apparently owned. They took a speeder to the tower and Luke had to say he thought it quite appropriate that they could enter the building on the 55th floor as it had its own hangar. The apartment itself was of course full of blacks and whites and grays, as expected. There weren’t any decorations around either, just the odd Imperial symbol here and there. Vader’s chamber on the Devastator had more personality as he usually kept a few holoscreens running to show various ship models. Yes you could see that his father didn’t really spend much time here. The only reason why they came here at all was probably because it was too late to go back to the ship and the apartment was out staffed with a hyperbaric chamber for Vader to sleep in.  
As Luke looked around the empty apartment, he felt an odd tremor in the Force. Something was not right.

Luke felt his father’s hand on his shoulder. Woken from his musings he looked up at him, which caused Vader to retract his hand again.

“Luke… what the Emperor said…”

“I already told you, I don’t believe a word of it”, Luke said and looked away again, searching for whatever gave him this odd feeling. It wasn’t immediate danger but it made him feel really uneasy.

Misinterpreting his inattention, Vader’s distress grew. “That’s not what I meant! I’m talking about… what he said… about the Jedi.”

Luke turned to him with a scowl. “I already knew you were a Jedi once. That’s how you were able to teach me.”

“You knew that I was one of them once but you didn’t know how far I went to destroy them. I… I never wanted you to find out about that, especially not this way.”

Luke shook his head. “Father, nothing the Emperor told me today was new to me. I already knew you killed the Jedi children.”

“You… did?”

“Yeah. The Jedi Padawan I met on my journey to you told me.”

Vader just stared at him for a moment.

“I don’t understand”, he finally admitted. “How could you… accept me, trust me, knowing what I have done? I am repulsed myself by what I did that day.”

Luke couldn’t help a small spark of happiness at hearing that. “You are? You mean… you regret that?”

Vader hesitated. “For a long time, I did not. But… Ever since you came to live with me, I started to remember what being a Jedi was like. Today, yes, I regret it, almost as much as I did sixteen years ago.”

Luke lowered his gaze.

“I… I’m glad”, he admitted. “I mean, I know it was your duty and all but… It was wrong. I know that sometimes you have to do wrong things but I’m glad that… that you don’t enjoy it.”

The dread and fear Luke felt coming from his father was replaced with worry, relief and amazement.

What did I ever do to deserve a son like you, Vader wondered.

Luke raised an eyebrow. You made mother a very happy person?

Yeah, I remember doing that, Vader returned with amusement but there was an underlying pain to it that told Luke it was just a farce.

He scowled in worry. His father did that a lot lately. Or maybe he’d always done it and Luke had only now become attuned enough to him to sense it. While they were normally very open with their emotions, letting the other feel what was hard to say with words, often there would be a pain mixed in with his father’s emotions that did not fit his words. It was never much and never very strong. At first Luke had thought it just pained him to think over the past and maybe that was a part of it but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.

“Is everything alright, father?”, he asked him not for the first time.

“Yes”, Vader replied and the flow of emotions cut off. He could still feel his presence but he had withdrawn from their connection.

“It has been a long day. We should both find some rest now.”

Suddenly there was that odd tremor in the Force again, stronger than the last time.

Luke scowled a bit harder. “Are you sure everything’s alright?”

“I am”, Vader replied shortly and turned away. “Good night, Luke.”

“Good night”, Luke replied but didn’t move from his spot. Vader began heading for his bed chamber and the feeling of danger grew. Luke looked around but he had never been here before, couldn’t tell if something was amiss. He couldn’t feel any presence around but something, something was nagging him.

Luke started following his father and arrived at the entrance to his hyperbaric chamber just as the door was about to close. His father was already sitting in the sphere, preparing to launch the air filtering system.

“Is there something else you needed?”, he asked as the doors swished shut behind Luke, locking him in with his father.

“No, it’s just… I think the Force is telling me something but I don’t know what it is!”

“I see. We will meditate on it tomorrow.”

“But… I think it’s urgent!”

“The security surrounding this tower is top quality and anything from outside can wait until later”, Vader decided. He sounded weary and Luke was pretty sure that whatever the disturbance was, he did not feel it.

There was a hiss when Vader activated the air filtering system and clean oxygen was pumped into the room. Slowly the robotic arms moved to take off Vader’s mask and Luke knew that was his cue to leave. Still he couldn’t help the feeling that something was utterly wrong.  
Suddenly Vader started coughing. Various lights around the sphere starting blinking in alarm and when Luke rushed to him he saw his father leaning forward, blood littering his palms and the floor where he’d coughed it up.

“Father, what’s wrong?”, he called out in panic, trying to steady the Sith as he slumped over. He couldn’t see what was wrong with him but he wouldn’t stop coughing. There was a flood of pain and agony coming from him and Luke couldn’t make sense of it.

Shut down… the system, Vader finally sent him, even his mental voice sounding raw.

That’s when Luke noticed the smell. It wasn’t very strong but he knew what the purified air in Vader’s chamber was supposed to smell like and it was not like this.

Hastily Luke worked the control panel for the air filtering system, almost smashing it in his haste. By the time the hiss from the filters stopped, Vader was barely conscious and Luke was feeling a little nauseous himself.

“Come on, we have to get out of here”, he urged and tried to shake his father or at least move him but he was far too heavy.

Knowing that it was a bad idea but not seeing any other way, Luke stepped back and took a deep breath. He raised his hand to his father and concentrated on the Force. Carefully he directed the flow to his father and lifted him up, floating him out of the chamber, into the corridor beyond and, when he still wouldn’t move, down into the hangar and on the passenger’s seat of the speeder. It didn’t matter that Vader’s apartment was best out staffed to take care of him if the entire air filtering system was polluted.

Luke rushed to sit down in the driver’s seat and sped on blindly. He had no intention to go back to the palace, knowing very well the chance of Sidious being after the attack was not zero. Instead he planned on going to the next hospital and not knowing where that was, he threw himself into the Force and trusted its guidance. If only he had known to listen to it sooner!

XxX

Galen withered under the agonizing currents of electricity raging through his body. He had expected the punishment and as usual, he had not knelt down to take it. The moment the Emperor raised his hand against him he’d charged, lightsabers burning red in his hands as he unleashed a storm of slashes and jabs at him. But apparently two days was enough for Sidious to recover. The duel had lasted even shorter than the one before, leading Galen to the reluctant admittance that the Sith Lord might have been holding back after all. He was not doing that now. He was furious.

“I told you to kill the boy!”, Sidious raged, hitting him with lighting yet again until he was screaming, squirming on the floor. “And what do you do? You go and recklessly attack my apprentice!”

The lighting stopped for a moment, long enough for Galen to catch his breath. He glared up at the Emperor hatefully. “I apologize then for misunderstanding you, Master”, he pressed out. “You commanded me to kill Skywalker. It seems I picked the wrong one of the two of them.”

“How dare you! You are my creation! I saved you from Vader, he would’ve killed you to protect this piece of trash and this is how you thank me? If you ever want to defeat Vader, if you ever want to take his place you will do it to my conditions and at my command! But you are not ready, you are still a stupid child and your senseless rebellion could’ve cost you your life today!”

That was really unfair. Galen was not stupid. He knew he could not take on Vader himself yet. That’s why he’d gone to his tower and sabotaged the air filtering system, mixing the purified oxygen with poisonous gas. He’d been long gone by the time Vader arrived and thus no trace of his presence that he had kept hidden the entire time anyway, could’ve been felt by him. Even if he survived the attack there was no trace leading back to Galen or the Emperor. Except of course that it would need an expertly trained agent to get past the ridiculous security surrounding the building. Doing so without killing anyone and thus alerting the rest to his presence had been a pain in the ass.

And yet Vader had survived. He was currently in recovery in the Imperial General Hospital but he would live.

Galen was surprised. He had expected Vader to either notice the sabotage right away before it could do any damage or to not notice it, in which case he’d be dead within minutes. That he had indeed survived could only mean that somebody had saved him and Galen had no doubt about who that person had been.

If Vader had died, Sidious would’ve had no choice but to recognize his position. It was not Galen’s preferred method. He’d have much preferred to beat Vader in a duel. In fact Galen found he was actually relieved his attack had failed because killing Vader had never been the first priority.

He could not refuse killing Luke without looking like a weakling and if there was one thing that could push Sidious’ patience to the point of no return, it was weakness. It didn’t matter if Galen excelled at all challenges he was given, if he should prove to suffer from the same attachment issue as Vader then there was no reason to keep him, no reason to replace the older Sith.

Thus he had to find a way to convince Sidious that he did not refuse to kill Luke out of attachment to him. He had to find a stronger motive, one that pleased him. Like hatred.  
It was well known to the Emperor that Galen hated Vader and it was not out of character for him to try to kill him. It was not too far-fetched to think Galen would deliberately misunderstand an order given to him to excuse an attack on the Sith apprentice, to jump at the opportunity to exact his revenge early. If the attack succeeded, there would be no more reason to murder Luke as without his father there was nothing important about him. At least nothing important enough to spend major resources on finding him when he fled the planet. If the attack failed – which Galen had sort of expected – then Vader would be sure to tighten his security around him and subsequently his son and even Sidious would have to admit that killing Luke under these circumstances would be impossible without disposing of Vader as well.

None of that Sidious must know of course so Galen took care to concentrate on his hatred for Vader, of which there was plenty.

“Forgive me, Master, I was too hasty”, Galen pressed out with great reluctance.

“Indeed you were! After everything I have done for you, you go against my orders like that! You won’t make this mistake again, do you hear me?”

“Master?”, Galen asked confused when the lighting was finally lifted.

“I will give you one more chance and it will be your last one. You must kill Luke Skywalker and you will do so without anyone knowing of your involvement. If you fail, I will fully support Lord Vader in disposing of you. Only if you succeed will you be allowed to come back here and maybe, if you manage to control this temper of yours, I will then tell you how to defeat your nemesis.”

Galen glared up at the Emperor hatefully. That was indeed a brilliant plan. If Galen went out to kill Luke but failed, Sidious could always say he had acted on his own accord to either weaken Vader or punish Luke for replacing him. It was entirely believable because that was a motive Galen did have, even if it wasn’t as strong as Sidious suspected. Still no promises were made in case he did succeed, once again he only got some empty words. Maybe he would be allowed to kill Vader afterwards, maybe not. Galen was sick of such empty promises.

“The two will depart the planet in less than two days”, Galen said. After that terrible punishment, he would need some time to recover. There was no time to prepare for a stealthy assassination now that the two were aware that there was someone highly skilled out for their lives.

“That is why I will send you with them, officially. You, my best agent, will be tasked with the investigation around the attempt made on Lord Vader’s life. You will stay close to him and watch out for traitors so that he can continue concentrate on his normal duties. That will give you plenty of time to find a hole in their security.” Sidious grinned wickedly. “Of course, for this mission it will be necessary to hide your true feelings from both of them. You will have to act as if you are happy to work with them, as if you missed their… company. You will have to gain their trust so that when you strike, they will not suspect you.”

Galen paled as he heard that. Being tasked to kill his friend was bad enough but being forced to be nice to him, to rebuild the friendship long lost, fully knowing that he would have to betray him? That was… so typical for Darth Sidious. For years Galen had been as valuable a weapon as he had been an annoying thorn in his side, never truly bending to his will. Despite everything he’d done to prevent it, Sidious knew. He knew that he still valued Luke and this was his way of breaking his spirit, of making him subservient. Just knowing this, knowing that Sidious wanted him to kill Luke to harm him, made Galen more averse to the idea then any positive feelings he might have towards the boy because how dare he. How dare he push him around like that, forcing him to make this decision? Every time Galen uncovered a new plot of the Emperor, he just hated him even more.

“It will be done, my Master”, Galen promised. Despite hating it, he saw no other choice. He was not ready to take on the Emperor, that had been proven yet again in their latest duel. If he was not ready to take on Sidious, he was probably not ready to take on Vader either and if he refused the mission and ran away, he wouldn’t get the chance to get close enough to either ever again. If he wanted to have his revenge, he had to play Sidious’ game. And the bastard knew that.


	25. Chapter 25

Darth Vader glared at the little round droid. Every sentient being would’ve crumbled under the power of his gaze, even hidden behind the black lenses of his helmet.

“Repeat that”, the Sith Lord snarled, his hands flexing in a gesture that would’ve sent veteran soldiers running for their lives. The droid however was not impressed.

“You are not authorized to leave the facility, Sir”, the droid chirped happily.

“On whose order?”, he asked incredulous.

“The standard medical instruction of this hospital prohibit patients with lasting damage to their health from leaving without proper precautions taken to reduce the risk of relapse. Further monitoring is required to-“

The droid abruptly stopped as Vader slowly closed his hand, pressing at the sphere-shaped droid from all sides with the Force until the metal crumbled and fell to the ground as a useless pile of scrap.

Vader really hated hospitals. It was disgraceful and embarrassing that he had to spend any amount of time here. Sith Lords didn’t get sick and he was supposed to be a powerful warrior, he didn’t get hurt either. And yet he’d had to spend hours completely helpless in an operation room while a complete stranger cut him open, revealing the scarred inside of his black soul.

He knew of course why Luke had decided to bring him here and he understood why he’d deemed the Imperial palace unsafe but still. Darth Vader had been a symbol of terror and infallibility for over a decade. People all over the galaxy wondered whether he was a machine or a sentient being and if so, which race. This anonymity, while it had originally annoyed him, had become a part of his life and he had learned to value it.

For a moment Vader had seriously considered killing everyone in the hospital who’d seen him being brought in but in the end, he opted to simply give the doctors a good scare to ensure they would never tell anyone about it.

Vader stopped at the door, feeling his son’s bright presence behind it. He knew Luke had waited for him the entire time, making sure nobody came near him while he was helpless who wasn’t supposed to be there. An old pain started up in his chest as he contemplated the child, now a teenager. Six years ago, he wouldn’t have hesitated to kill the personnel. Six years ago he would’ve noticed the sabotage on his hyperbaric chamber way before it could do any harm to him. Six years ago he would already be hunting down the wannabe assassin, torturing his body and ripping his mind apart.

But being with Luke, raising him, teaching him, it had changed Vader. It wasn’t very noticeable at first but over time, Luke had awoken a desire in Vader that he hadn’t felt ever since his wife died. It was the desire to be a better person, to earn the respect and love of someone he valued. He’d grown to hate the look of disappointment in Luke’s eyes whether he did something that conflicted with his morals. At first he’d simply kept his work hidden from him. He would continue to do what he deemed necessary without Luke seeing it. But even if he wasn’t a witness, Luke always seemed to know. It was inevitable when their bond grew stronger and they sensed each other feelings.  
Slowly the desire to keep his son away from his bloody work had transformed into the wish to become the father he pretended to be for him.

Darth Vader believed in what he did. The galaxy might see him as a monster but he believed that in order to bring peace, order and safety to the galaxy, some people had to give up their freedom. Those that refused to do so were selfish and for the most part even dangerous and had to be put down. What he did was actually necessary. And yet there were times (and those times became increasingly frequent) when he wished that the one to do what was necessary wasn’t him. There were times when he wished he could push that responsibility onto someone else just so that his son would smile at him more often in true joy.

Letting these doctors live was not the smart thing to do. They had been privy to a lot of secret information surrounding his armor and health, information that could potentially be leaked to hostile parties and later become a danger to him. He admitted that the chance was small as he had both threatened and planted a Force suggestion in their heads to forget about it but a small risk remained and as a Sith Lord, nothing short of perfection was acceptable. Yet he had allowed this small danger to his person to remain, had given up a bit of his own safety in order to become the person Luke saw in him.

It wasn’t the first time either. Six years ago Vader had been fully immersed in the dark side at all times. His hatred had made him strong. Now he kept experiencing small bursts of happiness, pride and affection when around Luke and the stronger his connection to him grew, the weaker the one to the dark side became.

It had taken years for this shift to become noticeable. Vader had consciously fought against it, especially after he discovered that it seemed to deteriorate his health if he came in contact with too much light side in anything but combat. It also kept clouding his mind when he tried to decipher the future, which had almost cost him his life today. But in the end whenever he was around his son, the desire to build upon that trust in his eyes won out and so he had kept sacrificing his own health and safety to raise him time and time again. Maybe he would kill a prisoner early instead of torturing him for all the information he was worth. Maybe he would change a battle strategy to avoid civilian casualties, thereby putting his own men under greater risk. Maybe he would allow a father of three children to remain alive and in his service even though he messed up a mission with a mistake that would warrant his death. It was only small things like that but they grew in number. Vader hated how his efficiency suffered under it but there were upsides to it as well. His support from the common soldiers of the navy for example had risen exponentially. When before he had controlled his people with fear, now they followed his every command without question because they trusted him to do the right thing. It was almost like in the Clone Wars, when he’d been a Jedi General.

Vader was ripped out of his musings when Luke brushed his mind, sensing his conflict. He pulled himself together and opened the door. Immediately Luke stood from where he’d waited for him, worry and relief showing on his face.

“Father! I’m so glad you’re better”, he said, smiling up at him.

The Sith Lord felt an odd mix of disgust and warmth at his son’s worry. He made sure to let Luke only feel the latter before giving a curt nod and motioning for him to follow as he left the hospital.

“We will depart for the fleet at once”, he declared.

“What about the attack? Are you sure you are alright? What are you going to do about it?”

Ignoring the second question, Vader answered with mental words: Whoever the assassin was, I am reasonably sure it can be assumed that Sidious is to blame for it. Only he could’ve provided detailed information on my security and the chamber to make such an attack possible. While I would prefer to hunt down the assassin, Sidious would simply find another one. Once we’re back on the ship, at least you won’t be in danger of getting caught in the crossfire should he or she try again.

But I wasn’t the target, Luke argued. I’m more worried about you.

You too breathed in some of the poison.

Sure but they examined me and said it was fine. I felt a bit sick for a couple of hours, that was it.

Nonetheless, Vader insisted, you were harmed because of me and I cannot allow that to happen again.

They continued on their way but before they could reach their shuttle, Vader received a message over his comm. He was being summoned to the Emperor. That would not be too unusual, after all his Master would want to make sure he was at good health before he let him go on the next mission. Except of course that Vader suspected Sidious might be behind the attack himself.

Will you go?, Luke asked worriedly. It could be a trap.

I doubt that. The Emperor has tried to have me killed before. This is the way of the Sith, Luke. It is simply another test. If he really wanted me dead, he would do it himself.

Maybe that’s what he’s planning to do now, Luke replied.

That was a possibility. Vader took the time to reach out to the Force, listening to the whispers of the dark side. They spoke of a malicious plot and a great conflict but no immediate danger to him.  
I don’t believe that. He would not risk it – yet. Go back to the Devastator, Luke. I will meet you again when this is done.

At the entrance, a small squad of troopers was already waiting for them when they left the hospital. Luke went with them, if reluctantly and took a speeder to the hangar. Vader waited until he was out of sight before he leaned heavily against a wall, catching his breath. His chest was still hurting, his lungs burning despite his respirator forcing only purified air into them. The doctors had been able to stop the poison before it could become fatal but damage had still been done to his already weakened lungs. He’d had three lung transplants during the last sixteen years, the most recent one only two years ago. Rejection had been minimal and he’d hoped his condition would finally better. No such luck, it seemed.

Again he pulled himself together. Pain made him strong, he reminded himself and with a surge of determination, reached for the Force and pulled the darkness around him like a tight cloak. He allowed his resentment for his Master to fester until it took over his mind and he felt the familiar feeling of hatred rise up in him again. The pain in his chest lessened to a manageable level.

Thus prepared Vader made his way to the Imperial palace. Once in the throne room he knelt in front of his Master until he told him to rise.

“I have heard troubling news about an attack on your life, my friend”, the Emperor said with a smile showing yellow teeth. “I am pleased to see the rumors of your death were exaggerated.”

“The incident is without consequences”, Vader claimed. “Though there is the matter of question of how the assassin was able to penetrate the security. It might well be that there is a spy in the higher Imperial ranks on the planet.”

“That thought has occurred to me as well and it worries me. The case needs to be investigated but I understand that you are currently very busy with the military. Therefore, I have decided to lend you assistance. I will send one of my agents with you. He will be tasked with flushing out any traitors that might be hiding close to you while another team will lead an investigation here on Imperial Center.”

“Master, that is hardly necessary-“

“Oh, but I insist. After all we wouldn’t want you to get behind with your duties because you have to constantly look out for traitors. Do not worry, you have worked with this particular agent before and I am confident that you will find his presence most… enlightening.”

An agent he had worked with before? Under his helmet, Vader scowled. The Emperor probably chose one of his Inquisitors to keep an eye on him. He’d had to do with those occasionally while hunting Jedi. Great, just what he needed, another watchful pair of eyes of evade. It annoyed him greatly and was new food to the hatred growing in him. He was so sick of kneeling to this creature.

“Very well, however I hope you do not expect me to tolerate somebody uselessly standing around breathing down my men’s neck. This agent will be under my command.”

“Agent Marek only follows my commands but he will of course, assist you in any way he can.”

Sidious made a motion with his hand even as Vader wondered where he’d heard the name Marek before. Suddenly out of the shadows behind the throne a figure arose. A young man, barely eighteen years old, came to stand next to the Emperor. He was clad in a Correlian flight suit, dark green linen with some light leather armor around his shoulders as well as brown leather boots and an utility belt with various weapons sticking out of it – including a lightsaber. His black hair was kept in a short military cut and his dark eyes under the heavy scowl spoke of a hidden power just waiting to break free.

Even though Vader had not noticed his somewhat suppressed presence under the mass of power Sidious used to flood the room, he recognized the man immediately.

“Starkiller”, he said, his mechanical voice sounding flat, unable to convey the shock he felt at being confronted with the student he’d given up years ago.

No emotions could be seen on Starkiller’s face and he did not react to being addressed either.

“My name is Galen Marek”, he said instead, his voice cold and crisp. “I look forward to working with you, Lord Vader.”

The Emperor’s smile grew a bit wider. “Agent Marek has volunteered to lead this investigation. I am sure you two together will only deliver the best results.”

“I’m sure we will”, Vader replied after some hesitation. Starkiller was staring straight ahead, completely ignoring him.

“Then you may be on your way. I have already organized for Agent Marek’s belongings to be taken to your flagship. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not”, he answered tensely. The Emperor gave him a nod and dismissed them.

When Vader turned away, Starkiller moved as well and was just one step behind him in an instant. The Sith Lord tried not to appear bothered by the cold gaze in his back as he made his way to the door. Only when they had left the palace and were on their way to the hangar did Vader dare to reach out through the Force, to get a feeling of the man he used to raise.

There was nothing familiar about him. The bond they had shared during the training was gone, not even any scraps left. It was as if he was a complete stranger. Even his mind, from what he gathered by brushing it before the young man slammed some impressive mental shield down on it, was foreign, cold and detached. He couldn’t detect a hint of the overeager child that used to do everything just for a nod of approval from him. He couldn’t even feel any kind of recognition or reaction to the mission or his person. Vader didn’t think it was possible that Starkiller should have forgotten about him entirely. Not even Sidious was powerful enough to wipe his memories like that, at least not if he wanted him to remain functional. This could only mean that Starkiller was hiding his true feelings about this unexpected reunion and that it was hard enough for him to do that he did not dare fake a reaction.

That is why Vader waited until they were in the relative privacy of the shuttle before he addressed the young man.

“I had started to doubt that we would ever meet again, my young student.”

“I am not your student”, Starkiller replied coldly without looking at him.

“No, not anymore…” Vader regarded him closely but Starkiller still refused to look at him.

A sigh escaped him, made inaudible by the respirator. “You hate me”, he stated resigned. He’d known this would happen. Of course Sidious would turn his old student against him. What he didn’t understand was why he now forced them to work together.

“Why?”

At last, Starkiller slowly turned his head in his direction.

“Why?”, the young Sith repeated incredulously.

“You have many reasons to hate me”, Vader elaborated. “I want to know which one you cling to.”

That aura, carefully kept dense and small, suddenly exploded as Starkiller was taken over by his rage.

“How about you trying to kill me?!”, he hissed, his hands clenched to fists. “How about you handing me over to this tyrant after all the years I served you loyally? How about treating me like an object, a possession, a slave, never even giving me a real name let alone some basic recognition for all my work? How about killing my parents?” Starkiller breathed deeply after the last one, glaring at him fiercely, “Yes, I know all about that. Sidious told me how you killed them so you could kidnap and train me because you sensed my potential!”

“I never met your mother and I killed your father because he was a Jedi and a collaborator with the local Wookie rebels. I would’ve killed you too if you hadn’t surprised me with your Force potential.” Vader met his cold gaze head on. “What, did you think you were so important that I would travel across the whole galaxy just to rip you out of the arms of your perfect family? Don’t think so highly of yourself.”

He could see that Starkiller was shocked and even a bit disgusted at the revelation. Evidently he had not known of his father’s true allegiance.

“If you want to keep carrying the name of a traitor, by all means, do so. I would’ve thought you had earned your own name by now”, Vader added, knowing exactly the effect his words had. Starkiller had viewed the return of his birth name as an improvement when in reality, it was a step back for the Sith.

Starkiller straightened his shoulders, emanating defiance. “It matters little. You have done enough damage to my own person to warrant my hatred without adding the atrocities you have inflicted on others.”

“And yet you agreed to this mission, to help me, protect me. Why?”

Starkiller glared at him again. “You really think I had a choice?”

“There is always a choice. That you are here now can only have two reasons. Either your fear of punishment is greater than your hatred for me or the Emperor gave you another mission that fits your own agenda a lot more. You do not strike me as particularly broken. Brainwashed, yes, but not broken. That’s why I have to wonder what your real goal is.”

Another thing that had changed about Starkiller, Vader noted. He had apparently lost any respect for him. Somehow that bothered Vader more than losing the boy’s affection. He was hot headed, rude and defiant where before he would’ve never dared to speak up to him like that. It also appeared he was lacking in discipline, as he didn’t have any control over his temper. So not only had Sidious turned his student against him, he’d also robbed him of the characteristics that made him the most efficient. Did his Master even have any idea how hard it was to teach a child as young as Starkiller had been when he first came to him something as opposite to his nature as discipline? It was a bloody big piece of work and now it was all for naught. That was seriously annoying. Using his own carefully crafted weapon against him was one thing but then not even taking care of that weapon, letting it deteriorate to such a rebellious teenager, that was insulting.

“You want to know what my real reason is?”, Starkiller spat out. “I’m here to keep an eye on you. The Emperor has lost his trust in your ability. He thinks you’re becoming weak. That you might not be capable of fulfilling the duties entrusted to you.”

That… was low.

Vader felt the fury rise in him as he heard his former student speak to him so disrespectfully. It didn’t even matter if he spoke the truth or not, he could tell from his arrogant stance that he actually believed himself superior. He couldn't allow that to continue.

Without hesitating Vader reached out, not even bothering with the Force, he clamped his metal hand around Starkiller’s throat and rammed the younger man against the next wall, holding him there, his feet no longer touching the ground.

“I would mind your tongue if I were you”, he growled.

Starkiller had raised his hand to claw at his instinctively but still glared at him arrogantly.

“No you wouldn’t”, he replied. “You would’ve just killed me. What happened, did you lose your touch, Lord Vader?”

So that’s how it was. Starkiller wanted to provoke him, wanted to break loose a fight, probably as an excuse to kill him. Oh, such arrogance! Evidently Sidious’s training hadn’t been up to Vader’s standards if he thought he could bait him like that. Or maybe he really was just letting his emotions get in the way of his head.

Vader pressed down on the young man’s windpipe a bit more just to make a point before he dropped him. Once, a long time ago it seemed, he had raised this child. At one point he had even considered him part of his family, if only for the friendship he’d built with Luke. He knew if he killed him now, it would break Luke’s heart. Even if he managed to keep it from him, Vader would know it and he knew once the anger subsided, he would hate himself for it.

But Starkiller was an enemy now and he must not show weakness in front of him.

“You said I never recognized your work for me, your loyalty. Take your life then as a sign of respect for who you once were. I will not spare it again if you continue to speak to me like that. Is that understood?”

Starkiller looked up to him from the ground where he’d dropped him with wide eyes. Slowly he nodded and for a moment Vader thought he saw a spark of the child he raised in the young Sith. Starkiller had worked for him despite fearing him. Maybe Galen could work for him despite hating him.

“Good. I don’t care what you do as long as you don’t get in my way. We will arrive at the Devastator soon, I suggest you prepare yourself. Luke will be eager to see you again. If you are as rude to him as you were to me, I will personally throw you out of the air lock.”

Starkiller licked his suddenly dry lips. “Luke… will be there?”

“Yes. You are not to hurt him, not even verbally or I will send your head back to Sidious”

Starkiller slowly got to his feet again. "I have no quarrel with Luke and no desire to harm him."

Vader watched him closely. He prodded at his mind and surprisingly Starkiller let him, showing him the truth behind his words. Vader had feared that Sidious might have turned the boy against Luke as well but obviously he didn't see Luke as such a great danger to warrant the trouble. Vader hated to admit it but that was a huge relief. He didn't like the idea of a vengeful Sith student out for his son's blood. Not one bit.


	26. Chapter 26

On board the Star Destroyer Devastator, Luke Skywalker had immersed himself in the Force. He was just letting himself flow through the peaceful light, trying to clear his mind of all his worries.  
It was not working. Again and again his mind would wander back to the terrible picture of his father coughing blood before his body went limp. Vader could’ve died today and for all the progress Luke had made, it was still hard to interpret the subtle warnings the Force sometimes gave him, especially if they weren’t directed at himself.

His fear for his father was gnawing at him, interfering with his meditation. Opening his eyes, Luke scowled. He was not doing too well today.

Without having much hope, Luke concentrated on his fear instead of trying to release it. He used it as a stepping stone to grab the Force and slowly, dark tendrils began to invade the light Force around him. They came with a whisper of challenge and of danger, of violence and hatred.  
At last, the fear turned into pain and Luke had to cut off the connection. He was left shivering and cold, as always when he tried to connect to the more powerful side of the Force. He wasn’t even sure why he did it. He knew he was useless and untalented when it came to the dark side but whenever he did feel fear or anger, he tried to make the connection anyway, hoping that one day we would be able to maintain it.

Again though he had failed. Luke had attempted to meditate on the attack on his father trying to find out who was behind it and if there was any further danger. However the vague answers he got from both sides of the Force were entirely opposite. The light tried to convince him that what happened had been a good thing and it brought new opportunities with it. The dark side whispered to him of a hidden danger, a challenger he had to take care of.

Both messages made no sense to him. How could his father almost dying possibly be a good thing? Was it just because his father was a Sith Lord and so his death would somehow help the light? Last time he checked, the Force didn’t have a conscience.

But the ‘opinion’ of the dark side didn’t make sense either. Whoever had been daring enough to try to murder Darth Vader was sure to be far too powerful for Luke to take down. He could’ve understood if the dark side told him that Vader would kill the assassin. That definitely would’ve reassured his conscience. Instead, it hinted that was his job and while Luke certainly had a desire to protect his father, he knew Vader would never allow him to put himself in danger to do so.

In moments like these, meditation was very frustrating. Luke wished so much there was someone he could discuss his findings with. To a certain extent, he could talk about it with his father but sometimes that just wasn’t an option. His father would be utterly disgusted by the mere notion that Luke worried about him. He had effectively told Luke to forget about the whole incident, that it was not worth it to investigate because Sidious sending assassins after him was considered normal.

But the light side whispered to Luke that it was important and that he had to do something even as he didn’t know what. The dark side might tell him to wait until the challenge was directed at him but the call of the light felt far more urgent. It just wouldn’t leave him alone.

With a sigh Luke sank back into the Force. This time though, he didn’t try to lift the veil surrounding the future. Instead he followed that small silver thread in the back of his mind that carried him across half the galaxy.

On the other end of the thread, a thin white strand to the thick gray rope connecting him to Vader, he felt the most beautiful, purest mind he had ever brushed. She was asleep right now and Luke had to remember that on her planet, it was night time. However, this had never stopped him before. In fact, she preferred him to come to her at night as it meant she wouldn’t have to worry about staring blankly into the sky while she talked to him and people around her thinking she was crazy. Not that anyone would ever dare say so to the princess of Alderaan.

When the Force around Luke pulled together – or cleared up, whichever way you wanted to look at it – he found himself in the living room of a beautiful, cozy home. The windows showed forests and white mountains and Luke wondered if this was a fictional place or some kind of summer residence of the royal family.

Leia was sitting at the dining table, drinking tea and eating cake. She had the oddest of companions in a Wookie, a bantha, some kind of bird and a pink animal with large ears and a tail in its face that Luke didn’t recognize. Though they were all obviously artificially manufactured giant plushies, they moved around and drank tea and ate from the cake as if alive, talking amiably with the princess. Even the Wookie had a human voice.

“Hello Luke”, Leia greeted him with a small smile when he came closer. “You are just in time for the dessert. Please, sit with us.”

Luke smiled back at her. It was always odd how lively and real his Force visions appeared when he connected with Leia. It was just a misty haze when she was awake but when she slept, he could actually enter her dreams and experience them as if they were real.

An empty chair appeared between the bantha and the bird and Luke sat down while Leia poured him a cup of tea.

"Thank you", he said quietly and took a sip but only because it was the polite thing to do. The tea tasted of nothing.

Leia scowled at him in worry. "You look troubled, Luke. What's wrong?"

"Nothing", he answered absentmindedly. He didn't really want to talk about it, he just wanted a bit peace and quiet away from it all.

Luke instinctively dodged when Leia tried to hit him with a napkin.

"Luke Skywalker! I've been dreaming of you day and night for the last four years. Don't you think I recognize when something is up with you?"

Luke went a little red. Under Leia's intense stare he suddenly felt like a crazy stalker. But he couldn't help it. Ever since they had first met on Alderaan, Luke felt her presence in the Force every time he meditated. Every time! At first he had tried to just ignore it like his father had told him to but it was just so strange and he was curious. So he kept connecting to the presence, slipping into the princess' mind, feeling her, hearing whispers of her thoughts and flashing pictures of her dreams. After a year or so he stopped trying to shut her out completely and when his father asked, he pretended the odd phenomen had passed.

One day Leia had caught him in her mind but instead of being scared, she'd been utterly fascinated. A little bit scared maybe when he explained to her the connection that had somehow formed between them but oddly, she didn't mind it at all. As it turned out, she too had sensed the connection. With time it grew stronger until they actually missed each other when they kept out of contact for too long. They had never met in person after that first meeting but they had become like a bizarre pair of pen pals, talking about everything and nothing or just basking in each other's presence silently.

Luke had shown her a few tricks and small techniques on how to use the Force when she'd begged him to. It wasn't anything compared to the training he went through and Leia would be better off defending herself with a blaster than trying to fight with the Force but she had made some progress. One of the first things he showed her was how to consciously open her mind even to hostile invaders and essentially bombard them with insignificant thoughts. It would both shield her mind and thus the secret of their friendship and protect her from being discovered as Force aware by a casual brush of her mind.

Luke looked up in Leia's stern face and he could feel her worry.

"It is nothing", he repeated, looking away. "Nothing I can tell you about. Please don't ask."

Leia stiffened at once and as if on command, all the plushies turned to look at Luke.

"It's got something to do with your father", she said.

Luke didn't deny it and instead sipped on his tea again to buy time.

Darth Vader had always been something of a taboo subject for Luke just as Alderaan's politics were for Leia. They were acutely aware that while they got along wonderfully, their philosophies and stances on the Empire where very different and challenged confrontation. For Leia, Darth Vader was a symbol of oppression and tyranny. For Luke, Alderaan's thinly veiled antagonism to the Empire was both foolish and potentially dangerous for the people on the planet as well as anyone else they might poison with their propaganda. It was only the fact that Alderaan was a peaceful world without a military on its own that kept the wrath of the Emperor away from it; they were simply no threat to him. That would change if they continued to support terrorists and house fugitives though.

There had been a time when Luke had argued that it was Leia's responsibility as a princess and possibly future senator to reason with her people that acting against the Empire was suicide. They had a good life on a beautiful world, it was simply not worth risking that peace over a government that largely didn't even affect them. Alderaan was mostly independent in its economy and did not need to interact much with other worlds. Imperial law did not affect planetary law set by their royalty. The only thing they really needed from the greater galaxy was military protection and yet they vetted against the very garrisons and ships provided for their security.

Luke could understand it if a planet of non-humanoids whose people had been exploited by the Empire and forced into labor would rise up against their oppressors. He could understand it if the people from a planet rich in a resource the Empire needed and just took without asking wanted revenge for the raping of their world. He could even understand that a world that had been punished overly hard for a small crime to set an example would be outraged at the treatment. Those were all terrible things and Luke hated it when his father was called to rain down destruction on worlds that had done little to no wrong in his mind. He had voiced those concerns to his father before and he did think that he was getting through to him, that Vader was considering shifting their dependency on control through fear. Luke knew that Emperor Palpatine was old and before long, Vader would take his place. Without a proper apprentice, it would take him longer to take the throne. He might even have to wait until the Sith Lord died of natural causes. But Sidious would die and Luke was convinced that with his father's rule, everything would get better. Until then, they had to continue as before, even if it meant doing terrible things because if they stopped for just a moment, there was the danger of a rebellion growing, ending in a civil war that would rip the galaxy apart.

That's why, while he understood the truly wronged rising up against the Empire (usually to be put down like dogs for it) he could not for the life of him understand why a world like Alderaan, that hadn't suffered through the Empire at all, would continue to challenge it. In Luke's mind, they had no right to do that and he even considered it selfish seeing as they endangered the entire planet with it.

But just like Luke had tried to convince, Leia, she had tried to convince him of her beliefs. Leia could not understand his continued support of Darth Vader when she knew that Luke himself was a good person at heart. In the beginning she'd been convinced that he stayed with him against his will but was too afraid to admit it. She'd ask him many times if Vader had hurt him but was always brushed off. Once she had reluctantly accepted that they did have a proper father-son-relationship, she had tried to talk him into using his influence over Vader to stop some of the evil done in his name. But Luke couldn't do that. Even if he would manage to manipulate his father that way, Vader was just carrying out the will of the Emperor. If he refused to do that, it would count as a direct challenge. Luke was sure that his father would have no problem killing Sidious but the old man sat in a a palace swarmed with Force-trained guards and security, on a planet packed with Stormtroopers. Even the entirety of Death Squadron, all of them loyal to Vader first and the Empire only second, would have a hard time lasting against the defenses of Imperial Center and that was not even taking into account the huge civilian death toll such a battle would have.

No, Vader could not challenge the Emperor, not while he was in his palace and not on his own. Maybe in a few years Luke would be capable enough to at least lead the assault of the fleet from space while his father did the ground work but until then, they would both have to continue the game of cat and mouse with the old Emperor.

Seeing as none of them would give in, the two young teenagers had agreed on a truce. They would not try to insist on their point of view and they owed it to their own allegiances to keep silent about them. But there were times where they couldn't help but break their unspoken agreement and today, it seemed such a time had arrived.

"What did he do to you?", Leia wanted to know. "Did he hurt you? Or did he force you to hurt others? Please Luke, you cannot allow that man to drag you down such a violent path, that is not where you belong!"

"Leia, please", he sighed. "He doesn't do that kind of thing."

"Anymore", she said with a scowl. "You told me he tried to turn you into a mini-Vader before, whose to say he won't try again?"

Luke scowled at that. He had once confided in Leia about his failure as a Sith. It had really dragged him down that day because his father wouldn't allow him to accompany into a dangerous battle. He didn't think him strong enough and Luke couldn't help but think that he would've allowed Starkiller to come with him.

Leia of course hadn't been able to understand that being a 'mini-Vader' was actually a dream of his and not some horrifying vision that was to be avoided at all cost. She'd thought it to be a terrible crime to turn him to the dark side and been so outraged Luke simply hadn't dared correcting her, leaving her in the belief that Vader had practically abused him for the first year after he'd come to him. The worst thing was that it was kind of true. While he had rarely ever hurt Luke directly, his cold treatment and constant insistence to force him into contact with the dark side had certainly dampened his spirits. Compared to the bond he now shared with him and the freedom he had, his short phase of Sith training had been everything but pleasant.

“Can we just please not talk about it?”, Luke pleaded again.

“Very well”, she sniffed, “but then, what do you want to talk about? I can’t help you if you won’t let me know what’s wrong.”

“You’re helping me just by being there”, he whispered.

Leia looked at him in surprise. There might have been a slight blush covering her cheeks.

She remembered when Luke had first revealed to her the connection they shared. For months she had felt as if she was being watched but it wasn’t a scary feeling, more as if someone was looking out for her, protecting her. She’d had no idea what or who it was. In her mind, she’d dubbed the presence her guardian. He wasn’t always there but when he was, she felt that everything would be alright in the end. The revelation that her mysterious guardian was Luke Skywalker had not surprised her as much as it probably should have. Though they didn’t know each other very well, Luke was like an old friend. The boy was shrouded in mystery what with his relation to Vader. She did wonder why he kept coming back to her, had even teased him about it a few times but it seemed that for Luke, this connection and Leia itself was as much a mystery as he was to her.

As Leia grew older and she learned more about the Empire and Vader’s terrible deeds, she had considered several times to cut her ties with Luke. After she had discovered that her father was in fact organizing help for those wronged by the Empire, which would surly get him branded as a traitor if anyone knew, she had decided it was better if she severed all connection to the son of the galaxy’s leading terror. She supported her father’s politics wholeheartedly and fully intended to follow in his footsteps. It would be kinda hard to hide that from Luke, who was positively pro-Empire. Luke could one day endanger not only her but her entire family and she could not risk that.

But despite knowing so, Leia couldn’t help but open her mind and welcome her guardian whenever he visited. There was just something about him that made her heart flutter happily whenever he was close. She knew that he cared about her and she trusted him when he assured her that Vader didn’t know they were meeting like this and had no way to find out. Logically she knew it was a bad idea to trust him but she couldn’t help it.

Leia blinked when she saw that the bantha and the wookie plushie that were amongst her other guests today had started snuggling, making cooing noises. She blushed a bit harder and tried to ignore them.

Luke didn’t seem to notice. For some reason he was looking to the ceiling, scowling.

“Luke? What’s up?”

“I don’t know… did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

Now that he mentioned it, there was a sort of scraping noise over their heads. It sounded suspiciously like claws.

“Luke”, she asked carefully, “you didn’t bring anything with you, did you?”

“Something is happening”, he muttered and stood. “On the other side. The Force is trying to warn me-“

He didn’t get to finish his sentence for in that moment, the ceiling broke and wood and dust came raining down through a big hole. Leia jumped back as a black shadow dropped right onto the table, hissing menacingly.

Leia had never seen a creature like that. It was the same size as the other plushies who were all fitted to be as tall as humans even though their species might naturally be bigger. This thing however did not stand on two legs like the other representations of her mind. The reptile was on all fours. Brown, dry scales covered it like rows of sharp teeth and its head was a grimace made out of sharp edges with a menacing snarl. Two long horns sprouted from its head and its tail sported four bone white thorns that swished at Leia. It wasn’t a straight out attack but she still jumped aside.

“What is that thing!?”, she screeched.

The reptile had its mean yellow eyes fixed on Luke, a maw full of sharp teeth opening to hiss at him threateningly.

“It’s a krayt dragon”, Luke answered, never breaking his gaze from the dangerous beast. He had his hand at the hilt of his lightsaber on his hip, one that hadn’t been there a second before.

Leia shuddered, the name didn’t sound very reassuring. As soon as Luke had entered the hut, she’d known that she was dreaming. She knew that the plushies were representatives of people or ideas or just vague concepts of her mind. While it was possible for her to think up completely new species in her dreams, it was highly unlikely that a creature she didn’t even know existed but Luke recognized would appear in her mind. Therefore, the dragon must be a representation of Luke’s mind and considering how dangerous it looked, that was not a good sign.

“By the stars, is that Vader?”, Leia asked, feeling panicked. She might have no problem with Luke visiting her in her head but she absolutely would not tolerate that monster!

“No”, Luke answered far calmer than she felt. After a while when the dragon didn’t attack immediately, he even dropped his hand from his saber hilt and reached out for the creature. It snapped at him and he pulled it back quickly.

“Father rarely disturbs me in my meditation and when he does it’s more like a shadow crawling in from all sides…” He shook his head. “No, this is a warning of the Force. I have to return.”

“But Luke…!”

“Don’t worry. Your mind hasn’t been invaded. Well, by anyone other than me.”

She could sense his worry and fear. Whatever had happened on his side to make him act so strange today, Leia did not think the appearance of the dragon had put him to rest.

Once Luke had declared he needed to go back though, the dragon stopped hissing and when Luke tried to reach out for it again, it even allowed him to touch it.

“I’ll be back later”, he promised with a weak smile to her. 

“Okay… just… be careful, alright?”

“Always.”

The krayt dragon hopped onto the floor. Luke kept one hand loosely lying on its back and together they left the hut through the door.

Leia looked up at the hole in the ceiling from which the dragon had emerged and scowled in worry at what she saw. For beyond the safety of her dream world there was a swirling maelstrom of darkness.


	27. Chapter 27

Galen was fighting with mixed emotions as the shuttle approached the Star Destroyer Devastator. He had reached a sort of truce with his old Master and he supposed that was a good thing, for his mission at least. Even if the Emperor had told him to pretend that he was glad to be back, logically Galen knew he couldn’t do that. His hatred for Vader was too strong and impossible to hide if he was to spend any amount of time around him. It didn’t surprise him that the Sith Lord saw right through the flimsy excuse of a mission. But Galen had spent five years under the tutelage of the best mastermind in the galaxy. He did know how to tell a convincing lie and thus had been able to hide his true objective from Vader. He knew that by doubting his ability and strength, he had insulted his old Master greatly and he would have to take care not to push his patience any further. At the same time though he knew that those accusations were in fact wrong and it would not be arrogance if Vader dismissed them entirely. If Galen had stuck to his story Vader would have become suspicious fast and watched him every second. By pushing forward a goal that was sort of hostile (which is something he expected) but no true threat, he’d made it entirely possible that Vader would just ignore his presence, only enduring it because the Emperor had ordered him to. 

Though Vader didn’t know it, even Galen’s outburst had been carefully calculated. One reason for it was that Galen knew there was a risk his emotions would overwhelm him sooner or later, so he better get it out of his system early. The second reason however was so that Vader would miscalculate his threat level, seeing him as uncontrolled and unintelligent, thus not able to make any elaborate plots. It probably wouldn’t have worked if he’d been as cold-blooded and emotionless as Vader had raised him to be – deprived of any emotions that made him human – but his rage hadn’t been pretended and so made for a very convincing show. It went even better than expected as Vader had questioned him just minutes after departing the planet. Killing Galen in an accident a few days into the mission was one thing, murdering him right after leaving the palace was another entirely and would be far too suspicious.

So yes, things had gone well. Vader had bought his story and Galen might be able to expect less supervision on him than he’d normally have to. He was still angry at Vader, his hatred barely cooled but Galen was nothing if not efficient. While he did allow his emotions to take him over more often as he grew older, he always did so in a controlled environment, specifically for the purpose to not lose control in a situation where it could be harmful.

Thus Galen fought down his emotions, bottling them up to be let out later, either in the privacy of whatever room he’d be given or in a good training session.

Then the shuttle approached the Star Destroyer and Galen felt the bright presence that was his target. It was surprisingly dim which only proved that Luke had learned how to hide his presence. He wasn’t doing it very efficiently, granted but even though it had been a couple of years, Galen vividly remembered him to be much stronger than that. Sometimes it had flared so bright it had hurt to be around him. 

Either somebody had called to announce their arrival or Luke felt their presence as much as Galen felt his because when the shuttle landed Galen was pretty sure the boy was waiting in the hangar already.

Vader left the shuttle first, followed by the Stormtrooper crew. Galen stayed behind just a bit, letting everyone else pass first. He tried to calm his stupidly racing heart. His presence in the Force was cloaked tightly out of sheer habit but for someone as sensitive as the Skywalkers, he might still be visible.

Galen saw Luke hurrying towards Vader, not quite running but still obviously agitated. Purely on instinct Galen reached for the Force, using it to sharpen his hearing. Still he could only hear fragments.

“…something happen? I was meditating when… attacked by a dragon of all things. … know what’s going on?”

Vader’s deep baritone was easier to understand, his helmet only allowing for one volume.

“You should heed to that warning. Something has come up and though it may be difficult, I ask you to control yourself.”

There was a silence and Galen wondered if they had a staring contest or were communicating some other way. It would be suspicious to wait any longer, he had to step out now. He wondered how Luke would react to his presence. What did Vader mean he should control himself?

Even though the Emperor had tried to make Galen see that his friend was not the saint he appeared to be, it had never occurred to the young Sith that Vader might have done the same to Luke. It would be logical though. Vader planned to eventually overthrow the Emperor and Galen was now one of his agents. He was an enemy of Vader and so of course the Sith Lord would teach his son to be vary of Galen or even outright hate him. It was entirely possible that as soon as Galen revealed himself, Luke would attack him.

For a moment it seemed like Galen's suspicion would be correct. As soon as he stepped out of the shuttle and Luke saw him his eyes went wide and he grinned widely. Now people grinning at Galen like that usually meant to kill him so Galen made sure to stand in a defensive position, hand on his lightsaber hilt when Luke came running towards him.

 

"S.K.!", Luke exclaimed happily but before he could run him over completely, he stopped, probably noticing his tense posture.

"Uh, are you going to cut off my head if I try to hug you?"

Galen blinked at him stupidly. "What?", was all he could ask.

"I take that as a no", Luke decided and before the young Sith could properly assess his words, he was already caught in a bone crushing hug from the other boy. Well... at least he had taken the time to announce his intention. Otherwise Galen might have actually cut off his head. Maybe Luke did learn from the past then.

Though Galen knew it was entirely inappropriate, he couldn't help a small spark of warmth spreading in his chest as he felt Luke's trusting touch. It was as if he'd never been gone, as if they were both still children, it felt like... like coming home.

Galen squashed that stupid feeling almost as soon as it rose before he could do something stupid - like hugging Luke back. Now that would've been embarrassing.

But the damage was already done. Galen felt a weak sort of pain cry out in the back of his mind. It would've all been so much easier if during the last five years, Luke had changed, had grown up, become more like Vader. And maybe he did, grow up that is, but in his core he was still the same person, still Galen's brother and how in the name of the Force was he ever going to kill him?

Luke had let go of him and Galen would forever hate him for the tiny, instinctive movement his body made forward, as if to pull him back before his head gained control of his limbs again.

Then Luke began to ramble: "I'm so glad you're back! You're back for good, aren't you? I haven't heard of you in such a long while, I guess it was too dangerous for you to communicate but I didn't even know where you were or how you were doing! But I'm happy to see you again and - argh, I’m, ranting again, am I not? Sorry, I can't help it, you were gone so long I thought I'd never see my big brother again."

Galen pushed his hands away that still lay on his shoulders. His gaze passed over Vader, standing there with his arms crossed and if he didn't know any better he'd say he looked amused.

"I'm here... on a mission", he told Luke, vividly remembering his old Master's threat. "From the Emperor. I'm not staying for good, just... until further notice."

Luke's face fell a bit and Galen almost felt guilty at that. Almost.

By the Force, what was wrong with him?

"Well, we'll have to make the most out of it then. What is your mission?"

To murder you and bring your head to my dark Master.

"I'm looking for hostile infiltrators."

"You mean like spies? But spying for whom?"

Good question. The only one with the resources to spy in Death Squadron was the Emperor and if Galen happened to look for one of those, it most certainly wouldn't be to reveal them. More like, work together.

"The Empire has may enemies, Luke, and their ability to hide is the only reason they're still alive. Therefore, they have perfected it."

Behind Vader, another familiar face was approaching.

"Sir", Lieutenant Praji addressed him with respect but also a small smile, "a room has been prepared for you on board this ship and your belongings have been brought in. If you'd like to follow me, I can show you the way."

"Of course."

Vader turned to him. "I expect you to meet with me tomorrow at 1200 hours. Do not be late."

With that the Sith Lord turned away and left the hangar.

Luke grinned at him and tugged at his sleeve to get his attention.

"I'll meet up with you later, I have something for you!", he said before winking and hurrying after his father. Starkiller stayed back puzzled. Luke had only just now learned that he was going to stay here, what could he possibly have for him?

But Praji was motioning for him to come along. He would have to wait to find out.

"If I dare say so, Sir it's good to have you back", Praji said to his surprise.

"Whatever", he muttered darkly, torn between suspicion and gratefulness. He was not used to any form of... kindness.

The room he was brought to was far larger than the small space he'd inhabited as a child. It wasn't as large as his apartment on Imperial Center but that was to be expected. This was a military ship after all. It was a Lieutenant Commander's suite, fitting his authority while still taking into account his young age. All his things, namely some clothes, light armor and various datapads, had indeed been brought here and Galen was left alone to settle in. He decided to take a shower, not because he felt particularly dirty but because the sonic massaging his face was rather calming. The suite had a separate bathroom but Galen found that the shower did nothing to clear his mind. On the opposite, something kept nagging him. He hurried up and put on his clothes again but once he had his hand at the door handle, he hesitated. Something was not right. The feeling of danger grew and he was sure at once that someone with malicious intentions was waiting for him on the other side of the door.  
Grabbing his lightsaber, Galen swung open the door. There was nothing there.

The Force screamed at him in warning and Galen dodged to the side. It was not a second too early as right then a shadow dropped down from the ceiling, a blue lightsaber slashing the air where he'd stood a moment before. Startled Galen turned to face an older woman with dark brown hair, wearing traditional brown Jedi robes. She did not waste time and came at him again, her lightsaber swirling around gracefully. Their duel was short but fierce until Galen caught her off balance by Force-pushing her to the ground.

"Jedi Master Depa Billaba", Galen sneered "Died sixteen years ago during the purge. Who are you really?" Though the Force told him that this was a dangerous enemy, one that definitely wanted to kill him, this person had no presence that he could sense. It was as if she wasn't even... human...

The Jedi did not bother standing up, instead looking up to him from the ground.

"Why, Master, don't you recognize me?", she said with a voice that did not sound female, or even human at all. A moment later her image flickered, dispelling the hologram and revealing the droid underneath.

"PROXY?", Galen exclaimed shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"I was trying to kill you, Master", PROXY replied apologetic. "I'm sorry that I failed", he added mournfully. "You seem to far exceed my own abilities. I will have to ask Lord Vader for an update to my combat modules. Don't worry, I will not give up!"

Galen stared at him for a second or two. Then he laughed. Not a mean, evil I'm-going-to-kill-you laugh and not an I'm-planning-your-death-and-you-don't-even-know-it laugh but a full belly laughter that, though maybe slightly hysterical, was the first honest, happy laugh he'd had in, well, ever.

"I'm sure you won't give up", he said between gasps. "If nothing else, that's something I can always count on. I'm glad to see you again, PROXY."

In that moment the door opened and Luke stuck his head in.

"Oh, he's found you", he said with a grin. "I swear that droid is a blood hound."

Galen turned to him, putting a very angry expression on his face.

"So it was you who sent this assassin after me? You tried to have me killed!?"

Luke flinched back, suddenly looking nervous.

"Uh, well, I just thought you might wanna see him again, and, uh... I'm sorry?"

Not able to hold it any longer, Galen let the anger melt from his face and smiled at Luke genuinely.   
"Thank you."

Realizing that he'd been played, Luke beamed at him. "Welcome home, S.K.."

Galen motioned to the holodroid. "Why haven't his combat modules been updated?"

"Well, he was deactivated shortly after you left and nobody used him during the last five years. I just activated him, like, ten minutes ago", Luke said.

Galen scowled. "He's a top class assassin droid, why would you deactivate him if you could just as well put him to work?"

"All my protocols have been optimized to kill you, Master", PROXY replied in a mourning tone. "I am too specialized too work with anyone else at top quality and the creator would allow for nothing but perfection."

"We can't just send PROXY to kill random targets", Luke added. "He would be destroyed sooner or later. He's a training droid first and an assassin only second."

"But he was training you as much as he trained me", Galen argued.

"I dunno if you've been told, but I'm not really doing Sith training anymore", Luke said carefully. "I wouldn't have a use for PROXY and he was always your droid anyway so... we just left him there for you when you returned."

"You're not receiving any training? At all?", Galen asked with suspicion. 

Luke shrugged. "I was always bogus at dark side stuff, remember? I'm still taking lessons together with the troopers but that's more for self defense than anything else. Father got me a private teacher from the Imperial Academy who specializes in pilot training. I've given up on becoming a Sith."

That didn't sit right with Galen. "What do you mean you've given up? If there was one thing my stupid little brother would never do, it's give up."

"I never wanted to become a Sith to begin with", Luke whispered. "I can't really give up something I never really tried. I just ever wanted to do two things, be a son to my father and fly in space. Being a powerful Sith Lord, defeating the Emperor and stuff - that's your dream. Not mine."

"I just find it hard to believe that Lord Vader would allow you to just drop out like that."

"The only alternative would be to kill me, so I'm not gonna question that decision", Luke answered with a tight smile.

Galen wasn't sure if he could believe that. Luke's aura, while still bright, was too weak to not be shielded and he knew that hiding one’s presence was no easy feat to accomplish. But if he had received further training, why was his presence still so bright?

He decided not to mention it though and decided to be quiet, just nodding and giving short answers as Luke brought him up to date on everything that happened in his absence. There was a moment when Galen considered that this wouldn't be too bad a time to kill Luke. The only witness would be PROXY, who hadn't had a combat update in five years so he could beat him easily. There was a chance he could get an emergency transmission signal out through and after just getting his mechanical friend back, Galen really didn't look forward to destroying him. No, Sidious had admitted himself this mission would take more time. He couldn't have known Luke would be so trusting as to meet with him alone on the first day. Galen would be damned if he didn't make the most of this mission. He would stay undercover for as long as he could.

Thus decided, the young Sith leaned back and let Luke dominate the conversation, for once just enjoying the presence of his friends.

XxX

"Come here, Agent Marek", Darth Vader said, contempt laving his every word.

Galen approached carefully. He'd taken care to hide his presence and be as silent as possible but it shouldn't have surprised him that Vader had caught him anyway. It was 1200 hours the next day and the young Sith asked himself what he was being called here for.

"Lord Vader", he greeted him stiffly, suppressing his urge to lash out at the symbol of his continued lack of freedom.

"You have a new target. I want you to travel to Nar Shaddaa and support local troops in fighting off an hostile attack on one of the TIE-fighter manufactures."

"Sir", Galen protested, "my mission calls for my presence within the Squadron."

"I will not allow you to sit around and waste living space like a lazy coward. If you want to stay, you will have to make yourself useful. The leader of this attack has been reported to be an old Jedi Master. His name is Rahm Kota. You are to dispose of him. Bring me his lightsaber as proof. His militia will be easily defeated when he is gone."

Despite himself, Galen found himself excited. He was being sent after a Jedi! Oh, he had killed Jedi before but only ever Padawane, with the odd Knight here and there but never had he fought against a Master. 

His instinctual reaction to these news was elation, even pride that he shall be chosen for such a task. Then however he scolded himself. Vader most certainly wouldn't give him the mission to reward him. It was more likely that he did not believe he could handle the challenge and sent him there in hopes of getting him killed without the Emperor getting suspicious. That was quite insulting. Galen swore at once that he'd show him.

"It will be done", Galen answered reluctantly, swallowing the 'my Master' at the end. "Has a ship been assigned to me?"

Vader was silent for a couple of seconds. When he finally answered his voice was the same monotone as always, his respirator allowing for nothing else but Galen thought for a second that he sensed a small twinge of... something from him. What was it? Regret? Sadness? Sorrow?  
"The Rogue Shadow has been waiting for you. Luke told me that he has already activated your old droid as well. He will be updated and outfitted with the information necessary to your mission. You are to meet him and your new pilot in hangar bay 13 in two hours."

That startled him. He would be flying the Shadow again? Even though it had been five years, it should still be one of the best ships from its class around. Why hadn't Vader give her to someone else? Oh, Galen knew that Vader had modified her himself so he wouldn't just let anyone fly her. He had probably allowed Luke to do so but that still posed the question of why he had decided to assign her to Galen again. It wasn't like he... deserved her.

It was just too much. First Luke, then PROXY and now the Shadow. He was receiving too warm a welcome considering the way they had parted. Did Vader think he would just forget everything he'd done to him if he was just being nice enough? That was ridiculous. Why would Vader try to be nice to him? Giving him back his things, even his status to some degree by granting him this important mission... Did he think he could just brush everything that happened under the rug? Act as if nothing had changed, as if he had never abandoned him to Sidious' clutches, as if he had never tried to kill Galen for saving his bloody life? Or was he... actually... trying to... apologize?

That was even more terrifying than Vader being nice for no reason. Darth Vader never apologized. To anyone.

Yet there was something... Something in the back of his mind, nudging him.

"I need to... apologize for the way I treated you earlier. You did not deserve it."

"Who are you and what have you done to my Master?"

Galen stared ahead at the armored figure in front of him trying to figure out where the hell that had come from.

Maybe he didn't get enough sleep.

"I will prepare to leave at once then", he said tensely and when Vader dismissed him with a nod, he turned to leave. He would ponder his former Master's strange behavior later. Right now he had to prepare for a fight against a Jedi Master.

XxX

Luke sat amongst all the high ranking personal present at what had been dubbed the war table and tried very hard not to look too out of place. It had been six months since his father had first started taking him with him to meetings. He wasn't allowed to say anything (more specifically, he was only allowed to say anything to him directly over their mental connection) and was only here to listen and learn.

Right now Death Squadron was tasked with breaking up a small pirate fleet upholding smuggling and slave trading in the Outer Rim. They had finally gotten some reliable information on their next target and would go there to lay an ambush. They would have to really hurry to make it there in time though. The information had arrived before they had approached Imperial Center for the festivities so they were already running late.

Luke took a look at the holomaps in the middle of the table and then hesitantly reached out to his father, tugging at his mind.

What is it, Luke?, Vader answered, not bothered by the disruption. He was perfectly capable of keeping track of both the meeting and a conversation in his head that only he could hear. It was a matter of practice. Wait, that sounded wrong...

I was just thinking, if we set out in that direction, we'd be coursing the other side of the Outer Rim... It would take us weeks to get to Nar Shaddaa if my vision comes true.

I know, Luke. Our enemy has calculated this as well.

Luke scowled a bit in worry. What do you mean?

First reports about a battle on Nar Shaddaa has reached us yesterday. The Jedi must know of our goal. The most effective way to get both targets would be to send the fleet for the pirates while I myself go to encounter the Jedi.

So it's a trap for you, Luke realized. But... you're not gonna spring it, are you?

Not the way they expect, no. I have already assigned Starkiller to the task.

Luke suppressed a gasp. S.K. is going to fight the Jedi Master?

Yes. He has to prove himself and his ability after training under the Emperor. Also I do not like the idea of him staying with the Squadron longer than necessary.

What? Why is that?

Vader hesitated. It is not... out of the question that he might have been behind the attack on Imperial Center.

Now that was just ridiculous. S.K. would never do something like that. You're his father!

I am not.

But as good as. Who else does he have? He wouldn't try to hurt you, he loves you.

You would be surprised how quickly love can turn to hatred, Vader's voice muttered in his mind.

Even if it was him - which I don't believe - wouldn't it be better to keep him around? Luke didn't want Starkiller to leave, he'd only just gotten his brother back! And what if he lost against that Jedi Master? It was a dangerous enemy!

It might be, his father acknowledged, except that I do not want to risk you getting caught in the crossfire.

That was the same excuse he used on Imperial Center. You're too concerned with crossfire. I can take care of myself!

No you can't!, Vader snapped, his frustration leaking through their bond. You would rush into the fight to try and stop it and get hurt in the process.

I wouldn't-

I have seen it, Luke. He is going to make another attempt eventually and when he does, you must be nowhere near us. Do you understand me?

Luke was startled to sense his father's fear, something he rarely ever felt - or showed. It wasn't fear for himself though, only for Luke.

I... I'll talk to him, Luke tried. Whatever it is, I will make him understand... I could leave with him, the mission is gonna take some time and-

No Luke, I forbid that. You are to stay here where you're safe and I have people who keep an eye on you.

But I don't want you two to fight! Why can't you just make up or something?

Sith do not just make up. Not without one of them getting beaten into submission, Vader answered with a hint of amusement. Don't worry about it. Everything will turn out alright.

Vader cut the connection, leaving Luke sulking. Watching his son, his heart felt heavy.

The vision that had come to him last night had been violent. Darth Vader had seen his own death at the hands of his former apprentice. Starkiller hadn't looked much different from now so this future was about to unfold soon. A couple of years, tops, probably sooner with the way things were developing.

It would be the smart thing to kill Starkiller now, on his conditions and terms, but also at a time when he didn't see it coming. There was a chance this mission would take the decision from him but Vader didn't believe it. The skill range his former apprentice had demonstrated in the small glimpse he had been able to view was... astonishing. There had been so much power, it was like... like seeing the Force itself unleashed. There had been rage too, pain and betrayal.

If Vader was being completely honest with himself, it did not surprise him that Starkiller should be able to defeat him. In raw power the boy almost matched him. Though Vader might be stronger during to his mechanical limbs, Starkiller made up for that with his agility and speed. The most decisive factor however was that Starkiller was young and passionate in his hatred for Vader while he himself was growing weary of the dark side and his physical condition continued to worsen with every passing day.

Yes, he could kill Starkiller now and maybe that would give him the strength to stay in this world for a couple of more years, to see Luke grow to adulthood. He wanted to do that so very badly.

But there was a part of him that didn't want to hurt Starkiller. Not only would it also hurt Luke, but it just felt wrong to do it again after everything he'd put the boy through. There was another alternative... If he could bring Starkiller to forgive him, if he could erase that hatred and bring him back into this... this weird family, then maybe... Maybe they could both heal from their pain. They would need Luke for that, undoubtedly and even so the chances were so low it wasn't even fair but the reward might actually be worth the risk.


	28. Chapter 28

Imperial Officer Juno Eclipse, now Captain Eclipse, couldn't believe her luck. This morning she'd received a special assignment as well as a promotion. Apparently she'd be playing private pilot for a young Lieutenant Commander. Considering she'd been awaiting her execution for the last two weeks or so, this was a huge relief as well as a great opportunity.

Two months ago, the Empire had discovered a brewing rebellion on Callus. Weapon production on the planet had been suspiciously high and Imperial spies had discovered plans for a military strike against the Empire. The Emperor had decided to make an example of the planet and its population and thus Death Squadron had been tasked with the sterilization of the planet. Which was nothing but a nice word for genocide.

Juno still felt disgusted by what she had to do on that day. All the people she had killed, all the bombs she'd thrown, the soldiers as well as civilians that had suffered from her hands... She'd done her job but after that, she'd taken an extended sick leave. She went into therapy for a month, working through the traumatic experience and her guilt. Still when she returned to her old post, nothing was the way it used to be. Juno was loyal to the Empire, always had been but she couldn't help but doubt that the Emperor even had the best interest of his citizens at heart. There could've been other ways, there must have been other ways to resolve the issue without such a terrible civilian death toll. She was sure Darth Vader would've found such a way, that he had a plan on his own.

It was mere coincidence that she was there when the order was first received. She'd been delivering a message to the control center and had heard how they had prepared for a bombing of the planetary shield. Vader had even told one of the Lieutenants to set up a threat to surrender for the local government. Then he'd received some kind of message and suddenly he had changed his orders, firing without warning and aiming at the manufactures as soon as the shield was down. That caused massive explosions which in turn leaked poisonous gas everywhere, easing the way for the bombers.

Darth Vader hadn't wanted to destroy the planet anymore than she did and that was pretty much the only reason why Juno decided to return to her post. She'd been quiet for the first couple of days, getting used to the routine again. However, one week later a random Officer had congratulated her for her great flying during Callus and she just snapped. She yelled at him how it was nothing to be proud of, how he didn't have any idea what she was going through and that she wanted to see how he cheered on Imperial bombers when they targeted his home world.

A couple of days after that, she'd been ordered to report to the reconstitution center. There, the chief of the interrogation department had posed a lot of uncomfortable questions to her. The days she had to wait for the results, no the judgment of the test had been some of the worst in her life. She'd imagined all kinds of horrible fates. Would she be dishonorably dismissed? Would they put her into prison? Torture her until her mind was broken and she would willingly follow their commands? Would they think her a traitor and just execute her?

Juno had nothing to hide and she did not fear death but the thought of torture genuinely scared her. She'd heard horror stories of what went on down in the detention center, as had everyone in Death Squadron. Darth Vader was a great leader but - or maybe even because - he was cruel to his enemies.

Then came the promotion. She had checked it herself because at first she simply could not believe it. She had been reassigned by none other than Darth Vader himself and on top of her promotion had also gained a high confidential clearance. Basically, this meant that instead of having to take part in any large scale battles where she might be forced to kill civilians, she would be going for only single targets that were an actual threat to the Empire and she would do so with a small team, possibly undercover. Normally she might be concerned that she would be sent with some kind of assassination or intimidation squad that only served to take down political oppositions, normal people who simply dared to speak their mind and hadn't done anything wrong otherwise. But with her background, it was obvious that Vader had reassigned her in order to not strain her loyalty to the Empire while still making use of her superior piloting skills. Oh, she could've kissed the ugly cyborg for that!

That was how she came to approach the hangar in a ridiculously good mood. She was early and thus busied herself by getting familiar with the ship. It was every pilot's wet dream, fast, agile, heavily armed and with a good defense. There were a few sensors she would have to recalibrate, it seemed the ship hadn't taken flight for quite some time. She was just done with the last senor when she heard her own voice coming from behind a crate. Curious she sneaked closer, only to see a visual twin of her spewing out her carrier details to a young, black haired man. At once she deduced that the man must be her assignment and this twin of hers, judging from the monotone she spoke in, was probably a holodroid. They did not wear normal Imperial uniform, though his clothing wasn't exactly fit for undercover work either. He turned a pair of serious dark eyes on her as soon as she approached and she couldn't help but shudder under his gaze for a moment.

"Is there a psychological profile in there too?", she asked to cover her nervousness. It sounded challenging but she was genuinely interested. Just because Vader would overlook her past, it didn't mean her new direct superior would as well.

"Actually, yes", the holodroid confirmed, changing back to his 'natural' form. "But it's restricted." He then leaned to the young man in an imitation of a human whisper. "Oh Master, I can tell she is going to be impossible to reprogram."

So her psychological profile was restricted but the information that she'd been sent to reconstitution apparently wasn't.

Fortunately, the Lieutenant Commander decided to ignore the comment.

"Do you know where we're heading?"

"Yes. My orders are clear", she said quickly, relieved he didn't ask any further questions. "I keep your ship running and fly you wherever your missions require you to go."

"Exactly. That is all you will be doing, you drop me off and stay in orbit until I call you." He began to walk towards the ship and she just barely caught his muttered next words. "I'm sick of training new pilots." Loud he said: "What have you done to my ship?"

Juno hurried to follow him. The guy seemed to be in a rather grumpy mood. It would probably be best to act as professional as possible. Which was easy for her, she was a professional after all.

"I have taken the liberty of upgrading the Rogue Shadow's sensor range. Now you'll be able to spy on any suspicious ship in the entire system." Juno stopped half way up the ramp, biting her lip. She had no idea what kind of mission her new boss actually went on. It could be a secret negotiation for all she knew, in which case she might've just insulted him. Then again, the man didn't strike her as a negotiator. He hadn't reprimanded her for accusing him of spying so maybe that was his goal after all?

"You are one of Vader's spies", she verified, just to be sure.

The man, whom she still did not know the name of, half turned to her.

"You don't need to know anything about my mission except where to go. Now we have to make the jump to Nar Shaddaa, can you handle that?"

Alright, no talking, got it. He really did take his secrecy serious, didn't he?

"Of course", she replied coldly and went past him into the ship.

Once in the cockpit she quickly and methodically prepared for take off. However, she felt her heart quickly sinking at the sign of a blinking yellow light that hadn't been active during her check over five minutes ago.

"I'm afraid we've got a problem", Juno admitted reluctantly.

Her boss, who'd been following her into the cockpit, rolled his eyes. "What is it?"

"There has been a short circuit in the hyperdrive chamber. We won't make it very far like this, it has to be repaired."

"How is it you only noticed this now?!"

"This ship has been inactive for almost a year. There was a checkup scheduled yesterday but they seemed to have missed something." She voiced it carefully but made sure he understood that this wasn't her fault. She'd only received this mission a few hours ago after all.

Her boss seemed to get visibly agitated now. "Well, who did the checkup?"

Juno assessed the file and had to gulp at the name. "It says here... that Luke Skywalker did."

For a moment, there was silence.

"That's Darth Vader's son", Juno supplied helpfully, before the obviously new Lieutenant could throw a fit and accidentally insult someone far too high up the food chain.

"I know who that is", the Commander snapped. "There's no way Luke would mess up the Shadow. She's like his first love or something."

Juno raised an eyebrow at that. So her boss was on first name basis with Vader's son? That could explain how he got such a high ranking position at such a young age. She knew she shouldn't jump to conclusions like that, after all she was young as well and had earned her spot through hard work and skill but she couldn't help but think that this was somehow significant.

"I did a superficial checkup before you arrived and found no such problem. It was only signaled now. If nothing has been missed yesterday, the only other alternative would be... sabotage."

The young man stiffened at once. "How long do we have?"

"Excuse me?"

"If the ship blows up, how long do we have?"

She looked at him startled. "The ship isn't going to blow up from a short circuit in the hyperdrive chamber. If it were the main reactor, we'd have to be worried, but there is no immediate danger."

"And if we had attempted to enter hyperspace like this?"

"Nothing, it simply wouldn't have worked. If there was any danger of", she had to smile a bit both at his paranoia and his lack of mechanical knowledge, "blowing the ship up, there would be red alarms blaring everywhere."

"Then why sabotage us?", he mused, more to himself.

Juno checked on something on her datapad. "We have another problem."

"What now?"

"The Devastator is scheduled to make a hyper jump in less than 90 minutes. We have to repair the mistake now and do a thorough scan as long as we still have access to the materials." If they failed to do so they would either be left in space and be forced to land on Imperial Center or be stuck on the Star Destroyer until it reached its destination, which would delay their mission by several days. Both was unacceptable.

"You better get started then", the man snapped at her. "I'll sweep the ship for infiltrators."

Right. Infiltrators. Juno could've slapped herself, she didn't take that possibility into account. If there was indeed a saboteur who had made the ship practically useless in the less than three minutes that she'd been talking to her boss outside, then it was entirely possible that he would do more damage while they were busy repairing the hyperdrive. Maybe there was something to this man's paranoia after all.

XxX

The two worked together quietly and efficiently, meaning they kept out of each other's way. Juno called for a mech team to repair the hyperdrive. It was done in only one hour, during which Galen found three tiny six-legged droids hidden in various parts of the ship. They were remote-controlled and had been busy sabotaging the weapon system, planting a tracking device into one of the vents and a virus into the navi computer. By now, he was seriously pissed off and only the urgency of the necessary repairs and finding all the droids kept him from searching the hangar bay himself for the saboteur, instead tasking a team of Stormtroopers with it. Finding those tiny machines, each no bigger than his palm, was a pain in the ass. They were crawling through inaccessible cables, causing chaos and oddly, the Force did not help him much in locating them. Though his head told Galen to hurry up lest he completely humiliate himself in Vader's eyes when they missed the take-off, the Force seemed to tell him not to worry about it. That, indeed, if he waited just a little longer, a great opportunity would present itself.

That was really the only reason that kept him from murdering any mechanics or his own pilot out of sheer frustration.

Finally they were ready for take off, the last sweep had been done and all the small droids destroyed. They had five minutes left before the Devastator would jump into hyperspace together with the rest of the fleet.

Captain Eclipse launched the ship. Galen made his way to the cockpit. He was tense, his entire body ridged. There was still something, something he had overlooked, he was certain of it. The Force hummed in anticipation but none of those stupid little lights were blinking in alarm.

"We're out of range of the fleet", the Captain announced. "I'm setting the coordinates for Nar Shaddaa."

"Don't", Galen snapped.

She looked up at him confused. "Excuse me?"

Galen looked out of the window, counting the seconds. Something was going to happen. Any moment now.

Suddenly the great flagship of Death Squadron vanished, followed by each of the smaller crafts, one after the other. The orbit around Imperial Center emptied rapidly as the fleet made its way into the Outer Rim. Still the tense feeling did not leave Galen. Something was not right, something...

And then it hit him. There was a presence, heavily dimmed but still noticeable, on board his ship. One that he hadn't noticed before because that presence belonged there, had always been there and it was too well shielded to make out its exact location beyond 'he's here'. But once the fleet departed, so should have the presence.

Galen whirled around, opening all doors along the corridor, the captain's room, the crew quarters, the med bay - the meditation chamber. There he was. Luke Skywalker was just lifting off his Stormtrooper helmet, grinning sheepishly as he noticed him. There was an open vent just above him and he was still wearing the white armor that he must've used to disguise himself as part of the sweep team searching for the saboteur.

"It was you!", Galen exclaimed. "You sabotaged the Shadow!"

Luke winced. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that. I had to make sure you wouldn't start until shortly before the fleet left."

"You jeopardized the entire mission!"

"It was precisely planned", Luke defended himself. "And besides, you destroyed my mechnis. Let's call it even."

"Your what?"

"My mechnis. They're a project of mine, very small droids that can take over all important functions of a regular astromech droid. I spent three weeks building those prototypes and you destroyed them all. Well, all but one." Luke grinned pulled out a little metal ball from his pocket. Galen instinctively took a step back - that thing looked suspiciously like a thermal detonator - but the thing suddenly uncurled, revealing eight spider-like legs with a hexagonal body on top of it that had one blinking red light in the middle. The odd thing was happily crawling up Luke's arm, settling on his shoulder and gave a strange sort of beep.

Luke smiled. "His name is Stam-04."

"Excuse me?"

"It stands for Super Tiny Astromech four."

Galen rubbed his temple, feeling a headache. "That explains the how, but not the why."

"Isn't that obvious? I wanted to come with you on your mission! I only just got you back, you really think I would let you go without me that fast? But I knew you'd just send me back, that's why I had to stall until the fleet was gone. Now you don't have another choice than to take me with you."

Galen felt the dark side swirl around him, the anticipation reaching a peak. Of course... There were only three things Galen could do now. One, he could kill Luke now. It would be a good opportunity. Why, he might even be able to convince his Captain Luke was an intruder and had to be disposed of, if he disfigured his face enough she wouldn't recognize him as Vader's son. Two, he could order the Captain to land on Imperial Center and drop Luke off before he went on with his mission. That was out of the question. His mission being what it was, the Emperor would be very confused on why he passed on such a chance. Three, he could take Luke with him and make sure he got accidentally killed in what promised to be a very dangerous mission. Vader would no doubt learn that Luke had sneaked onboard his ship, if he sent a transmission to him now reporting the circumstances, he wouldn't be able to blame him if Luke died in the crossfire. Option one promised to complete his first objective (kill Luke) but was risky for the second (don't get caught) while option number three could potentially complete both objectives efficiently. It also had the added bonus of him not having to kill Luke now. He'd thought he would have more time to mentally prepare himself for this act and though he loathed to admit it... he wasn't ready yet.

Galen sighed. "Fine, you can come."

Luke grinned at him widely. "Great! You won't regret it, I promise!"

"But this time around, you're staying at my side where I can keep an eye on you. We both know what happened the last time you stayed to guard the ship."

Luke flinched back, being violently reminded of the mission that had cost the Shadow her last pilot.

It was of course nonsense, coming with Galen Luke would be in a lot more danger than if he stayed on the ship. But this suited Galen's plans better.

"I promise I won't get in your way", Luke answered seriously. "You're the boss, I'll do whatever you say."

Great. He could already smell the disaster.

Luke and Galen returned to the cockpit together. The young Sith noticed how the Captain instinctively reached for the blaster at her hip at the unexpected newcomer but quickly eased when she recognized Luke. There probably aren't a lot of people left in Death Squadron who wouldn't recognize him, Galen thought with a sneer.

"Mr Skywalker. I didn't know you were a Stromtrooper", she said.

Despite himself, Galen had to suppress a smirk at her quip. Luke ducked his head and rubbed the back of it with another one of his sheepish grins. "Uh, I'm not, technically."

"Who did you steal the armor from?", the young Sith wanted to know.

"Marvin. And I didn't steal it, I borrowed it. I know if I get any scorch marks on it, he'll make me run extra laps so I'll be careful."

"You are a bit short for a Stormtrooper", Captain Eclipse noticed.

"I know", Luke said with an eye roll. "Why do people have to keep rubbing it in? I swear I hear that sentence once a month during training."

"Maybe you should start growing up, then", Galen said snidely.

Luke punched his shoulder playfully. "I'll do that as soon as you start learning how to ride a speeder."

"Whatever makes you think I can't?", Galen asked, confused and a bit insulted.

"Because it's no different than flying a spaceship and I know you still can't do that. Else you wouldn't have the lady on board."

"Don't worry Sir, Skywalker is famous for being able to fly pretty much anything", the Captain supplied with a small smile. "He's not exactly a standard."

"Who ever asked for your opinion?", Galen snapped at her.

She turned back to the controls, her smile gone. "I apologize Sir. For trying to be part of the team."

"You don't belong to the team. You're a pilot, your only job is to get me to Nar Shaddaa."

"What about me?", Luke asked mischievously.

"You're not part of the team either, you're a blind passenger. There is no team, dammit, just a job to be done. Now stop smirking. PROXY, give me the target."

The droid, who'd been watching the entire exchange back and forth, straightened and his form flickered as he loaded the image of the target. He turned into a grim-faced, lightly armored man. His age was shown by his retreating hairline, the hair itself was gray, almost white and bound in a bun at the back of his head. Numerous faint scars littered his forearms and face.

"According to the Imperial records, Master Rahm Kota was a respected General in the Clone Wars", PROXY began.

"You're hunting Jedi", Captain Eclipse realized, looking from Luke's serious to Galen's neutral face. She sounded strangely accusing.

"I'm hunting down enemies of the Empire. Now, so do you. PROXY, go on."

"Master Kota was a military genius but thought the clone soldiers were unfit for battle. Instead he relied on his own militia."

"So there were no clones in his squad when Oder 66 was issued", the Captain said.

"After Order 66 he vanished. Official Imperial records actually claim he's dead", PROXY said before reverting back to his droid form.

"There's nothing there on Nar Shaddaa except a TIE-fighter facility. He's not hiding, he wants to be found", Galen muttered.

"The fighting should already have started. He's laying a trap", Luke supplied.

"And we're walking right into it. Why?", Eclipse asked.

"Because Kota is a Jedi and all Jedi have to be killed", Galen replied coldly.

Eclipse scowled a bit. "Exactly how many pilots have you lost before me?"

"Fifteen."

Both Eclipse and Luke were staring at him.

"Wait, you're counting me in there too, aren't you? As in, your pilots have been reassigned, they didn't all die?", Luke asked.

"No. I'm counting fifteen dead."

"Excellent", Eclipse muttered and turned to work the controls. "Coordinates for Nar Shaddaa logged. Prepare for lightspeed."

"Great. We're all going to die", Luke muttered and left the cockpit.

Galen and Eclipse were silent as the stars blended together when they made the jump. Galen contemplated going to the meditation chamber but that was probably where Luke went and he very much doubted he would find strength immersing himself in meditation with such a light presence so close by.

After some time, Captain Eclipse spoke up again. "How did you manage to arrive at fifteen pilots?", she asked.

Galen glared at her but found he wasn't that annoyed, really. Her concern was to be expected.

"The incompetent ones died by people targeting me. The traitorous ones died by my hand. The compassionate ones died by orders of my Master. If you want to stay alive, be none of these."

"I am a professional", Eclipse answered coldly.

"Good", was all he said.

"By the way, I still don't know what to call you... Sir."

Galen considered giving her his real name but oddly, he found he didn't want to. It just didn't seem right. The son of a Jedi, hunting down Jedi himself... It sounded too ironic, too much like one of the Emperor's games. Besides, he wasn't on some sneaky assassination mission this time. He was going to battle. He was...

"Starkiller. That is my name."

"Captain Juno Eclipse, nice to meet you", she answered with a slight smile. If she found something strange about his name, she didn't say anything.

"What about Skywalker? He wasn't part of the plan, I take it."

"Luke makes a habit out of messing up everyone's plans", Starkiller replied.

"You two seem... close."

"It's nothing that concerns you."

The woman sighed and fell silent. She did not make another attempt at conversation. Oddly, Starkiller found this disappointed him. He didn't have a problem talking to her, she just seemed to have a knack for broaching sensitive subjects. Finally the silence got annoying and Starkiller left the cockpit. It would be some time until they reached their destination, they had to cross half the galaxy after all.


	29. Chapter 29

As he knew he would, Starkiller found Luke in the meditation chamber. He seemed to be busy taking his lightsaber apart and forming it anew. His eyes were closed and his expression calm, yet concentrated. Starkiller took great pleasure in snapping the door shut loudly and sitting down in front of him, thoroughly disrupting said concentration.

"What are you doing?", he asked.

"Well, I was trying to reform my lightsaber before you so rudely had to barge in."

Starkiller narrowed his eyes. Luke had said he'd given up on Sith training so why would he possess a lightsaber?

"Why?"

"To prepare for battle. I know I'm gonna stay in the back and everything but I might still have to defend myself, right?"

Starkiller scowled. "What does taking apart your weapon have to do with preparing for battle? Unless you think it might be defective."

"No, nothing like that. It's a meditation technique. Didn't the Emperor teach you about it?"

Starkiller merely stared at him blankly.

Luke smiled encouragingly and held up one of the scattered metal pieces that made out the hilt of his lightsaber.

"Well, first you immerse yourself in the Force. Then you concentrate on your emotions and use them to guide energy into a piece of the saber. It's like... like using your emotions to leave a Force imprint on the material. For example", he started holding up different pieces of metal, "I put my happiness about seeing you into this metal. Then I put my excitement for the mission into this strap and my curiosity for your new Captain into this screw, and so on... The strongest emotion should of course always go into the crystal." He pointed at a purple crystal laying amongst the pieces.

Starkiller wrinkled his nose. "That sounds like a lot of Jedi crap."

"Quite the opposite, actually. It's one of the only Sith techniques I was able to master. When father first taught me it was about putting things like anger, hatred or disgust into the pieces but I was able to adapt it for myself. You see, the composition of the emotions you put into your saber will determine its strength. If your saber is correctly mirroring your emotional state you're more in sync with it and your fighting becomes more fluid. You're able to draw on the Force easier when using the saber in combination with Force attacks. Also the composition apparently has an effect on the lightsaber's color. I started out with a red one, it was artificially crafted but by imbuing it with my own energy, it started turning purple. Wielding this lightsaber, my defensive skills are improved."

"That doesn't make any sense, Sith have always used red crystals", Starkiller objected.

"Sure, cause they always use anger and hatred as main emotions, which turns the saber different shades of red. That increases the damage the lightsaber does. It's a good weapon to have if you want to kill your enemies quickly and with overwhelming power. Since I'm not a Sith, I have to fall back onto something more strategical."

"You're not a Jedi and neither are you a Sith, yet you know how to use a lightsaber."

"Well... I never stopped training with the troopers and I'm pretty good at blocking blaster shots by now. That's about it though."

"First it was said you receive no training at all. Then you still practice defense with the Stormtroopers, which could easily extend to half the equation and now you know about the intricacy of lightsabers. If that is what you call no training, I don't want to know how overpowered you'd be if you actually tried", Starkiller scoffed. Inside however he felt his stomach churning. He had suspected Luke wasn't entirely truthful about having abandoned his studies but it started to look as if he'd have a challenging fight ahead of him after all. After the surprise about this settled though, Starkiller found he actually preferred this. It would be easier having to fight a physical battle that demanded all his attention, leaving no space for a mental battle of morals.

Luke looked away from him. "I'm learning what I can", he admitted. "But it's not... It's nothing like what you did. I'm not an apprentice and I'll never be one. Father's just paranoid and wants me to be able to defend myself. I'll never be as good as him or you, or any other Sith." For a moment he grimaced and Starkiller could sense real hurt as he added: "Father makes sure to remind me of that every time I do so much as suggest I might be useful on an actual mission."

"You've never went on a mission on your own?", Starkiller repeated incredulously.

Luke shook his head sadly.

"Never led a trooper squad? Never spearheaded an attack on a building - or ship - or anything?"

Again the answer was a shake of the head.

"Have you ever killed someone? Other than the Jedi chick, that doesn't count. She wasn't even a target."

"No, I haven't." Luke sunk his head in shame. "I barely ever get to leave the ship, you know. If I do, it's only together with father."

"So basically, what you're saying is that you're a prisoner", Starkiller summarized cruelly.

Luke's head snapped up. "It's not like that! I mean, I'm only sixteen and when we travel to some planet, most of the time it's because there's some kind of trouble so it's not exactly safe. Father just wants to protect me."  
That souned as if he had much practice defending himself.

"I know that, Luke, that's not what I meant. I mean that for all your training in 'self defense' he still doesn't trust you with missions and indeed gives you no responsibility or chance to practice your leadership. At all."

"Uh, I guess", Luke said with a shrug. "Maybe I'm not fit for responsibility... or leadership."

"That's the problem, Luke. You are. By the Force, you'd probably be better than me at it. I know how to coarse people into giving me what I want but with your... limitations and obvious lack of..."

"...bloodthirstiness?"

"Not quite what I meant but whatever, yeah. The most logical choice would be to stick you behind a strategy table. You have the charisma to be a leader, I'm sure you already have the knowledge but you need experience if you ever want to be of any use in a fight."

Luke looked at him with wide eyes. "Can you teach me?"

"What?"

"You've been on so many missions. You've fought all kinds of enemies, I'm sure. You know all the tricks that can't be learned in anything but real combat. Can you show me?"

"Well... I did want to keep you around so you'd be safe, but... I guess it wouldn't hurt if I showed you how to fight a few rebels while we're at it. If you are up to it."

Luke looked down at the pieces of his lightsaber. He had killed exactly once before and that was when Starkiller's life had been literally on a knife's edge. Now he was heading into battle, about to kill dozens of soldiers. They were trying to trap and kill his father, which was totally not okay. But still...

Luke raised his head again with a determined expression. "I will do it."

"Fine. Now put together your saber. You won't be of much use without a weapon. Then you can show me what you can do."

Luke did as he was told and then looked at Starkiller expectantly.

Starkiller motioned for a nearby crate. "Show me your Force grip."

Obediently Luke concentrated on the crate and reached out with one arm, lifting it up. He let it hover for a few seconds before he let it drop down.

Starkiller nodded. "Very well. Now tell me how you use this technique in combat."

"In combat? Uh..." Luke thought about it. "Well, I guess I could use it to bang people against the floor or ceiling?"

Starkiller shook his head. "Force grip is not offensive. Sure, if you have a really strong opponent and you managed to weaken him already, this could give him the rest. But mainly, the purpose is to use your environment. You can use it to make a path for yourself by using rubble in order to get to places that would otherwise be inaccessible. You can also use it on flying projectiles to smash them into others. It is not of much use as an attack method itself. Or should I say, there are more effective ways. Can you tell me why?"

"Because you have to stay immobile to concentrate and that ruins your defense."

"Exactly." Starkiller went to a wall and flipped a switch, which caused a line of glass panels to move down from the ceiling.

"Again. This time, aim for precision."

Luke had no problem moving the crate through the glass panels, shattering them.

Starkiller nodded, he was not surprised. No training, pah. Luke had already mastered the basics. However, he hadn't used the dark side even once. The way Starkiller saw it, there were two possibilities. Either Vader had taken on Luke as an apprentice, replacing Starkiller and Luke was just a very good actor. Or, and this was a possibility that unsettled him far more, Luke had been trained by a Jedi. How this should be possible with how close Vader watched him, Starkiller wasn't sure. It certainly made the dark apprentice theory more plausible. It also made Starkiller very angry but he couldn't say it was areal surprise.

"Alright, now show me your Force push."

Luke aimed for the same crate, thrust his hand forward and the crate was sent flying with a gust of wind.

"What are the advantages and disadvantages of this technique compared to the Force grip?"

"You can move around while doing it and it's faster but also harder to aim."

"That sounded rehearsed." Starkiller shook his head. "I guess I will have to wait and see if you can use it in combat. Rest for now. You'll be called when we arrive."

"Okay. And... Thank you, S.K."

"I do have a real name now, you know?", the young Sith said with a scowl.

Luke tilted his head to the side. "You mean Galen? Nah, that sounds stupid. I'll stick with S.K."

Starkiller opened his mouth to protest but in the end, just shook his head. That was Luke Skywalker for you.

A few hours later, Starkiller was back in the cockpit, the Rogue Shadow emerged from hyperspace to the view of a spindle-shaped space station hovering in the orbit of the moon Nar Shaddaa. The fighting was already heavily going on with several dozen TIE-fighters buzzing around, trying to hit enemy soldiers through the large windows of the station.

Luke joined them just as Captain Eclipse said: "Well, here we are. What do you want me to do?"

Starkiller looked at Luke. "Well, General Kota has to be on that station somewhere but we don't know his exact location. What would you suggest?"

"Me?"  
"Of course you, that's what you want to learn about, isn't it?"

"Uh, right." Luke looked out at the space station while the Captain kept evading TIE's.

Finally he shook his head. "I can't make out his presence, there are too many people."

Starkiller rolled his eyes. "Of course you can't. Sometimes being all-powerful isn't enough, you have to use your head as well."

Luke scowled but then turned to the Captain.

"Do we have any schematics of that station?"

"As a matter of fact, we do", Eclipse replied with a smile and pulled out a map.

"Here", Luke said, pointing to the command center. "If Kota isn't there, he's on his way. He will have to take that place if he wants to control the doors and ray shields, which he needs to do in order to lay a trap."

"I can drop you off no closer than this", Eclipse said and pointed towards another point on the map, two levels below their destination.

"That's alright. We'll fight our way up", Starkiller decided.

"Do you want me to keep you updated?"

The young Sith hesitated. Normally he would say no, he didn't need any help and he valued his secrecy. But if Luke happened to die during the battle, he wanted to have a witness that could say he had nothing to do with it. Well, there was no visual so she wouldn't notice if he pushed Luke into a ray shield or something, he just had to take care to do it when a lot of fighting was going on.

"Yeah, we'll stay in contact but you stay out of firing range. The Shadow is well cloaked, they shouldn't even notice you if you stay quiet."

"I understand."

Starkiller and Luke hurried to the boarding ramp. Eclipse angled the Shadow close to one of the hangar bays and dropped them off before quickly retreating.

Starkiller was moving immediately, his battle instincts coming to life. The corridor ahead was empty but he used a Force dash to speed down.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?", he called over his shoulder when Luke wasn't following.

"You're so fast!", Luke protested as he came running after him.

"Of course I am, I use the Force to strengthen my legs and give me speed."

"Use the Force to strengthen yourself? But isn't that only done, like, when you're desperate or something?"

"In a duel, sure, when you need a little extra strength to overpower your foe. But you are strong in the Force and you shouldn't be afraid to hide it. Besides, when you come dashing around a corner like that and come face to face with an enemy troop, they'll be just as surprised as you are - but you get an advantage 'cause you're already moving."

The two young men stopped at the end of the corridor, which was blocked by a set of great double doors.

"Oh", Luke said, "I can have Stam-04 handle that, wait a sec-"

Without saying a word, Starkiller gathered a ball of pure energy in his hands and used it to break down the solid metal doors as if they were made of paper.

"Okay", Luke muttered. "Or we could just use force."

"We're on a tight schedule here, Luke. Remember, every second we waste, more troopers die by the hands of this rebel scum."

With the door open they could see the main hangar. Starkiller quickly ran down a catwalk, ignoring the Stormtroopers on it that were firing at the rebels under them. One of the troopers that was startled at his unexpected appearance turned to shot at Starkiller but he blocked it with his saber without even looking. A quick leap brought him and Luke to the lower level where they started deflecting blaster shots with their lightsabers at once.

"Eclipse to Starkiller, the hangar doors have been closed. You have to find a way past them."

Starkiller cut down a rebel that came too close with his saber and for a moment Luke was immobilized as he saw the man falling down with a scream, holding his shoulder where an arm was missing.

"Well, Luke, this is your moment. What are you gonna do?", Starkiller challenged. He was in constant movement, dashing forward to cut down another rebel while using Force push to violently throw another away.

Luke gulped and looked at the hangar doors. They looked more massive than the ones before.  
"Can we contact the person in charge and order them to open it?", he asked.

"Chances are the person in charge of this station is Kota, stupid", Starkiller rebuked him.

"Alright, I try and manipulate the locking mechanism, you cover my back", Luke said and waited for Starkiller's nod of acknowledgment before dashing towards the doors. He could hear the cries of pain behind him as Starkiller indulged himself in some uncensored violence but he managed to keep his concentration strong and push the doors open, using the Force to move the massive lock bars.

They went through more corridors, soldiers firing at them left and right. Luke was glad to notice that Starkiller didn't bother slaying them all. If he was shot, he aimed to reflect the bolt back to the shooter but otherwise he ignored the rebels. Luke did the same (minus the precise aiming to send the shots back at the rebels).

"Why are the troopers shooting at us?", Luke asked when he had to block a bolt from an unexpected direction.

"They have no idea we're on their side. This level has been overrun and their officers are dead, nobody to spread the word. Friendly fire is to be expected. Just ignore them, the fact that we don't attack and my red lightsaber will have to suffice to give them a hint that we're on their side. If one of them gets too close through... Think of it as ridding the Empire of the incompetent."

Luke didn't like that prospect at all. However, the trooper were poorly equipped, mostly just with blasters and those were easily reflected. Amongst the rebels though there were some wielding electric staffs. One of them managed to surprise Luke. He moved fast, guided by his instincts and just two strikes later the man was lying at his feet, dead. Luke had another moment of dazed immobility, staring at the man.

"Luke!", Starkiller called out, crashing through another door and pushing two rebels over the edge of the catwalk behind it into the vast emptiness under the station "Come on!"

Right. He killed a man. No big deal. Move on, there are others waiting.

Luke felt something bubbling up in him that felt suspiciously like tears. Or maybe laughter. But he couldn't lose himself now - he had to focus.

"Eclipse to Starkiller, there's a lift on your level that will bring you up."

The lift was easy to spot. The problem arose in form of a TIE squad that was flying through the station, firing at everything not in white armor. One of them fired a green beam of light that hit the ground just in front of Luke. The resulting blast threw him onto his back and he was only barely able to roll himself to the side as one of the rebels aimed his stick at his head.

Starkiller had already impatiently smashed the next door and was dispatching of the rebels behind it. Luke pushed his hands forward, using the Force to catapult the enemy away from him and over the edge of the walkway. See there. Killed his second man.

Luke gulped, opting to think about the mess later and ran after Starkiller.

They were dashing down a corridor. Eclipse told them how they were nearing the command center when three rebels positioned themselves in their way. One of them was holding a big freaking gun.

"Oh come on, really?", Luke groaned as the thing started spewing out green lights of the sort usually used by TIE's in rapid succession.

Luke ducked behind a nearby crate, wondering how he was going to get close enough with that firing rate aimed at him. Starkiller however was not concerned. He simply aimed a powerful Force push at the trio, sending two of them tumbling and with another dash he was onto them, reliving the rebels of their heads.

"Don't think so much, Luke. Just trust your instincts", he lectured before running ahead.

Luke took a deep breath and followed him. They were entering a circular room and an alarm went off. Orange ray shields started to spring up on all sides and more rebels surrounded them.

"Trust your instincts, right. You instincts led us right into a trap!", Luke cursed.

"Don't cry, kill!"

Starkiller exploded into motion, slashing his saber and pushing people into ray shields where they got burned to a crisp. This was kill or be killed. Running through a battlefield while avoiding two sides who shot at each other was one thing but these men were out to get them and wouldn't stop until they were dead. 

Luke found his resolve at last. He didn't bother staying in Starkiller's shadow, instead pushing rebels into the shields himself with one hand while deflecting blaster shots with the lightsaber in his other, occasionally slashing through armor and human flesh if one got too close. The Force seemed to cry out around him with every life he destroyed but Luke released his fear and guilt into the Force like his father had shown him and didn't falter.

Suddenly something hit him with the power of a hovercar and Luke was thrown into the air - right towards the ray shield!

The teenager somersaulted and aimed a Force push against the walls behind the shield, allowing the backlash to throw him on the ground. He landed hard just a few feet away from the ray shield, staring at Starkiller, who still had a hand raised.

"What was that?", he called out.

"Sorry, thought you were a rebel", Starkiller replied with a shrug before whirling around, impaling an actual rebel on his lightsaber.

"You almost killed me", Luke protested and got to his feet again.

"I'll try harder next time", Starkiller replied with a teasing grin. For a moment, Luke wasn't sure if he was joking.

"I register some enormous energy source nearby. There has to be a reactor. Destroy it and the shields should fall", Eclipse supplied over their comm once all the enemies were dead.

"Over there!", Luke pointed at a wall. "But we can't get there, it's behind the shields."

"Use your imagination, Luke."

"What?"

Starkiller rolled his eyes. "What are you, a GunGun?"

Luke reddened a bit but got the hint and used the Force to lift the reactor out of its holdings.

Once out of the trap room they continued on their way, only loosely deflecting blaster bolts. They reached a chamber with the next corridor too high to jump up. This time though, Luke needed no prompting to use Force grip to pull out a big crate from the wall, easing their way in jumping up and disposing of the pesky rebel cowardly firing at them from above.

The way led them into the TIE assembly. Once the doors were forced open, they could see around half a dozen rebels, two with those big TIE-guns, aiming at... an AT-ST. A huge, metal machine on two legs with one pilot in the heavily armored cabin on top, firing a medium blaster cannon as well as the odd concussion grenade. A whole bunch of rebel bodies lying around showed how effective it was.

Luke looked at Starkiller and hopefully asked: "If we help to kill the rebels, maybe they won't fire at us?"

"I wouldn't count on it", he answered. "But you are invited to try. I'll find a way up those wing lifts. If you run into trouble, I'll take care of the big one."

The two separated and Luke soon had to learn that the At-ST didn't seem to care if he conveniently pushed one of the rebels wielding a canon gun out of his cover and into his line of fire. In fact, he completely ignored the rebel in favor of launching a freaking rocket at Luke.

With wide eyes Luke saw the missile shot towards him and only threw himself to the side in the last moment. The rocket killed two of the remaining rebels as it exploded violently and Luke Force pushed another one out of the way so he could hide behind that nice large crate instead.

Where the hell was Starkiller?

Looking up, Luke spotted him at the wing lift. TIE-wings, fresh out of the factory, were transported to the next level, providing Starkiller with plenty of opportunity to jump around until he reached the catwalk overhead.

"S.K.!", he called out when the AT-ST turned in his direction again. "I could use a little help here!"  
He swore he saw Starkiller roll his eyes before he dropped down onto his level again. He twirled around his lightsaber casually before dashing forward, cutting the walker's legs. They were too thick to be cut through even with a lightsaber in a passing graze but he spun around so fast, evading the stamping feet as well as the blaster cannon that he was able to do a good deal of damage. Then he jumped back and Luke was about to cry a warning when another missile was launched at him. But Starkiller didn't even bother to dodge. He raised his lightsaber as if to block, which would be suicide, the missile would explode upon impact...!

Too late did Luke realize he wasn't using his lightsaber to block the missile. It was merely a feint when really he raised both hands in a Force push that catapulted the missile right back at the AT-ST.  
It exploded and did some heavy damage. The walker was immobilized but still firing. With a few quick jumps Starkiller evaded shots, took another swipe with his saber at the head of the walker, cleanly cutting off the canon. He pushed away again, landing in a crouch and raised his hands, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Luke gaped in awe as Starkiller used the Force to lift up the AT-ST before applying enough pressure on it to deform the metal. The big AT-ST crumbled in on itself like a sheet of paper would and came crushing down to the ground as a formless lump of metal. One thing was clear, the pilot in it hadn't survived.

"That", Luke said, coming out of his hiding place, "was amazing." The whole fight hadn't lasted twenty seconds. Luke felt a bit guilty about the pilot's death, he had been an Imperial after all but he had also been a few seconds away from killung Luke. It helped that he didn't have to see the corpse. And damn, but that fight really had been cool.

Starkiller did not acknowledge his praise. "Let's move up."

They went through another set of corridors and came into a hall where the round bodies of the TIE's were being produced. Despite the attack, production had not been stopped and nobody had to tell Luke to avoid the dangerous lasers used for the welding. This level had been completely taken over by the rebels, there were no more troopers to find. There were more rebels present but they were no problem and Eclipse guided them to another generator that upon its destruction cleared the way through the ray shields.

"This is it. Beyond that lift in the next room you can find General Kota."

"I'm ready", Starkiller said with resolution.

"Me too", Luke added, giving a nod to his friend and brother.

Starkiller looked at him strangely for a moment. Almost like seeing him for the first time. After he had overcome his first doubts, Luke had not hesitated to strike against the rebel soldiers, though he took great care to avoid the troopers. There was no real teamwork between them. Luke mostly stayed behind him but in open space they fought side by side, one focusing on the enemies to the right, one to the left. They protected each other's back and though Starkiller was used to fighting alone, he found that this felt somehow... natural.

The final fight was ahead. It was his last chance to get rid of Luke in a manner not even Vader would be able to blame on him. Eclipse could confirm that Luke had sneaked on board and insisted on coming with them. If Luke died fighting a Jedi General, that was entirely believable and could not be blamed on Starkiller.

The young Sith took a deep breath and stepped onto the lift. For a few seconds they were silent as the stars rushed by them behind the glass of the elevator shaft. Finally they reached the command center, a round room at the top of the spindle-like space station, it's walls entirely made of of glass.

Kota was alone. He had sacrificed dozens of pawns to lure them here but for this fight he did not rely on them.

The old general whirled around, looking up to the walkway where the two emerged from the lift. His face fell.

"Boys?", he said incredulously. "For months I've been attacking Imperial stations and Vader sends two boys?"

Luke stepped forward. "Lord Vader has seen through your trap, did you really think you could surprise him?"

"Insolent child. You are blinded by your Master’s lies!"

Luke opened his mouth to reply but Starkiller grabbed his shoulder and slowly shook his head.

"What?"

"We don't do speeches", he said, completely serious.

"Why not?"

A moment later Luke shouted as he was thrown to the floor. All air left his lungs and he landed hard against a wall when Kota Force pushed him.

"That's why", Starkiller said dryly.


	30. Chapter 30

"We don't do speeches", he said, completely serious.

"Why not?"

A moment later Luke shouted as he was thrown to the floor. All air left his lungs and he landed hard against a wall when Kota Force pushed him.

"That's why", Starkiller said dryly. Then he raised his lightsaber and started to engage the Jedi General.

Momentarily stunned, Luke watched as the two Force users engaged in a lightsaber battle. Starkiller was attacking fast but every strike was blocked, every slash parried. He didn't put much strength into his attacks, there wasn't a point - even just grazing his enemy with a weapon as lethal as a lightsaber would mean a serious wound. But Kota had a good defense and withstood Starkiller's assault, one that would tire him out sooner rather than later.

Luke got to his feet. He recognized that his brother would get in trouble if he kept up the duel but if he could join the fight they might be able to break through Kota's defense together. Just as he was closing in on them however, the young Sith jumped back. Luke had little experience fighting alongside his brother and even less fighting Jedi. He thought this might be his cue to jump in, that they could switch on and off fighting the Jedi so they wouldn't get exhausted as fast. But the reason Starkiller had abandoned the saber lock wasn't because he was tiring, it was because he had noticed the Force strengthening around Kota for something big and Luke didn't notice in time.

Luke was thrown backwards as the Force shield surrounding the Jedi General pushed against him. He tried a Force push himself but his attack did absolutely nothing.

Starkiller on the other hand simply opted to take cover as all around crates began to rise in the air and catapult in different directions. Luke quickly mimicked him, only having to use the Force grip once to save himself from being squashed.

"I don't want to do this but I can't go easy on you, boy! I will sent your ashes back to Vader!", Kota called out just as Starkiller came rushing at him again. He called forth a massive amount of Force energy and Luke knew at once they were in trouble when the bars holding the round command center began to shake. If they broke, the entire room would be opened to space, which would mean instant death for everyone inside. The Jedi was crazy! He would kill them all!

In the face of certain doom, Luke felt a sudden calmness overcome himself. On the advice of his father, he had wanted to avoid doing this. He was only to use it in case of an emergency but if being stuck in a fragile glass container about to crash and be thrown into space wasn't considered an emergency, he didn't know what was.

Tapping into the Force deeper than he had ever dared outside of his father's protective shadow, Luke reach out with both arms and held against Kota's grip. The Jedi was pulling at the metal bars connecting the room to the rest of the station, Luke was pushing against them to keep them there. When the pull got stronger, Luke too pushed onward. It was incredibly difficult, for if he pushed too much the bars would break and if he pushed too little, they would as well. He needed to find the perfect balance and for this all of his concentration was required. 

XxSxX

Starkiller struggled to overcome Kota's defensive fighting style. He jumped back and considered using lighting to weaken him from a distance instead but there was a shimmer beginning to surround the General that spoke of a powerful Force shield. The young Sith fled behind a couple of crates when he felt the Jedi gather energy. He saw Luke jumping into the chaos recklessly, with some luck he would be taken down... But Kota pushed away everything not nailed down and Luke was thrown away like a rag doll. He did manage to find cover soon though, so he was probably not hurt too badly.  
Starkiller tried to fight down the sudden surge of relief at noticing that.

The young Sith saw his chance at once as Kota went rigid and immobile but even as the ground shook, whatever he was trying to do wasn't coming into effect. Starkiller was almost there, raising his lightsaber for the final blow when he felt it.

The whole room was suddenly flooded with a bright energy. The Force exploded in light and concern and protectiveness and it was so powerful Starkiller actually stumbled and fell on his behind when the ground shook again.

Even Kota, though not as much affected as Starkiller who found himself up against the polar opposite of his own power, was startled and lost his grip for a moment.

Starkiller looked back at the source of the light and saw Luke, eyes closed in deep concentration. The power he was giving off was... staggering. So that was how it was. He had not found power in the dark side after all. He had stayed with the light. And he wasn't just using it casually either, he was consciously calling upon massive energies of it like a... like a Jedi.

Starkiller felt conflicted for a moment. Disappointment, disgust, suspicion and hatred all fought in him and he latched onto those feeling desperately because they were exactly what he needed, what he had been waiting for the entire time. The dark side surged in power as if in response to his light twin and the entire room began to shake.

XxLxX

As soon as Kota stopped pulling, Luke's push against the bars became overwhelming. Even though he had abandoned his Force cloak to concentrate on his task, Luke was thrown off guard. The bars gave one last creak, shattering glass could be heard and the whole domed structure tilted to the side.  
Jedi and Sith alike were thrown head over heels as the room lost its connection to the rest of the space station. At once the gravity well of the nearby moon began to pull on them and Luke stared in horror at the space beyond as they began to fall.

"You... What is the meaning of this!?", Kota cried out, glaring at Luke. At first he thought the Jedi was angry at him for breaking the structure but that had been his idea! Oh right, he probably felt it when he let loose his energy and wondered why a light side user would work with a Sith. As if that mattered! They were all going to die in a matter of minutes, somebody do something!

Unlike him though, Starkiller did not appear bothered at all. In fact, he simply continued to duel the Jedi even as they weren't all rushing to their doom.

Well, if they were all going to die, they could as well make sure that the Jedi would die first.  
Luke rushed onward. Starkiller had the Jedi in a lightsaber lock, which enabled Luke to charge at the General from behind. He jumped away before he could reach him though and Luke tried to hold him off with multiple Force pushes until Starkiller closed the distance and continued the duel.  
The domed structure had turned so up was down and down was up. Starkiller managed to wound the Jedi and in a moment of his distraction, grabbed him by the arm, jumped up and brutally slammed him against the ceiling. Then, holding himself up by grabbing the railing of the now upside down walkway, he catapulted Kota around to throw him up again and finally pushed him down. He was pretty sure he heard the Jedi's bones breaking as he met the ground.

At this point it was obvious Starkiller had as good as won and Luke merely sat back, watching with an open mouth.

Kota was up again, one last time crossing the lightsaber with the young Sith.

XxSxX

"Vader thinks he can turn you", Kota growled, "but I sense your hatred for him. Why are you doing this?"

Starkiller felt like laughing. Oh yes, his heart was full of hatred. For Vader but right now, almost as much for Luke. If there was one thing that had been pounded into his head as a child more then the importance of the Emperor's death, then it was that the light side was weak and using it was disgraceful. Yet Luke had obviously received training in it. This meant that either Vader had tolerated Luke having contact with a Jedi, which was both high treason and incredibly hypocritical, or... Or he didn't know about it and Luke had betrayed his father and the Sith way by conspiring with a Jedi. Funny thing was that Starkiller thought that would almost be worse.

"You are bound to your dark Master by your hatred", Kota continued. "But it won't always be like this. I can sense the future and I see... only... me?" The Jedi's eyes widened in surprise at whatever he sensed beyond the veil.

Starkiller gave a feral cry and pushed forward, the crossed lightsabers getting too close to Kota and burning his face. Starkiller utilized one last Force push, catapulting the Jedi away from him and through the shattering glass of the ceiling-turned-floor. At once realizing his mistake, Starkiller leaped forward but it was too late. Kota was gone, vanished into the air traffic of the rapidly approaching moon. The young Sith called to the Force, allowing Kota's lightsaber to fly into his hand. His fight was not over yet.

Slowly, he turned towards Luke.

The previous duel had only fueled his rage. Every death at his hand seemed to strengthen him and Kota's unexpected exit left him churning and unsatisfied. The dark side was demanding blood, it was demanding a head at his feet and blood on his hands. But he had one more victim to slay...

"S.K.... That was-"

But Starkiller didn't let him speak. His target must not be allowed to utter a word that could be heard over the comm. With one clean swipe Starkiller aimed to remove Luke's head in a surprise attack but Luke leaped to the side with a girlish scream.

"Hey, what are you doing there!? Stop it!"

But Starkiller didn't even think about stopping. Hatred was burning strong and dark in him. He did not see his former best friend and brother. He only saw his target.

"Shut up and die, Jedi scum!", he shouted, all subtlety forgotten as he dashed towards Luke, bringing the red saber down on him.

Luke made another "Eep!" kind of noise before ducking under the strike and scrambling to his feet.

"S.K. - brother, come on, what's gotten into you?"

"You're just like the rest - you're a Jedi!", Starkiller called out and aimed a Force push at him that promptly threw Luke on his behind. 

"And all Jedi have to be eliminated", he added darkly.

Luke had no choice but to raise his own purple lightsaber to clash with Starkiller's as he attempted to stab him.

"What are you talking about!? I'm not a Jedi!", he protested.

Starkiller laughed hollowly. It allowed Luke to get to his feet again but Starkiller was unconcerned and soon came at him in a series of powerful strikes that Luke had trouble defending against.

"Don't try to deny it! I sensed you drawing on the light side. You haven't just given up on the Sith way, you have betrayed it! How long have you been secretly practicing like this, heh? Who helped you on your way, some imprisoned Jedi? You have betrayed your father, the Empire and you have betrayed me and I will kill you for that!"

XxLxX

Luke was now seriously afraid for his life. He was lucky that his chosen lightsaber style was defense because else he wouldn't have held up against Starkiller for long. He could tell that his brother was in a rage, beyond any state he could be reasoned with. There were gaping holes in his defense as well, holes that Luke knew he could've used but didn't.

He also realized Starkiller counted on him not to because he only found holes that would allow for a lethal counter strike. Anywhere where Luke might have had a chance to land a crippling but non-lethal blow, his defense was strong, yet he sacrificed it in obvious areas for more speed and strength. He knew Luke would hesitate to kill him even if he showed no such restraint in return.

"This is a huge misunderstanding!", Luke tried, even though he knew it to be fruitless. "S.K., seriously! We're about to crash onto the surface, we have to get out of here!"

But Starkiller didn't seem to care that they were both about to die. He simply continued his barrage of attacks until Luke had enough and used a powerful Force push to catapult him away. Then he leaped head over heels through the hole the General had left. He pushed the emergency button on his comm to call for the Shadow even as Starkiller jumped after him.

Still in the air and now rushing at the surface at increasing speed, Starkiller somehow managed to catch up to him and slashed at him with his blade yet again. He must have seriously lost his mind, Luke thought with a groan as he blocked the strike. The strength behind it was unbelievable and Luke grew worried as the blades came closer to his chin. He already felt the heat on his skin right at his throat when the Force called out to him.

Luke pushed himself away from Starkiller, whirled around (still midair) and latched onto the edge of the ship racing past under them. He gasped, his arms felt like they were being ripped off for a moment even though he had strengthened them with the Force beforehand. He swung himself up onto the hull of the Rogue Shadow but was catapulted backwards by a powerful kick when Starkiller landed on the ship as well.

Luke slid across the entire length of the ship and barely managed to grab onto something, his body hanging right over the cockpit window. He actually caught a glimpse of Captain Eclipse' baffled face until he used the Force to strengthen his weakening hands to pull himself up again. He rolled aside just in time to avoid being impaled by an angry red blade. He scrambled to his feet, run to the back of the ship, was almost blasted over the edge by a hostile Force push and swung himself downwards. He would have to thank Eclipse later on his knees for getting the hint and opening the ramp just in time for him to swing in. Unfortunately, Starkiller was fast to follow him. Luke made a mad dash towards the cockpit, hoping that Eclipse or PROXY or anybody could stop his brother because he sure had no idea how to do it.

Luke reached the cockpit, out of breath and sweating like crazy.

"S.K. - Force rage - someone's gotta do something!", he managed to get out.

Eclipse turned, utterly confused and PROXY stood just as Starkiller reached them, his normally dark eyes burning yellow in hatred.

XxExX

"Starkiller, what is going on here?", Eclipse asked. She tried not to show it but the sight of the young Sith right now scared the wits out of her. She'd gotten enough from the conversation over the comm to understand that Starkiller had all of a sudden attacked Luke. Now normally she wouldn't question a direct superior like this but that was Lord Vader's son they were talking about. She had to know what was going on.

"Luke has been conspiring with the Jedi. He is a traitor and has to be put down!", Starkiller snarled.

"That's nonsense! I haven't conspired with any Jedi, I don't even know any!"

"Oh, yes? Then why didn't you cross lightsabers with Kota even once during the fight? You were overall useless during the whole mission, only revealing your true power in the end!"

"You didn't seem to need help and I was told to hide my powers by my father! I tried what I could with what I had. I'm sorry it wasn't enough but that's why I asked for your help, right?"

"I believe there's some confusion to be cleared up", Eclipse tried diplomatically. "Starkiller, did Luke Skywalker break any laws?"

"He's a Jedi!"

"Do you have proof of that? Proof that he has apprenticed to a Jedi Knight or Master? Under the watchful eye of Darth Vader, no less? I do believe you arrived at the Squadron only recently."

Starkiller pinched the back of his nose but his anger seemed to subside somewhat. He turned to glare at Luke again.

"You lied to me."

Luke winced. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you but, you know, not right away."

"Who trained you?"

"Please, brother, I can't-"

"Who. Trained. You?"

Luke was close to crying now. "I can't tell you! I mustn't! Please-"

"Who!", Starkiller shouted, raising his lightsaber.

"My father did!", Luke blurted out.

All was silent. Starkiller because he was shocked, Eclipse because she didn't understand the significance, Luke because he was overcome by the horror of what he had given away and PROXY...

"Oh my, that is certainly unexpected", PROXY called out. 

"What is it?", Eclipse wanted to know. "What's going on?"

"It is a little known fact that my creator, Lord Vader, was a Jedi himself once and thus would be the only one in Death Squadron able to train young Luke in the so-called light side of the Force. Why he chose to revert to these old teachings instead of just using the dark side techniques of the Sith Order he now belongs to is beyond me."

"I would like to know the reason as well", Starkiller said.

Luke hung his head. "You know the reason. I was crap at Sith training. I needed a means to defend myself in case Sidious started targeting me so father started to teach me about the Force from... another angle." Luke turned watery eyes up at him. "Don't you see it? S.K.... He had just lost you, he couldn't stand the thought of losing me as well, even if there was no immediate danger in sight. I know it may appear... wrong to you but for me, it is so... fulfilling!"

"Do I understand that correctly", Eclipse whispered, leaning towards PROXY. "Lord Vader taught Luke some obscure Jedi teachings because he couldn't use it the way others do but nobody must know, which is why Starkiller mistook him for a Jedi and a traitor?"

"Oh, it is much worse than that", PROXY replied cheerfully. "Since young Luke trained under his father, Darth Vader, who was a recognized Jedi Knight before the Empire and to my knowledge was never officially exiled or retired, by the Imperial law, this does indeed make Luke a Jedi Padawan. Unlike Lord Vader, he does not hold Imperial granted immunity so my Master would be entirely justified in executing him."

"What!? That is ridiculous. Lord Vader would never stand for it."

"He might not but my Master is not an agent of Lord Vader but of the Emperor. He would see the spreading of these outlawed teachings by his own right hand man as a serious affront and would probably support my Master in his decision to execute young Luke if he were aware of his powers."

Slowly Captain Juno Eclipse began to understand the whole political mess behind what had appeared to her as an emotionally overloaded fight between teenagers.

XxSxX

Meanwhile, Starkiller's thoughts were falling over themselves in his haste to make sense of all of this and PROXY's comments didn't help any. Luke's... affinity changed things. The need for secrecy took second priority. When Luke had managed to incite a debate in the Shadow, Starkiller had worried that his plan to win the Captain over as a witness would fail. But Luke actually was a Jedi. Well, he was only one on a technicality but still. He was trained in the light. Vader had gone against all Sith traditions, exposing himself to weakness willingly by training him. If Starkiller told this to his Master, it wouldn't matter if he left witnesses or not. It wouldn't even mater if he succeeded in killing Luke. Sidious would want Vader dead and Starkiller would be the only acceptable replacement. He had made sure of that, getting rid of all his rivals. He would get his final mission, he would get the order at last to kill Vader. He might have to change his order of priorities, killing the Emperor only later since he couldn't miss this chance. He would have that last glorious battle with his former Master, the one that would forever prove how despite everything, he had surpassed his Master, he had-

Oh.

Starkiller had to suddenly recall Vader's strangely nice behavior as well as how he had almost been killed by Starkiller's halfhearted attack on Imperial Center. He'd accused him of it before to rile him up but now it appeared as if it was actually true. Vader was losing his touch. It all made sense now that he knew the Sith Lord was teaching his son Jedi stuff. Even if he did not participate in the lessons directly, a constant exposure to Luke, especially while he trained his abilities, could have serious long-term effects such as the one he experienced shortly before Starkiller was forced to leave. He was hiding it well but... he was weakening. Maybe even dying - and all to protect his son. Starkiller would've called it paranoia if it wasn't for the fact that he had been tasked to kill Luke. It wasn't paranoia if people really were out out get you.

He would never get his honorable fight like this.

The realization hurt. First Starkiller thought it was because he might be stripped of his right to kill his former Master, the right all apprentices strove for but found, oddly, that this was not the case. It was more like.... the prospect of Vader being anything but all powerful, anything but the peak of the mountain Starkiller must overcome, was... disturbing. Wrong. He did not want his former Master to succumb under such lowly circumstance, to die in a fight when he was at a disadvantage.

And then, with a sinking feeling, Starkiller for the first time in too long took a good look at his heart and realized this feeling went even deeper. He did not want his Lord, his Master, his father to die at all. He did not... He did not truly hate him, he...

"Everything you did to me, you did it to make me stronger. I always knew that the penalty for messing up was death."

So what if Vader had taken his parents, his freedom? He had made him powerful. He had given him a purpose, a name... a family. Did he really want to kill him for that?

"S.K.? Please... you're my big brother. I don't want to fight you. Besides, you promised not to kill me until you got you-know-who. Don't you remember?"

"I do", Starkiller replied hoarsely. Strange how fate seemed to throw him around in circles. "And it appears that still stands after all." He turned away, his face oddly blank.

"Captain, take us back to the meeting point. We're done here."

Eclipse blinked in surprise. All the tension that she had by then fully expected to blow up in their faces, suddenly seemed to fade out, leaving just an exhausted Luke. Ten minutes later PROXY sneaked out of the cockpit and after Starkiller, hoping to kill him in a moment of weakness when he was distracted by his turmoiling emotions and immersed in meditation. A couple of violent noises could be heard and with a sigh Luke sent out his Stam-04 to repair the poor holodroid. It also brought a small smile on his face though because there was hope yet that they could return to 'normal'. After all some things never changed. PROXY's homicidal tendencies were one of them and maybe, just maybe, the friendship between Starkiller and Luke was another one.


	31. Chapter 31

The mission had been completed way faster than Juno had expected. From what she got from the conversation she listened to over the comm, the two Force-users had been given authority to employ the Stormtroopers present at the station for their help. Yet, they hadn't even bothered, instead they charged in, disposing of every obstacle in their way. Juno did not approve. If they had taken the time to talk to the commander-in-charge, an actual battle plan might've been made that avoided unnecessary casualties on the Imperial side. Even if said commander was dead, which she admitted was likely, they should have noticed the tactical retreat of the rebels, how they were deliberately goaded towards the command center. As soon as they had confirmed Kota's position, a single missile fired at the glass structure could've opened the room to space, killing the General.

Instead Starkiller and Skywalker had sprung a trap that had apparently been intended for Lord Vader. The Jedi General had not hesitated to sacrifice his own life to drag the two down with him, bringing the command center crashing down.

The structure, flaming towards the surface of the populated moon with growing speed, impacting with the force of a meteor, had killed over three hundred people.

Juno turned her head slightly when she noticed Starkiller entering the cockpit.

"Did you know?", she whispered, showing him the news headline on her datapad. The media were having a field day with this. A Jedi-turned-suicide-terrorist, bombing hundreds of Imperial citizens into oblivion. It was great propaganda to support the Empire and further defile the name of the Jedi. And for once, they were actually reporting the truth.

"I knew that it was a trap", Starkiller replied, "but not that he would go so far. He might have actually broken a few of his own laws. An utter failure, even in death."

Juno couldn't help but agree. If it had truly been Lord Vader that was trapped and if the plan had succeeded, she could at least see how this major victory might justify the civilian death toll. Though she admired the Lord herself, she did understand that he was a major target for any opposition. But it wasn't Vader who had been caught in the trap. It was some unknown Imperial agent and Vader's son, who wasn't even a real soldier. Yet Kota had still stuck to his plan and then it hadn't even been fool proof. If he had succeeded, that might have even been worse. Lord Vader's revenge for the death of his son would've been terrible and if he couldn't find the one responsible, he might take out his anger on innocents. Thus Kota had not only killed a bunch of civilians but potentially endangered millions of other innocents.

For all her loyalty to the Empire, Juno had always thought the propaganda against the Jedi was exaggerated. Maybe it was but individuals like Kota played directly into the Emperor's hands with their rash actions. Starkiller and Luke, in this case representing the Empire, hadn't done much better in that regard, killing rebels and Stormtroopers alike but at least they hadn't planned for any civilians to die.

"You must tell nobody", Starkiller said out of nowhere, startling the Captain.

"Excuse me?"

"About what happened after the station fell. Kota is dead, mission complete. That is all you have to know."

Juno raised an eyebrow at him. "Because you don't want Lord Vader to know that you almost killed his son?"

"This is as much for Luke’s protection as it is mine", the young man snapped. "Me trying to kill Luke will make me a target of Lord Vader. Luke being training in the light side of the Force will make him a target of the Emperor. One secret can't come out without the other. If you tell anyone, we're both dead."

Once again Juno was stuck with just how grand this mess was that she found herself in. As she understood things, this issue could potentially cause a rift between the two most powerful men in the galaxy. Juno's personal loyalty was to Lord Vader but her political one was to the Empire and thus, to the Emperor. But this wasn't a question of which side to choose because she would lose either way.

"I won't tell", she whispered. "I will delete the recordings. But... what will you do now?" If Starkiller reported Luke to the Emperor, Vader would be out for his blood. If he kept silent and the Emperor found out he knew but didn't tell, it wouldn't end much better for him. She really didn't want to be in his position.

"I'll find a solution", he merely said.

Juno watched him as he turned his back on her. She couldn't figure this guy out.

XxX

It took some time for the Rogue Shadow to meet up with the rest of Death Squadron, who had by then already disposed of the hostile pirate fleet they had been after. Darth Vader was royally pissed off of course. He had noticed Luke's absence as soon as the Squadron made the hyperjump but by then it had already been too late. At first he'd just been angry as it was quite obvious Luke had sneaked off but he'd also grown increasingly worried at the thought of Luke anywhere near his old apprentice. Starkiller had claimed to have no ill will against Luke and that might be true but he wouldn't put it past the other Sith to hurt Luke simply to hurt Vader.

Fortunately the Force bond between father and son reached far. More accurately, distance didn't affect their ability to communicate. Unfortunately, Luke had decided to play deaf and had answered to none of his hails. The only confirmation that he wasn't shielding his mind because he was being tortured and interrogated was the occasional 'I'm fine, lemme do my thing'.

It was aggravating. Vader had been thrown in such a bad mood he had ordered to make an example out of the poor sods they were after, slaughtering them brutally, catching all escape pods and torturing the captives for hours. He usually didn't let his emotions take him over like that and he got a few queer looks for it and had to choke three Officers who dared to question his orders.

When the Rogue Shadow finally docked in the hangar bay and his son marched out next to Starkiller, looking unharmed, Vader felt as if a whole planet's weight was lifted from his shoulders. He actually felt his legs weaken at the sight of him, which was absolutely ridiculous seeing as they were mere prosthetics. 

Vader decided to not rush forward and either give the brat a good beating for worrying him so much or crush him in a hug and never let him go. It was a tough decision but he managed simply because he feared he might break down halfway towards him and he absolutely could not allow that seeing as Starkiller was scanning him for any weakness already. Vader simply stood there, arms crossed and glared angrily as the two young men made their way towards him. 

"Uhm, hi father", Luke greeted him with a nervous smile.

Vader's glare intensified, not that anyone could see it.

"I - I can explain!"

"Follow me", the Sith Lord said coldly and turned around.

He didn't lead them far, just far enough to ensure privacy. He stood facing a large window overlooking the star littered spacecape. Behind him Luke was shifting from one foot to the other nervously. Starkiller however was calm.

"Kota is dead?", Vader said at last. He didn't think he could take it if their mission had failed on top of everything else.

"He is", Starkiller confirmed. He stepped forward and held up a lightsaber that Vader summoned into his hand with a thought. He gazed at the weapon for a few moments. He had met Kota only once or twice during his own time as a Jedi but he had made sure to study all available information on the Jedi that had survived the purge later on. This was without a doubt Kota's lightsaber.

"Very well." He turned towards Luke. "Now explain to me exactly why you thought it a good idea to disobey a direct order of mine."

Luke took a deep breath. "I... I'm sorry I did that. I know you care about me and want to protect me but... You're smothering me! I want to do things on my own. You don't want me to go on any missions or into battle but I have to spend all my time training for it. I could be graduating from the Imperial Academy by now or visit a private piloting school but I can't 'cause you insist I learn these skills that I'm never going to use! I don't want to stop using the Force but I want to know where my life is heading. I want to either have nothing to do with politics and military and Sith and Jedi and stuff or I want to be in the middle of it but not stuck in between. And then you gave this really important mission to S.K. and I thought if I helped him with it I could prove to you that I can take care of myself. I don't even care if that means to say I'm finished with my Force training and can start on a carrier of my choosing or you say I'm finally good enough to fight with you."

Vader's glare, unbeknownst to Luke, had gotten darker with each word until it turned into a full fletched scowl. "You didn't merely run away with Starkiller... You actually stepped onto the battlefield with him!?"

Said scowl was now directed at the young Sith. "How could you allow him to put himself in this danger?!"

"Father!", Luke whined.

Starkiller sneered. "Your petty family crisis does not concern me. Luke claimed to be capable in combat, I put him to the test. He did alright... for a sidekick."

"S.K.!", Luke whined.

"Be silent!", Vader growled. "You were acting irresponsibly and rashly. Clearly you are unable to appreciate the vast amount of freedom you have. Maybe you will learn your lesson like this: You are not allowed to leave the Devastator. The hangars will be closed to you. No more flying. No trips planetside."

Luke gaped at him. "You're grounding me?"

"It appears so", Vader snapped.

"But - you can't do that!"

Starkiller looked from Luke to Vader and back, feeling very out of place. Was this really happening?

"Of course I can."

"Did you listen to a single word of what I just said!?"

"I did and I have decided that your perception is faulty."

This was so surreal. They were acting like... like a normal family. You know, one out of one of those stupid soap operas that Starkiller had always thought to be completely unrealistic.

"Faulty!? You know, I think my eyes are open for the first time in-"

"You are only sixteen, what do you know of the galaxy? It is a dangerous place and all your power only means you are going to attract even more dangerous foes!"

"Then why did you train me first place? I would have-"

Starkiller decided in that moment that he had enough. Standing directly behind Luke, it was easy to just reach out fast as a striking snake, his fingers hitting a particular spot in his neck. At once Luke's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell over, instantly knocked out.

Vader was alarmed for a second but his bond with Luke was still intact, meaning the boy was merely unconscious.

Starkiller was looking at him challenging.

Vader blinked. Then...

"Thank you." That had become seriously annoying. A few more seconds and he might've lashed out at Luke himself, which would have probably ended ugly.

Starkiller looked surprised.

"Why do you put up with him like this?", he wanted to know.

"He's my son."

"So?" Blood relation wasn't supposed to matter to the Sith.

"He's Luke."

Okay, Starkiller had to admit, that made more sense. He'd had to learn the hard way that Luke always seemed to get what he wanted himself.

For a moment, the two Sith merely looked at each other in silence, both guarded and wary. Starkiller had thus far avoided showing his hatred for Vader openly in front of Luke and Vader too had not broached the subject. It was like an unspoken agreement between them that they would keep the boy out of their business. Now that Luke was out cold, the tenseness between them returned.

Vader turned away and clasped his hands behind his back. "Obviously, you have learned a bit too much about Luke's power. You could've taken the Rogue Shadow to Imperial Center to report to the Emperor but you did not. Evidently, your goal is something else entirely."

Starkiller was silent.

"What do you want?", Vader asked, his voice carefully neutral. "You knew how foolish it was to come back here, yet you have not attacked me as soon as you could. You had the chance to harm Luke and through him me but you did not. In return for your silence - what do you want?"

Starkiller scowled deeply, watching Vader's every movement. He could see how his old Master arrived to this conclusion, how he thought Starkiller wanted to blackmail him. But why would he make it even easier for him? If he thought that was his goal - why hadn't he already killed him? Except if he thought he couldn't beat Starkiller.

Now Starkiller had a healthy ego, he knew he was damned good at what he did. But during the last few years of constant training and torture under Darth Sidious, Starkiller had always assumed Vader to be stronger than Sidious. Thus as long as he couldn't beat his Master, he also would not be able to beat Vader.

Darth Vader might be Sidious' apprentice but he was younger, more passionate, had the whole Imperial Navy behind him and his armor gave him further protection and strength. Challenging the Emperor would cost him dearly and may leave him too weak to take over the Empire, which was why he trained Starkiller but in the end, he had assumed that in terms of combat, Vader was still stronger. The main reason why he still held back was probably to protect Luke.

But what if that was wrong? What if Sidious was actually stronger than Vader? Even if Starkiller had never been able to beat Sidious, he might be powerful enough to beat Vader. Maybe Vader had realized that. maybe he had even seen it.

It sounded very far-fetched, except... except if he had weakened during the last few years in which Starkiller had only grown stronger. 

Suddenly Starkiller remembered Vader's limp form as he was carried into the med bay after returning from his training trip with Luke. Now that Starkiller knew it was the light side he had taught his son about, it all suddenly made sense. Of course such action would weaken the Sith Lord, mentally as well as spiritually. A weak mind could not support a strong body, and Vader's actual body had never been strong to begin with, so that meant...

"You're dying", Starkiller said flatly.

"We all die at some point."

"Yes, but your point is approaching rapidly and it is because of Luke, isn't it?", Starkiller called out angrily.

Vader didn't answer, which in itself was answer enough.

"Does he even know?", Starkiller asked further because he couldn't imagine that he did.

"Luke doesn't have anything to do with this."

"Of course he does! He has a right to know, he-"

Suddenly there was a red lightsaber lying at Starkiller's throat. Vader had drawn it faster than he could blink but just as fast Starkiller let himself fall to the ground, avoiding the lethal weapon. He landed in a roll and came to his feet fast enough to avoid Vader's kick to his head.

Starkiller ignited his own lightsaber, swirling it around in a reverse grip.

"You won't utter a word about this to Luke", Vader growled. He did not attack, did not come closer but Starkiller could feel the tension in the air. It wouldn't take much for them to erupt in fighting once more.

"If I did, could you even stop me?", Starkiller scoffed. "You've been weakened by your feelings, your love for him. By the Force, are you even a Sith anymore? How can you throw away all your power like that?"

"What do you care?", Vader replied coldly.

The words hit Starkiller like a hover car.

"You have made your hatred for me quite clear. What do you care if I'm dying? What do you care if it's Luke's fault? You should be enjoying this."

Slowly Vader stepped forward. Starkiller was too stunned to react because he was right, he shouldn't care, killing Vader had been his goal all along...

Vader struck at him, hitting his wrist hard, which caused him to let go of his saber. Starkiller hissed in pain but even then he made no motion to regain his weapon. There was a war fighting inside of him, one part wanted to kill the man in front of him so badly, the other... wanted the opposite. Whatever that was. Bow to him? Serve him? Save him? He didn't know.

"But you do not", Vader continued. "You have passed on your chance and there has to be a reason for that, so I ask again: What. Do. You. Want?"

"I don't know!", Starkiller cried out. The pain in his wrist was nothing compared to the one blossoming in his chest now. Everything he'd lost... Offered back to him but unreachable because he was still bound to the Emperor and now even that illusion was ripped away because all too soon Vader would be no more. The worst thing was that he could stop it but chose not to. Starkiller could stop it, probably, if he killed Luke, which would also solve his problem with the Emperor... Vader would hate him forever, but that hatred, that darkness, would be exactly what he needed... All he had to do was kill Luke and damn it, suddenly he did understand. He did understand how Vader would rather die than let that happen.

"I don't know!", Starkiller repeated, slowly stepping back, his right hand clawing at his chest where the war was raging painfully in his heart.

"I only ever wanted to serve you! I wanted you to accept me, to be proud of me. I... I wanted you to love me like you love Luke. But that's never gonna happen so why should I care?" He shouldn't but he did, he did and damn him!

"Starkiller...", Vader said, one hand reaching out for him, the other still pointing the red saber to the ground.

"No, stay away from me!", the young Sith called out and stumbled backwards. He was so confused. What was happening to him? Why was he hurting so much? Why would he crave something that hurt so much?

"I only ever wanted to be your son", he whispered, shocked himself by the admission. Here he was, seeing for himself how love had destroyed his Master and yet admitting to wanting the same.  
Vader came closer and though a part of Starkiller wanted to flinch away, to go and hide in the darkness and hiss at him like a wounded animal, there was something else that held him rooted to the spot.

Vader laid a hand on his shoulder, the heavy gauntlet weighting him down.

"You are my son, Galen. It may have taken finding your brother to make me realize this but that doesn't make it any less true. He carries much of his mother in him and that makes him unique but you - you carry all my knowledge and my strength in you. You are well on your way to become what I always wished to be."

"Don't say that", Starkiller all but begged. "Don't say that if it means good bye."

"I am not doing to die that fast, silly boy, not today and not tomorrow."

"But you're not well!"

Vader let his hand fall away and stepped back, giving Starkiller some room to breathe.

"I admit that I am no longer at the peak of my power", he said slowly. "But your presence here is not a coincidence. The Emperor, for all his power, knows nothing about the bonds people can share. You've made me realize something, Galen."

"And what is that?", he asked suspicious.

"The light side might cost me my life one day but it does not weaken me."

Starkiller just looked confused. "What does that mean?"

"Death, but the Force... I have years, maybe decades left to live but in my current state, I would not survive a fight against the Emperor, or even a regular Jedi Master. However, Luke and despite everything now even you, are still loyal to me. Once I am no more, Luke will turn to you as his only family and he will be all that's left of me in this galaxy, so you must stand at his side."

Starkiller gaped at him. "Did you just... quote the Jedi code!?"

"Focus, Galen, don't you see it? My greatest power does not reside in my Force abilities or combat prowess, it lives in the bond I have inadvertently forged between you two. I created Luke, a pure light and you, a fierce darkness. You are polar opposites and yet, you still manage to work together. It is quite ironic, now that I think about it... the Jedi have foreseen this centuries ago."

That was too much. Starkiller was quite seriously considering if his former Master had lost his mind.

"I thought you didn't want Luke to take part in any battles."

"I don't. The battlefield is where you belong. But without Luke to anchor you, you would spiral off into the same addictive spiral of madness that has dragged down every Sith before you. You need to protect him at all costs. Not because I say so, not because he is from my blood but because you need him."

"How do I know you haven't just thought this up randomly to distract me from the fact that Luke is killing you!?"

"Stubborn boy", Vader growled and grabbed Starkiller's head in a vice like grip. His strength forced Starkiller to his knees and his eyes widened as he felt Vader's mind push against his mental shields. He tried to resist the intrusion but Vader did not attack him. Starkiller got a feeling he wanted to show him something and so he hesitantly opened himself up. As soon as he did, his shields were knocked down completely and suddenly he could feel.

He could feel an echo of what Vader felt. There was desperation and pain and frustration on the top but underneath that, Starkiller found a freshly grown but deep well of... of hope. A desperate, sad hope, the hope that everything he'd done hadn't been for nothing, that turning from the light hadn't been a mistake just as abandoning it now was not. He couldn't tell if he really believed that stupid fated balance crap he spouted earlier but he could certainly tell that he wished with all his might that it be true because if it wasn't... If it wasn't then Vader had wasted his entire life.

Starkiller pushed the Sith Lord away violently. Darth Vader was actually forced to step back as his former apprentice instinctively pulled on the Force.

"Stop it!", Starkiller cried out. "I don't want to see that! It's not true, it's not... that's not you." He couldn't even find the strength to stand up and just sat there, shaking.

Vader couldn't see him as a son. It was... everything he had ever wished for but it was because Vader had admitted it that he couldn't believe it to be true. It had been so long ago that he had accepted it to never become true, he couldn't break out of that. It must be a lie. He was manipulated yet again. Vader wanted him to protect Luke, that was all, he didn't care about him.

"What do I have to do to make you understand, you stupid brat?", Vader snarled reading his thoughts because his mind was still open.

"You want to belong to this family but shy away if you're offered a place. You want to be with Luke but curse me if I want you to protect him. You want to kill me but you don't want me to die. Make up your mind already! What is it that you want?"

"I..." But Starkiller found himself at a loss for words. "I just... I just want everything to the way it was before", he said weakly.

"You want me to order you around? To torture you every time you make a mistake? To live in a dump, in the shadows, never to be noticed until I send you after my enemies like a dog released from its leash? Really? I know how terribly I've treated you. I'm trying to make up for it and you want to go back?"

Suddenly Starkiller felt terribly, terribly ashamed because yes, right not that sounded preferable to having to pretend to be part of a family while all the time fearing that it would be snatched away 'cause it was just a joke and he was stupid for thinking he deserved it.

Starkiller felt himself close to breaking down. He hugged his legs close to his body and had to swallow tears. He was unable to look directly at Vader until he lifted his chin up with two fingers, gently but firmly.

"I really have broken you, haven't I?" Vader let him feel his regret and it was so strong it nearly overwhelmed Starkiller. "I am so sorry, son."

Now Starkiller was crying. A part of him hated himself for it and wanted to curl in itself, wallowing in self pity of how useless and messed up and pathetic he was, how... undeserving. A part of him wanted to launch himself forward into Vader's arms and latch onto him, something he'd never ever dared to even imagine even as a small child when he was bruised and beaten.

But there was another part... a tiny spark at first, who fought against his sudden depression. He was Starkiller. All the pain he went through, all the torture and training, it had made him stronger! The Jedi master hadn't stood a chance against him. He wasn't a child anymore, he was Sith.

Starkiller wiped away his tears. It took a tremendous amount of strength just to scramble to his feet.

"Galen..."

"That is not my name", he cut him off. "I am Starkiller and I'm not loyal to you. You're... You're an asshole", he said. It was the worst curse word he could think up. He knew it was pathetic but he didn't care.

"You want to make it up to me? Fine. Train me. Help me to get stronger. Show me how to kill the Emperor."

Vader regarded him carefully. "You still want to kill the Emperor?"

Starkiller scoffed. "Now more than ever. But we better start on that soon before I change my mind and kill you instead."

"What about Luke?"

"Knowing him, he'll tag along just for the heck of it. I... believe you that you care about him and for his sake, I won't tell him about what he's doing to you. But you should find a way to stop it."

Vader nodded and offered him his hand. "I can work with that."

Starkiller regarded the hand suspiciously but in the end, shook it. It appeared they had a deal now. Though Starkiller had, in a round about way, accepted Vader as his Master once again, this time he felt they were on a more... equal ground. He would've never, ever thought he would feel like that.  
"Now what's going to happen next?" He really hoped Vader had a plan of some sort because Starkiller knew his eyes were still red and the situation could become awkward very quickly.  
Fortunately, his Master didn't disappoint.

"My spies have found another Jedi. Master Kazdan Paratus is stronger than you but I will teach you how to defeat him. We can depart in the morning."

Starkiller was stunned. "You mean... together?"

"Yes. You know the theory, all that's left for you to learn is on the battlefield."

"I will be ready."

Starkiller walked to where his lightsaber had fallen and hung it back on his belt. Then his gaze fell on Luke's still unconscious form and he knelt down next to him. He laid his hand on his forehead, sending a weak Force compulsion into it and Luke opened his eyes with a start.

He looked from Starkiller, still pale with slightly reddened eyes to Vader who stood next to him stoically. Though both seemed calm, he could feel the shift between them.

"Okay, what did I miss?", he asked stupidly.

Starkiller smiled weakly. "I've go a very interesting mission coming up and you are grounded."

Luke groaned. "That is so unfair!"

Starkiller smiled a bit at his outburst. It almost seemed as if nothing had changed. Except everything had.


	32. Chapter 32

Starkiller looked around to make sure nobody could see him. He had already disabled all the cameras and he sensed nobody nearby through the Force but still, he had to be absolutely certain. Nobody must see him.

Yet again assured that he was alone, the young Sith took a deep breath and turned back to the door in front of him. The door leading to Luke's quarters.

Starkiller raised a hand for the handle - and dropped it again. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't! If he did this now, it would plague him for years! Then again, if he didn't do it, he might not live a single one more.

Deciding to take a leap, Starkiller braced himself and knocked on the door. It swung open before his knuckles could hit it a second time.

Luke's suite was actually not much bigger than his own, though it looked a lot more homely. Luke had taken to painting half of the walls a deep blue and none of his furniture looked like Imperial standard, though they were still kept in black's and white's. There was a desk with lots of datapads and some monitors around and a scrap box with various small droid parts had been carelessly shoved under the desk. The walls were littered with pictures of various ship designs or maps of solar systems. There was a holo picture from Luke with his father. It looked to have been made on some kind of official function as you could see the beginnings of an article underneath. What surprised Starkiller the most however was a picture of himself and Luke hanging next to the desk. It was very blurry, seemed to have been made from some kind of security camera and when Starkiller looked closer he recognized the place as somewhere on Woostri. It had probably been taken during the time Luke and he had been chasing after Death Squadron. He wondered how Luke had gotten his hands on it.

"Finally!", a voice said right then and Starkiller turned his attention back to Luke himself, who was standing in the doorway that probably led to his bedroom. "You were standing there for thirteen minutes, I thought you'd never come in."

Starkiller bristled. "It wasn't that long!"

"Uh-huh. I checked the time", Luke replied, waving a small alarm clock at him that had the shape of an astromech.

"Come on, sit down", Luke said excitingly. He motioned for the chair in front of the desk and dragged another one forward for himself. "You wanna drink something?"

"No", Starkiller said flatly. "What are you doing?"

"Uh, trying to be a good host?" Luke rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He seemed to do that a lot lately. "I don't exactly have people come by here often..." He knew how Leia did this kind of thing when she entertained guests but he probably should've figured it would be awkward with his brother.

"Well, stop it", Starkiller snapped. "I'm not here for a nice chat."

"Not?" Luke looked disappointed. "Oh... alright. What are you here for then?"

Starkiller didn't answer. If Luke didn't know better he would've said he looked nervous.

"I... I wanted to ask you something", the Sith admitted.

"Okay. What is it?"

Starkiller closed the door and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Now Luke was sure he was nervous.

"About that... That thing you did back on our way to Nar Shaddaa."

"The sabotage? Look, I told you I was sorry-"

"No, not that. The thing you did... with your lightsaber."

Luke tilted his head in confusion. "What about it?"

It took Starkiller almost half a minute to get the following words out and even then it sounded as if he was choking on them. "Can you... show me... how to do that?"

Luke blinked. "Sure."

"Maybe in return", he hurried to say, "I can tell you how I defeated the AT-ST."

"Uhm, alright. That would be great. But..." Luke scowled a bit. "You don't have to. If you want me to show you something, you just have to say so, I would love to share it. You don't have to pay me back for it. You know that, right?"

Starkiller stared at him for a moment. Never, ever during his apprenticeship, both under Vader and Sidious, had he been given knowledge for free. Everything he had learned, he had to either figure it out himself or complete a dangerous mission and be rewarded with the power. The idea that someone would like to share his knowledge for free was completely foreign to him.

"Why?", he asked at last. Of all people he would expect Luke to have a very large price.

"I just... like to share stuff", Luke said, trying to sound nonchalant. The truth was, ever since leaving Tatooine and being with his father, he'd gotten so much stuff without any idea what to do with it. His family had always been poor so he'd never had much to share and now that he did, he had no friends to give them too. Sure, there was Praji who was careful to keep a professional distance to him since he was also his teacher and there was Marvin who was a bit more open but as a trooper he couldn't accept gifts from him without looking like he wanted to further his career through his friendship with the son of the big boss so he always declined and... it was just really lonely to have so much and not be able to give it to somebody, be it something physical or knowledge. Maybe that was why Vader showered him with so many possessions. 

Luke and Starkiller sat down on the floor and Luke began to work his brother through the process of infusing his lightsaber with emotions.

"It's easier to choose which emotions to give priority to if you know what you're going to use your saber for", Luke began. "That 'very interesting mission' you got, do you know what it is yet?"

"I'm going to hunt down another Jedi."

"That wouldn't happen to be Kazdan Paratus, would it?"

Starkiller regarded him suspiciously. "How do you know that?"

"I was the one who found him. Well, sort of. I had a vision of him living in a replica of the Jedi temple on Raxus Prime. It was... creepy. Dirty and unnatural. Paratus is completely nuts, he was muttering to himself and everything. I think he doesn't even realize he isn't on Coruscant anymore. You will have to be careful, that creature is completely unpredictable."

"It won't be a problem. Besides, I'm not alone."

"Huh?"

"That's right, you don't know yet. I will be going to Raxus Prime together with Lord Vader."

Luke's eyes widened. "You mean, you're going to hunt the Jedi together?"

Starkiller nodded.

"That is... Well, that's good for you, though I can't help but be a tiny bit jealous", Luke admitted, though he was still smiling.

"I know it's something you wanted for a long time...", Starkiller started but Luke waved him off.

"It's alright. You deserve it and... Well, I guess you need it. Just..." He looked a bit nervous all of sudden, "please don't turn around half way through the mission and try to kill him, alright?"

Starkiller merely gaped at him. He knew Luke was still troubled about their fight, it would be unnatural for him not to be. His words also hinted at him knowing Starkiller had been behind the attack on Imperial Center. He was uncertain that Starkiller wouldn't try to kill him, try to kill his father and on top of that he was jealous for them going on a mission together while he was grounded. He had... So much reason to be angry at Starkiller but instead of bottling it up or hiding it, he admitted to his fears and jealously openly as if they didn't even matter. Where Starkiller would've laid still like a snake waiting for the moment to strike and explode in anger, Luke simply let it out when his anger was but a seed and dealt with it openly.

"I... will try not to", he said at last. No promises. His latest fight with Vader still sat in his bones. It was somewhat ironic as well. Now his Master got to know what it felt like having to watch out for your ally because he could decide to stab you in the back any time.

Welcome to my life, Starkiller thought darkly. PROXY would be so proud of him.

He didn't want to kill Vader, not anymore. The problem was that he couldn't even remember why he had ever wanted to. Sure, his former Master had treated him horribly but with nothing to compare it to, Starkiller had never judged him for it. But somehow the Emperor had a knack for twisting facts and feelings and he'd thought it was his right, even his responsibility to rid himself of his former Master. Starkiller didn't want to kill Vader but he feared that his newfound resolve would be shattered if he were to return to the Emperor.

"Okay, so... back to the lightsaber", Luke said. "First you have to choose your main emotion, the one that goes into the crystal. It should be what drives you to draw it in the first place", Luke continued.

His main reason for drawing his lightsaber? To kill his enemies, of course. But no... that wasn't entirely right. This mission wasn't sorely about killing the Jedi. He had asked Vader to train him, to make him stronger. He wanted to learn but he also wanted him to be proud of him. But just impressing his (former?) Master wasn't enough, he didn't want to look like a fool using exaggerated movements or acrobatics. Efficiency, that's what his priority should be.

Thus Starkiller concentrated on this desire to be the most efficient he could be until he felt his crystal hum with his signature.

It took some time to get it right but Luke guided him through the steps. They took Starkiller's lightsaber completely apart. He focused his anger on the impossible situation he was in, his hatred for the Emperor, ever present, the desire to prove himself and destroy his enemies.

At last Starkiller held his lightsaber in his hands. Its blade was still red, which was kind of a relief to be honest but it did seem to fit into his hand more snugly and emanated with an inner power that hadn't been there before.

"May I?", Luke asked and it was only with great reluctance that Starkiller let him touch his weapon.  
Luke flinched back quickly though after barely grazing it with his fingers.

"It's cold", he said.

"Is it?" It felt pleasantly cool in his hand.

"Yes, it feels cold and... calculating. That is... Good, I guess."

"You guess?", Starkiller said with a raised eyebrow.

"With a saber like that, you will do best against cold and unfeeling enemies. Since Raxus Prime is a junk planet full of rogue droids, that's just what you need. It will do a lot of corrosive damage."

Luke didn't look all that comfortable with his creation but Starkiller was content.

"Hey Luke", he said, "do you know what Vader's lightsaber is like?"

"To be honest, I don't know. He uses it seldom actually, it's not like there are battles to fight on a daily basis and in most cases he prefers to rely on the Force. I practice reassembling my saber often and change colors but his always stays the same."

Starkiller nodded.

"So... about that AT-ST", Luke said with a sly smile.

"I thought you didn't want any payback."

"I said you didn't need to give me any but if you want to..."

Starkiller smiled a bit. "Fine but I warn you, it's not easy. The trick is to combine Force grip with Force push. First you lift your target into the air and halt any missiles shot at you. You have to maintain your grip to keep it helpless and then push onto the hull." Starkiller leaned back to get a dented metal cap out of Luke's scrap box under the desk.

"Here is where it becomes tricky. You push at the hull of the cabin, not in one direct line but from different directions. You need at least six for it to work. It has to be a consistent push, a constant stream. Sacrifice power for accuracy to aim the same amount from all sides."

Starkiller held the cap in one hand, all five fingers spread over the round surface and laid the other on top of it. He concentrated and applied pressure through the Force on the metal. Then he made a show out of crumbling the cap as if it was made of paper.

"That's so cool", Luke exclaimed and hurried to get his own scrap metal. "So, you kinda give it a Force push out of every finger?" He held the scrap between his two hands and before Starkiller could stop him, the item exploded in his face, sending pits and pieces everywhere. Luke got littered with small cuts on his face and forearms and he stared at the ruined scrap dumbly.

"You know, maybe you should try wearing a blindfold for this exercise. Preferably a metal one", Starkiller suggested with a smirk.

"To help me focus on the Force?"

"To prevent you from mutilating yourself permanently by metal shards piercing your eyes."

"Oh", Luke made. "Yeah, I better do that. But what did I do wrong?"

"The pressure was unevenly distributed and too powerful, too abrupt. Give it time. It usually takes a few seconds to build it up."

Though Starkiller was eager to leave and try out his new lightsaber with PROXY, he stayed with Luke (now blindfolded) until he could crumble the scrap metal in his hands. He hadn't expected him to actually learn so fast. Granted, he had been forced to find out all of that himself but it had taken him weeks to get even that far!

"You're making progress. I have to leave now but you should keep practicing. Next, try keeping the metal in the air and crumble it without touching."

Luke made a face. "How am I supposed to do that? How can I push at it from the opposite side? Or do I pull on it?"

"You don't target the opposite side, you concentrate on the right and left side. It is harder to aim a Force push from anywhere but up front but keeping the target in a Force grip actually helps with this. Your power already surrounds the target, you just have to focus it. Keep trying."

Luke was clearly disappointed that he had to leave but was eager to master the technique anyway.  
Starkiller left him to his 'homework' and went in the direction of the old training hall for a spar, wondering if it was still there. He looked down on his lightsaber thoughtfully. Even though he knew he was powerful, realizing that Luke knew a Sith technique he had no idea about had unsettled him. He could just imagine how he went on that mission with Lord Vader, pulled out his lightsaber and his Master deemed it an insufficient weapon. That would be terribly embarrassing. Of course, having to go to Luke and ask for his help was embarrassing as well, if only a tiny bit less so.  
The training hall still served the same purpose. Starkiller commed PROXY to come and he had quite the challenging spar with the droid. At the end of the session he noticed that he had an audience. Captain Eclipse stood at the doorway with her arms crossed. While she managed to keep a professional outlook, Starkiller only had to brush her mind slightly to know she was nervous.

"Captain", he greeted her neutrally once he managed to stab PROXY in the 'heart', causing him to revert back to his droid form. "Is there something you needed?"

"I was... wondering if I could have a word with you, Commander."

"It seems your revenge will have to wait", Starkiller said to PROXY.

"Don't worry Master, I will find a time. When you least expect it..." PROXY stood up and made his way to maintenance with a limp. Starkiller put his lightsaber back on his belt and turned to the Captain. "Well? What is it you wanted to talk about?"

The Captain stepped closer to him. "I understand that we are to depart for another mission tomorrow morning... And that Lord Vader will be coming with us."

"That's right."

"Is it another Jedi hunt?"

Starkiller opened his mouth to answer but the Captain quickly held up her hands and cut him off. "No, wait, I don't have to know, got it."

"No, it is alright. You have already been privy to information far more sensitive than this. Yes, it is another Jedi hunt. This one is targeting a Jedi that has apparently lost his mind in his self-imposed exile and is a danger to everyone around him."

While Starkiller loathed to admit it, the woman had been useful on the last mission in her own way, guiding Luke and him with her comments and keeping track of both their position and the schematics of the station to help them to get to their target. Also he appreciated her calm attitude during his fight with Luke. She'd been the only one besides PROXY (who was a droid and thus didn't really count) to keep a level head during the entire thing. For that he had to pay her some grudging respect.

"I had to think about what you said the other day... about the pilots you lost. I am most certainly not a traitor and if I prove to be incompetent, that would be my own fault but... I don't understand why people would have to die for being compassionate. I was wondering... if you could tell me if there was anything, you know, to avoid doing or saying or..."

"You want to know how to survive a mission with Darth Vader", Starkiller cut her off.

Her shoulders sunk a bit. "Yes. Well, no. I mean, it's not just that. I want to do good."

"You are doing good. What I said earlier, it was... a reference to how the Emperor wanted things handled. He did not wish me to get close to people and made sure that if I had to work with someone, I would dislike that person. If I didn't, well, then he or she would need to be replaced."

The Captain's eyes widened. "Why would... the Emperor do something like that?"

"It's all part of the Sith training."

"Sith? What does that mean?"

Starkiller smiled wryly. In the madness that was his every day life he sometimes forgot there were people who had no idea what was going on in the shadows.

"Maybe if you live through the mission I'll tell you about it", he said. It was meant to be a friendly statement. He doubted Vader would make him kill her and the Emperor had no means of knowing who he worked with during secret missions for Vader and probably wouldn't be all that interested if he did. Therefore, he had no problem trying to establish a somewhat friendly relationship with this woman who he might have to work with for some time. It would be a nice change to not have his pilot fear him. Her fear of angering Lord Vader or otherwise getting herself killed during the next mission was not entirely unfounded though and there would be no point entrusting her with information that would only unsettle and distract her if she wouldn't stay to work with him for long anyway.

But he could already tell that he had made a mistake when the Captain flinched back and he felt the fear creep into her mind. Great job, Starkiller.

"I understand. I'm sorry to have bothered you, Commander", she said stiffly.

"I..." The young Sith made an annoyed sound. His experiences with the other sex were very limited but not for the first time he found them harder to figure out than men. 

The thought to apologize for his rude behavior never crossed his mind. (Sith never apologized. Except to their Master for messing up and even that only because if they didn't, they usually got tortured.) Instead he lifted up his chin and demanded:  
"Stop calling me Commander. We both know that rank is just a farce. Just Starkiller is fine." He truly did not care for any title except Darth and it would be some time before he reached that.

"Oh? What would your actual rank be then, Starkiller?" She smiled at him mischievously. "Don't tell me I'm actually superior to you."

Silly as that was, in the strictest sense Eclipse, commandeering the Shadow, actually had more authority than him. If you ignored the fact that nobody could hold Starkiller responsible for his actions without going through the Emperor first.

"I'm afraid that's classified", he replied between gritted teeth.

"Oh, now we're back to sensitive information being kept from me? And there I was thinking we left that behind us."

"Eclipse...", he said in a warning tone.

"That's Captain Eclipse for you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare the ship for tomorrow."  
Starkiller watched the Captain as she left the training hall and shook his head. She was quite the infuriating woman but during the short conversation Starkiller had felt no malice in her and knew her quips weren't meant to be threatening in any way. It was closer to the way Luke sometimes teased him but not quite the same.

He should just ignore her, forget about the whole thing. 

...which would be a lot easier if she wasn't so attractive. Oh yes, he had noticed that. Imperial uniforms weren't exactly designed to be form fitting but it was hard to hide such natural beauty. Nothing at her seemed out of place, from the tips of her blonde hair vanishing under the blue flight cap to the pale complexion of her skin, result of spending half her life in space. And he could've sworn there was an exaggerated swing to her hips as she walked away. She was quite...

Starkiller squashed the desire that wanted to rise in him. He knew passion was the Sith way but it would be disrespectful to see her with such eyes. They barely knew each other and honestly shouldn't get any closer, seeing as the number of surviving pilots under his service (count: Luke) was higher then the number of sexual partners still left alive. Force, that sounded so morbid when formulated that way.

Shaking his head to himself, Starkiller headed back to his quarters. He wanted to meditate before it was time for him to leave for his first mission at the side of his Master.


	33. Chapter 33

The next day Vader and Starkiller made their journey to Raxus Prime, the junk planet Paratus was hiding on. Out of thousands of broken ships and defunct droids, the silhouette of a replica of the ancient Jedi temple appeared on the horizon. Captain Eclipse marveled at the sight of it, though she was careful to keep her opinion to herself. Even Starkiller found it hard to scratch up the appropriate disgust at what was unmistakably an insult to the Empire. If Vader was affected at all, he didn't show it.

According to PROXY, there were millions of transmissions flying through the air. This was a place where droids came to die. It was impossible to predict if Paratus had gotten wind of their arrival or not.

The path to the temple was uneven and full of dangers. Scrap metal was lazily floating through the atmosphere, driven by fluctuating magnetic fields and Eclipse was forced to drop them off some distance away from the temple.

Starkiller had researched the planet and brought some light armor with internal cooling that would protect him from the heat of exploding droids and randomly forming lava pits as well as a thick scarf that offered some protection against the polluted air. Vader, whose suit was designed to keep him alive in pretty much any environment, was not concerned with such things.

The area they landed in was surrounded by molten metal on all sides. The planet was not entirely uninhabited - they could see transport ships in the sky with various aliens on it, probably scavengers. The way to the temple itself was blocked by the skeleton of one massive ship, probably an old Republic cruiser. 

"Eclipse to Starkiller, the best way to get to the target would be by breaking through the hyperchamber ahead", the Captain's voice sounded over his comm.

"Well, we would need some explosives to get through that", Starkiller replied, eyeing the massive metal hull.

Vader stepped forward, gazing at a broken turbine stuck between some more scrap metal.

"Starkiller", he said and the young man turned his attention to him immediately, "what is your experience with Sith lighting?"

"Not much", Starkiller admitted. "I can do it, of course, but I often find it easier to use other methods to dispatch of my enemies."

"How well can you aim it?"

"Aim it?" Lighting could not be aimed. It streaked out of his fingertips in a widespread mass of death, often bouncing off random surfaced and hitting him back in the face. 

"The Force is nothing but energy", Vader explained, "and Sith lighting is the purest form of setting this energy free. In order to aim it though, you have to manipulate this energy similar to the way you have to concentrate when using Force grip. With lighting you have two components, power and precision. Power is important when you use it offensively but precision is needed in order to not hit your allies, aim at a very fast or small opponent and in cases like this." He pointed towards the turbine. "I want you to charge this one up and aim it at the hull."

Starkiller stepped forward, took a deep breath and raised his hand. He called forth the power of the Force and one brilliant spear of lighting sprung from his fingertips, shooting wild and missing the turbine by a good ten feet.

"Concentrate", Vader said, not scolding but with slight irritation. "The dark side is your ally. Focus. Forget about everything else. Only your target counts."

Starkiller closed his eyes. He felt his Master's presence powerfully in the Force behind him and for all its darkness, it was oddly calming - not really what he needed right now. He needed conflict, he needed chaos.

Starkiller let his thoughts wander and stopped at Captain Eclipse, her annoying smirk, the curve of her hip and the shadow her blonde strands cast on her face. Then he imagined her dead at his feet, murdered, destroyed like everything he touched.

Starkiller let out a scream and focused on a spot in the distant hull of the ship as if it had personally offended him. Then he let loose the lighting. The turbine charged up and took flight wildly, spiraling completely out of control and smashing into the exact spot he'd aimed for with a small explosion.

Next to him, Vader nodded. "Acceptable. You put too much power into it, you have to save your energy but it will do. Come."

They had to form their own way across the lake of molten metal, lifting up buried platforms with the Force. Starkiller activated another two turbines to widen the hole in the ship. Unfortunately, aiming the lighting precisely made him almost blind to his surroundings as he concentrated on the dark side. One of the scavenger’s transports came a bit too close and the Rodians on it starting firing at the intruders. They realized too late who they were up against as Vader threw his lightsaber at them almost casually, picking them out of the sky.

"Eclipse to Starkiller, I pick up a lot of activity in the next chamber", the Captain warned him as they were about to enter the broken ship.

"I'll take care of it", Starkiller answered unconcerned.

The hyper chamber was littered with tiny, hooded creatures that posed no threat at all. Curiously, Vader seemed to find joy in slaughtering them even as Starkiller jumped up through the skeletal structure, evading the rotating blades of the gear, taking out those annoying Rodians that kept firing at him from their superior position. They usually tried to flee if they saw Vader or he came too close but Starkiller was faster. Once he chased after one of the small creatures - judging from Vader's muttering it was a 'Jawa' and it tripped, falling helplessly to the ground. Starkiller had half a mind to let the poor sod go (he would die under Vader's saber anyway) but then he caught his former Master looking in his direction and knew he couldn't show any kind of sympathy. So instead, Starkiller aimed his lighting at it. The creature promptly began to scream and flail its small arms wildly. It had such a high voice it sounded like a squeal and it made these funny gurgling noises before it finally fell silent, dead.

Starkiller stared down at the Jawa, then back to his hands. That had been... fun. He had never truly enjoyed killing people, droids or creatures other than his targets, which gave him a sense of accomplishment. They were simply enemies in his way and had to be cut down. But seeing this Jawa convulsing in pain under his lighting, it was... it was funny. It was exhilarating. 

"You feel it, don't you?", Vader said, stepping next to him.

Starkiller wondered if he too would squeal in pain if hit by lighting and he felt like laughing.

"Your inherit talent, the depth of your emotion, the conflict in you - all of that fuels the dark side. There is little that can rival the pleasure of the simple act of destruction."

"It is so... easy", Starkiller said. "They're all beneath me."

"Your wounds."

Starkiller instinctively touched his shoulder where one of the Rodians had grazed him.

"My armor protected me." He'd barely felt it anyway.

"No it didn't. The wound closed when you killed the Jawa and relished in its pain. That is the true power of the Dark Side, to draw strength from your enemies' suffering. It greatly amplifies all of your abilities, including your natural healing that is aided by battle meditation."

"But why do I feel this?", Starkiller asked, suddenly angry. "I shouldn't feel anything, killing this vermin. They're not my targets. They're not worth it. I should feel nothing, neither pity nor joy."

"Now you're talking like a Jedi. The ability to coldly calculate a battle can be useful but as a Sith your strength lies in your emotions. You are right, they are not worth your time and you shouldn't bother going out of your way to kill them. Most enemies will rather try to flee or at least stay away from you if you do not approach them and force their hand. But if you are injured or feel your energy waning, do not hesitate to use lesser targets to fuel your strength. Do not feel ashamed to feel joy - or even pity at their death. Both emotions stand in conflict with your desire to be efficient and can be used to summon the dark side. But enough of that now. We still have a way to go."

The two Sith made their way out of the chamber. They crossed another platform and Starkiller found he didn't have to kill any of the Jawas (though he was tempted to just to hear them squeal). Even the Rodians tended to just run from him. Unfortunately they ran in the same direction he was heading in. Believing he was hunting them down, they turned to fire.

"Rest your saber", Vader commanded. "You need to practice your lighting."

Obediently, Starkiller used lighting to dispatch of those who turned to fight from the distance. He felt his Master brush against his mind and opened it just enough to allow him to send him images and ideas. Following one Starkiller leaped into the air and stuck a Rodian who was convulsing for several moments after that. More than enough time for Starkiller to drop down again and finish him with his saber. Another time he let just tiny sparks from his fingers run down the hilt of his lightsaber, infusing the energy blade. Each time he stuck an enemy, the lighting sprang over to him, winding around the figure and stunning him as every nerve in his body was set on fire. It was as beautiful as it was brutal.

They reached a sort of corridor formed by massive metallic walls around them. Something above them was leaking liquid metal that rained down on their path.

Without words, Vader sent a mental image to him and Starkiller took notice of several long plates sticking out of the broken wreck like ribs of a skeleton.

"You want to move these?", Starkiller asked. They were massive!

"If you prefer to be showered by molten metal, go ahead", Vader replied.

Starkiller looked up. That... would be exhausting. Good thing they had lots of Rodians to kill and 'refuel'.

The young Sith reached up with his hands and gripped the massive metal plates. Vader did the same and together they moved several of them to form a roof that temporally protected the walkway underneath from the raining metal.

Their path led them to another open area and Starkiller was confused to see Rodians and droids fighting.

"Eclipse, do you have any idea what's going on here?", he asked into his comm.

"I picked up some desperate transmissions. It seems the scavengers didn't expect resistance from the droids."

Starkiller remembered what PROXY had said: This is where droids go to die. Not all of them had completely shut down, it seemed.

Starkiller found they were much harder to destroy than the Rodians and had the annoying tendency to knock him on his back, being around twice as tall as himself. Lighting truly was the best method of dealing with them from a distance. Starkiller caught a glance of Vader using Force grip to lift up three of the massive battle droids at the same time and throw them into the molten metal beyond the platform but Starkiller did not dare stay immobile long enough to try that.

Starkiller spotted an opening at the side of the wreck they might be able to use to get further. Well, it was a tiny opening but there was a turbine stuck in it that he could cause to explode to broaden it. Only problem was to get there, it was around ten meters high, too much even for him to jump, Force aided or not.

"Master, what do we do?", he asked just as Vader picked the last scavenger transport out of the sky.  
The Sith Lord stopped for a moment and Starkiller feared that he might have no clue. He sensed an odd movement from him where they had forged a thin connection between their minds to allow for some basic communication during combat and Starkiller realized what had triggered it was him calling Vader 'Master' for this first time in five years.

Starkiller shifted uncomfortably but Vader caught himself quickly and without a word pointed towards a blackened area on the platform.

Starkiller looked at it and realized part of the former ship had sunken here but when he called out for the Force he felt that whatever was down there was massive. It seemed like a terrible waste of energy to lift it just to formulate a way for him through the battlefield.

"Remember Starkiller, size does not matter. Whether it is a pebble or a starship, it will exhaust you no less."

That... was true. Even after moving the giant metal ribs to protect from the lethal rain, Starkiller had felt barely winded. Running around avoiding those battle droids had cost more energy. He should be able to do this...

There were no more enemies around and so Starkiller had no qualms immersing himself in the dark side, letting everything else around him fall away. He gripped the platform with his mind and slowly lifted it up, one meter, two, five until it was high enough to serve as a stepping stone.

The two Sith jumped on the raised platform and then over to where Starkiller put a nice hole in the hull of another part of the wreck to continue their way. They didn't bother with the Rodians who ran from them in panic and slid down a shaft to the next level.

"Eclipse to Starkiller. There is movement on the radar ahead but no energy signature."

The two Sith came out in the open again. In the distance they could see another scavenger transport firing at two tall battle droids but they were unlike any Starkiller had seen before. They were made entirely out of scrap, no two parts seemed to fit together and where there should be wiring between them was only blue glowing energy.

"These droids...", Starkiller whispered in shock. He could actually feel a presence from them, which shouldn't be possible. They weren't alive!

"They are being driven by the Force", Vader said darkly. "Undoubtedly an experiment of the crazy Jedi."

"But how can he do that? How can anyone do that?", Starkiller asked. 

Vader didn't have time to answer him because in that moment a pile of scrap lying at their feet began to rise in the air. Metal floated around, assembling into a humanoid form wielding a large spear. Starkiller was too surprised to block the blow and merely jumped into the air to save himself. The droid took a swing at Vader when he found his first target out of reach. Vader ducked under the spear and thrust his lightsaber forward. The droid gave off a strange pulse. Starkiller felt it through the Force. It was neither light nor dark but it felt strained, as if the Force itself was crying out at this unnatural abuse. Vader's attack was rebuffed but instead of trying again, the Sith Lord immediately changed tactics, took a step back and aimed a powerful Force push at the droid. It was catapulted away and crashed right into the distant scavenger ship.

"Paratus has noticed that we are here", Vader said as if there was nothing special at all about a Force using droid. "He is manipulating the droids from a distance."

"How does he do that?", Starkiller repeated.

Another two droids appeared and again there was no time for conversation. Starkiller blocked the swing one of them took at him and his knees shook under the power of the blow. He counterattacked, jumping left and right and up to come at the droid from unexpected angles. He aimed for its legs and arms but even if he managed to cut right through the metal, it didn't even slow down the machine. Then the spear grazed him and Starkiller cried out as his side was ripped open. Another one of those pulses pushed Starkiller away and he was too distracted by the pain of his wound to soften his fall. For a moment the world went black and when he shook the numbness out of his limbs, he was just in time to roll to the side to avoid the massive spear burring into the ground where his head had been a second ago. Starkiller raised his lightsaber from where he lay and pushed it right through the glowing blue center in the droid's chest where the energies came together. The droid shuddered, its lights flickering - then they went out. Which was bad because now there was roughly a ton of scrap metal falling on top of Starkiller.

The young Sith raised his arms and pulled up his legs in order to protect his head and vital organs. Still all air left his lungs as the mass came crashing down on him. Pain erupted from the flesh wound at his side as well as his hip and multiple other spots that would bruise later.

Taking a breath to center himself, Starkiller tried to calm himself. He was still alive. Hurt (badly so) but still alive.

It took a lot out of him but he managed to use the Force to lift the rubble off of him. He even managed to get to his feet, through it was painful.

Standing next to the hole of the wreck they had come through, proving how he'd barely moved at all, Vader glared at him.

"That was pathetic", he said.

Starkiller felt his anger rise again. He saw the remains of at least two other droids lying at his feet, yet he didn't think for a second his Master had been occupied. No, he had enjoyed seeing Starkiller struggling. He had almost been killed and his Master hadn't lifted a finger to help him!

"Kazdan Paratus is using meditation to project his mind through the Force and assemble the various metal parts on this planet to form shapes that attack us", Vader picked on their conversation as if it had never been interrupted. 

Starkiller looked around. There was scrap metal everywhere! They were on a junk planet after all.   
"That means he has a full army at his disposal", Starkiller said neutrally. Inside, he was beginning to worry. He was already banged up as it was and if this was just the advance party...

"No, it takes him longer to form a new droid the more we destroy. His power isn't endless and though his determination is great, his shrewd mind will not allow him to concentrate on this technique for too long."

"We don't have to destroy the droids. They're slow and don't use guns so they're no danger from a distance. We could just evade them."

"We could", Vader agreed, "if killing Paratus were our primary goal."

"Isn't it?"

"No. The main goal of this mission is to make you stronger. Now tell me, why did you lose against the droid?"

Starkiller bristled angrily. "I didn't loose!"

He looked around a bit. No more droids seemed to form in the immediate area, which seemed to support Vader's theory that Paratus needed time to form new ones.

"The droid was tasked with weakening us and slowing us down, it has accomplished its goal. Therefore, you have lost. Why?"

"Because my lightsaber could barely hurt it!"

"Wrong! You lost because you weren't fast enough in analyzing your enemy. The scrap didn't serve to protect it or even shape its form, it was just there to give it more mass to put power behind its blows. You are a good duelist but there are opponents your lightsaber won't help you much against."

Starkiller blinked. Now that he mentioned it, Vader had seen the droid's strength after his first attack had been rebuffed and immediately formulated a new strategy, putting distance between them and using the Force to attack. Starkiller could've done the same, yet he had stupidly rushed ahead. He was right. It truly was pathetic. Worse was that he really should've known better. He knew there were opponents his lightsaber was less effective against, just as there were opponents the Force couldn't do much against. He had acted recklessly because... Because he'd been too focused on trying to impress his Master. Force be damned, he was so stupid!

The young Sith turned off his lightsaber and bowed his head, gnawing his teeth. "I understand, Master."

"I hope you do because you are no use to me like this. Remember what I told you earlier. Use your fear, your pain, use the thrill of destruction. The next droid that comes at us, I will leave it to you. You will have to defeat it without coming anywhere close to it. Judging from your state, if it hits you even once, you're dead. If you win through, you can use the rush of victory to recover yourself."

"As you wish, Master."

Starkiller turned to the edge of the cliff they stood on. In the distance, two more droids where marching around. They didn't appear to sense where their targets were unless it was in very close proximity. Their Master could only pinpoint their location so much.

Defeating these droids, with his lesson learned, was a matter of seconds. Starkiller kept to the air, jumping from one pile of scrap to the next in order to not provide an easy target. At the same time he released bursts of lighting at the droids, which shut them down with cold efficiency. He still had trouble aiming the lighting precisely and more then one shot went wide but before long one of the droids was being pushed over the edge into the lake of molten metal and the other lay in smoldering pieces at his feet. Even though the droids weren't alive, having defeated his opponents filled Starkiller with new determination. Anger was still gnawing in his gut at his own failure and stupidity but his enemy was defeated, destroyed, he had gained victory - and that felt good. The dark side began to surround him even stronger. He barely felt the pain from his hip anymore. When he touched the wound at his side, his hand came back bloody but there was no pain. On the contrary, the sight of his own blood made him thirst for that of his enemy.

Starkiller knew he was not truly healed. The Force helped him to recover s he doubted he would receive any bruises but a wound that deep was a different matter. He had the mind to rip off part of his scarf and wrap it around the wound to stop the bleeding. But there was no pain and he would keep his body going with the Force alone if he had to, until Paratus lay dead at his feet.

Vader acknowledged his success with a nod, which was all the praise he needed.

"Come. We are getting closer to Paratus. Controlling these droids must have weakened him."

Starkiller sprinted over to where his Master was waiting and together they entered another wreck. Some Jawas were scurrying through the corridors but they fled with high pitched squeals at the sight of them.

They came out in an open area. Only the skeleton of the ship was still recognizable. They must be close to the headquarters of the Rodian scavenger squad because they encountered several heavily armed green-skinned aliens who dared to fire at them. They had a good stand in that their platform could only be reached over a series of improvised walkways, little more than metal planks thrown over huge holes in the ship. Falling down through them would mean certain death. But their blaster canons were ineffective against the Sith blocking the shots and all Starkiller had to do was blast them with lighting from a distance. He was getting better at aiming too.

"We won't be able to get through that ray shield", Vader said when they had cleared the way. He pointed towards an orange wall of light. "We have to find the generator."

Starkiller spotted another hole leading deeper inside of the wreck. Its edges were less ragged, it looked like it had been ripped there on purpose to provide an entrance. Vader followed his gaze.

"Their headquarters will be over there. It will be littered with enemies."

"I need the practice", Starkiller said with a smirk.

"Then I will wait for you here."

Starkiller nodded and sprinted towards the opening. It turned out that it belonged to a platform that (upon charging up a control panel with electricity) moved him down to the main hangar of the scavenger's transports. By now the young Sith had a good grip on his lighting, which was very effective against the long ranged warriors. He found it was best to blast them once, which sent them down to the ground withering in agony. In the time it took them to recover, Starkiller was onto them with his lightsaber, finishing them off.

He found the generator but didn't bother with all those blinking lights and buttons. Instead he just electrocuted the whole thing into exploding. No generator, no ray shield.

He made his way back to his Master, noticing there were a lot more bodies littering the floor. Backup must have arrived and been crushed shortly after by the Sith Lord.

With the ray shield disabled, they reached a deep canyon with huge piles of junk at both sides. Checking their coordinates revealed they had to get to the opposite side but there was no way they could get through that river of molten metal unharmed.

Starkiller spotted a broken turbine at one end of the canyon that lay in the perfect position to weaken a giant metal plank, probably the wing of a ship. If they could arrange for that to fall across the canyon, they would be able to use as a bridge over the river.. He pointed it out and Vader nodded. Half way there though, the ground began to glow and Starkiller got into a defensive position as another one of the Force-powered droids assembled himself.

"Not good enough", Starkiller growled. He blasted the droid with lighting and as it was stunned momentarily, he jumped into the air to let his lightsaber rain down on it. Vader was fighting another droid, smoothly dispatching of it. Starkiller went to power up the turbine and when he turned again, he felt his jaw drop.

In the middle of the canyon, a giant pile of scrap was assembling itself into a monstrosity. One arm ended in a metal club that was still glowing yellow from heat. It was around three times Starkiller's size and the metal was packed tight, giving it a tough look.

"Uh, Master? We've got a problem", Starkiller said.

Vader gave his droid the last blast that sent the scrap flying and turned towards the new opponent.  
"Good", he said.

"Good? How is that good?!" The giant stood between them and the exit. It hadn't spotted them yet but they wouldn't be getting past it without a fight.

"Paratus must have used a lot of energy to create this. He will be severely weakened once we get to him."

"If we get to him", Starkiller muttered.

"Defeating it shouldn't be a problem."

Starkiller sighed. "That's my job, isn't it?"

"Of course. You are here to learn after all."

"Then how do I destroy it?"

"It is too big to move nimbly. You can weaken it from a distance. Before you close in, get rid of that arm. It is its most effective shield and weapon. After that, give it the final push."

Starkiller nodded and drew on the dark side, strengthening his resolve. He blasted the giant with lighting once, twice, three times before he felt the drain. Then he sprinted across the raised walkway, calling on the Force to replenish his energy. The droid recovered from the stunning effect the lighting had on its circuits and turned to search for his prey on the raised walkway but Starkiller wasn't there anymore. Vader was. The machinery groaned as the droid pounded its giant club onto the walkway and destroyed a good portion of it. Starkiller turned to blast it again from the other side of the walkway. The shock immobilized the droid, which gave Vader opportunity to jump over the club, sprint down the droid’s arm and attack its head with his lightsaber. 

Now that it was distracted, Starkiller didn't bother trying to run and instead jumped down to the bottom of the canyon. He drew on the dark side desperately to refill his energy. It was just enough for two lighting bolts but that coupled with the damage Vader did to the giant, was enough to form the first cracks in its hull.

Now was the time. Starkiller gripped the club-arm with the Force just as it was about to smash against his Master and with a battle cry he ripped it clean off, overcoming whatever will the Jedi Master put on the metal from afar. Vader jumped down and cleared the way for Starkiller. The young Sith evaded the stamping foot of the droid, moving around it quickly with the grace of a dancer and gathered the Force for one final push that scattered the droid's remains all over the canyon.

Starkiller was breathing heavily, feeling the exhaustion of the short fight but just as quickly he felt a surge in the dark side as the triumph set in and he felt stronger than ever before.

Vader stepped next to him and Starkiller gave him a glance.

"I thought you didn't want to help."

"I can't allow you to have all the fun", the older Sith replied with a neutral voice that didn't quite fit his words.

Starkiller smirked. He sprinted over to the other side of the canyon. From here he had a good view of the crashed wing and though it was almost two hundred meters long, it took surprisingly little effort to crush it, sending it down in several parts that formed a convenient bridge for them to cross.  
Vader and Starkiller sprinted down the new bridge but the canyon was further littered with open areas too wide to jump over, even with the help of the Force.

"Watch my back", Vader said as he shut down his lightsaber. Starkiller got into a defense position and not too early because two of Paratus' droids began assembling themselves right in front of him. Vader ignored them in favor of raising his hands to move huge scrap parts from across the canyon to form a way for them.

Starkiller had a hard time with these droids. They had the annoying habit to blast him away with repulsion canons. That wouldn't have been too much of a problem if it weren't for the fact that the space was very restricted and if he fell over the edge of the platform, it would mean going down twenty meters into a lake of molten metal. He relied on Force push a lot to blast one of them over the edge himself. The other took a swing at Vader, who was still concentrating and ignoring the danger completely. Starkiller already felt drained from pushing the other droid so much but as soon as it hit the ground, he felt its destruction through the Force and that gave him new energy. He shot some lighting at the droid attacking his Master, stunning it and then went in for the killing blow with his lightsaber.

By now Vader had managed to assemble a number of broken ship wings that stuck out of the piles of junk. It was still almost thrice the distance a normal human could jump but with the help of the Force, they made their way over them easily.

Starkiller felt the massive pulse in the Force even before they reached the next wreck. It was another one of the giants. Before they reached that room though, another four battle droids assembled themselves in front of them. Starkiller growled. He shot lighting at them, once, twice... and already, he felt himself drained. Incredulous, the young Sith looked down at his hand. Normally he could manage at least four lighting bolts before he felt the drain and had to break out of the fight, though it took him little time to concentrate on the dark side and replenish his energy.

Two of the droids used his distraction to attack and while Starkiller managed to evade the spears, they stuck the ground hard, shaking it and throwing him off balance. He felt himself strangely cut off from the Force and that filled his heart with fear. He tried to blast the droid again but not even a spark came out of his hand and he had to jump away to avoid being impaled.

A crashing noise drew his attention and he saw Vader ramming his lightsaber into a small floating junk drone. At once, Starkiller felt the Force return to him.

"They power themselves by sucking the Force out of their vicinity", Vader warned him. "Look out for the drones, destroy them first."

"Thanks", Starkiller replied before unleashing a stream of lighting against the droids. Between Vader and him, they were soon scrap once again and the two Sith went to confront the second giant.  
The room they were in was open, there was no raised walkway from which to blast the droid from a safe distance. Instead Starkiller took to running around the giant in circles, blasting him whenever he could and rushing in to cut its legs and what he could reach of its torso when he was stunned. It was... not so different from fighting AT-ST's actually. He'd done this sort of thing before. Weaken the enemy, rip off its main weapon and smash it back in its face. Once the giant came close to hitting him but Starkiller jumped right over the giant, landing on its back and gave him the final push that scattered its components.

"You are leaning", Vader stated. He had stayed back to watch the fight calmly.

"Do you think Paratus might exhaust himself at some point?"

"This was his last attempt." Vader pointed up and only now did Starkiller realize that their path was almost at a end. They discovered a lift that would bring them up. Beyond that they would face Paratus.

"You have learned how to hold yourself against multiple enemies", Vader said. "You have learned to use your lighting efficiently and to overcome your fear in the face of an overwhelming opponent. But most important of all, the dark side is strong in you. You have learned how to use the destruction of your enemy to replenish your own energy. The Jedi believe that strength lies in numbers and that they are more powerful in a group when in truth their allies are their weakness. I do not doubt that Paratus will summon more droids to fight for him while he recovers. Do not despair when faced with such odds. Welcome them. The canon fodder the Jedi sends at you will help you to recover."

"I'll remember it", Starkiller said, his brow furrowed in determination.

"Very well. Then go and bring me the Jedi's lightsaber."

He turned to him in surprise. "You are not coming with me?"

"No. Even the best Master can teach his student only so much. This is a lesson you have to learn for yourself. I will be watching your duel but I will not interfere."

"I understand, Master."

"If you die, I shall avenge you. May the Force me with you."

Starkiller found himself smirking. Vader's last words were a contradiction in itself. The first half was something a Sith would say. The second sounded more like a Jedi.

Starkiller entered the lift and felt himself eerily reminded of his duel with Kota. He felt the same eager anticipation rush through his vein. His blood was brimming with the dark side. It wasn't even anger or hatred. If anything, it was joy. Joy and excitement at the challenge, at the blood that was about to be spilled. And pride. Pride at the progress he'd made, at the praise he had received. Deep down he knew there was something... warmer. He'd never felt so comfortable fighting alongside a partner than when he fought with Vader. Going on a trip together, teaching, learning, crushing a few droids... that was the sort of thing a father and son would do, wasn't it?

But Starkiller pushed that feeling aside. It was too languid and content to fuel the passion he needed to master the dark side. He took comfort in knowing that it was there and he turned that comfort into confidence. There, much better. Now he was ready.


	34. Chapter 34

"The Festival of Stars? I don't know."

Leia scowled at him and hit him with the flower bouquet she was holding. "The Festival of Stars! The celebration of the invention of space travel! Don't tell me you've never heard of it."

Luke held his head, pretending to be hurt but ruining it by grinning widely. "Of course I've heard of it. I just never celebrated it."

"But it's huge! All over the galaxy people leave their home worlds to travel around. With the amount of traveling you're doing, I would've thought you've been to many feasts."

Luke and Leia were sitting under a big tree on top of a hill overlooking the capital of Alderaan but on this spot there was little more than grass and flowers. If it weren't for the fact that there were fish instead of birds flying through the sky, one would've been hard pressed to realize that it was a dreamscape. Leia had been busy gathering flowers when Luke had stepped into her dream. She was glad he did because she still hadn't figured out how to visit him in return and she had meant to ask him about this for some time now.

"Well, you see... On Tatooine, the festival wasn't a big deal. My aunt and uncle have never left their home world. The only celebrations we bothered with were birthdays and Haggler's Day."

"Yes but later, after you left your home world...?"

"Is that festival supposed to be a family thing? 'Cause you know that's a bit complicated with me", Luke replied wryly.

"No, that's why I was asking. It's something you do together with friends. Last year was the first time I was allowed to go. I was fifteen and I still had to have an adult friend with me as well as some bodyguards but it was great and I had been looking forward to it for ages."

"Do you mean... I mean, were you going to ask me...?" Luke stopped right there and took a moment to concentrate on the mental image he was projecting to make sure he wasn't blushing.

Leia rolled her eyes. "Yes silly, I was going to ask you to spend the festival together." Then she realized what she'd just said and hurriedly added: "As friends, of course. I mean, I just wanted to know which planet you planned on visiting with your friends because I haven't chosen yet and maybe we could arrange it to meet there. I will bring my friends as well. That's all."

Luke let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "Of course. Uh, if I were to pick a planet, I'd go for Kashyyyk."

Leia made a face. "Kashyyyk? Really?"

"Sure. What's wrong with it? There are lots of forests and stuff, it's gonna be beautiful."

"Well yes in the tourist centers it might be but do you have any idea what's going on behind the facade? Ever since the Empire broke up the Wookie rebellion 13 years ago the natives are being suppressed on their own home world. Those that don't find work have to live in concentration camps and now and then Imperial transports come to ship some of them off to who knows where, probably for slave work. I don't think I'd be in much of a celebrating mood in that place."

Luke looked away. "I'm sorry. It was a bad idea."

"Can't you pick another planet?"

"No, I mean this whole thing. You should... just go and celebrate with your normal friends. Spare yourself the awkwardness."

That sounded very cold and Leia immediately regretted being so forward.

"Luke, please... I didn't mean it like that. What's wrong?"

The boy took a deep breath. "It's just... I don't keep a lot f friends, you know? I don't get the chance to make many while traveling around so much. In fact, I'm counting four besides you. One is a Lieutenant who would rat me out if I were to sneak out for the festival, which I would definitely have to do. One is on a mission, one is a droid and the last one... is a Stormtrooper who wouldn't be able to leave his post for this but if we were to go to the planet he's stationed on we could fit it in. Well, and he happens to be stationed on Kashyyyk." Of course Marvin used to be stationed with Death Squadron and had only been degraded after Luke stole his armor to sneak on board the Rogue Shadow. Vader was still mad about that.

"All of your friends probably know my face from the holonet so it would be really awkward if I tagged along with you on my own", Luke finished. 

Leia had to admit that was probably true but didn't know if it would be much better with a Stormtrooper of all people along with him. 

"Well... I suppose Kashyyyk isn't too bad of a place if you stay on the bright side."

Luke's eyes lit up. Leia smiled shyly when she saw it and lightly patted his hand. "Kashyyyk it is then. If you can make it in time?"

"Oh, damn!" The festival was in two days and he would need at least one to get there. Normally he might have been able to use the Rogue Shadow but with Starkiller and Vader touring the other side of the galaxy, the ship wouldn't be back in time. "I need to find myself a ship..."

"Will that be a problem?", Leia asked. Usually such a trip was planned for weeks. She had told all her friends that her destination would be a secret. Since as a princess she could decide on a small personal starship on her own, that wasn't a problem. She had meant to ask Luke last time but then they got interrupted by that reptile thingy.

"No, I... I'll find something. It's a big fleet", Luke said with a nervous grin.

"Luke, you shouldn't do it if you have to sneak away or... or stars forbid, steal a ship. I don't want you to get into trouble."

"Oh please", Luke waved her off. "I infiltrated an Imperial space station and was grounded for it. If I wanted to, I could get away with murder."

It was supposed to be a joke but from the way Leia's scowl deepened, Luke didn't think she got it.

"I will be there, in Kachirho, in two days. Don't worry, once I'm within range I will find you easily."

"Within range of what?"

Luke tapped against his temple. "In order to find you on Alderaan I usually have to meditate for some time but if we're on the same planet... you get it."

"Oh", she made. Not for the first time she was reminded that one day Luke may become her enemy and if that happened, then him having a surefire way to pinpoint her location probably wasn't a good thing. But it was very useful when he was to find her for a festival.

"I will go and organize myself a flight then."

Luke stood but Leia held him back.

"Wait, before you go... About last time, did you find out what that monster was supposed to mean?"

"Oh, that was my brother."

"Your brother!?" Since when did Luke have a brother? It was strange enough to imagine Vader with one kid but two!?

"Oh yeah, he wanted to kill me. But we're cool now, it was all a big misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding", she echoed numbly.

"It's a long story, secret stuff, tell nobody about it, okay?"

She let go of his arm and Luke cleaned off some leaves from his pants. 

"I will see you at the festival then. Bye!", he said with a bright smile as if he hadn't just dumped a bombshell on her. 

Sometimes Luke was really adorable. Sometimes he just annoyed the hell out of her.

XxX

The lift opened to reveal a round room. Skeletal pillars reached up to cross overhead but the space between them was empty. The magnetic fields of the junkyard caused a lot of random scrap metal to circle the tower. The room itself was littered with junk but Starkiller could make out a series of round seats, half destroyed alongside the walls. This room was based on the Jedi council room in the temple of Coruscant.

"Masters", Starkiller heard a raspy whisper. Some sort of clicking noise could be heard and he turned to see a... creature approaching. It was small, with tiny legs and arms but an overly large, dome-shaped head and big eyes. Its skin was gray and it was hairless but you could make out many wrinkles and splotches of age littering his skin. On his back, Paratus had a construct strapped on that provided him with six spider-like metallic legs that he used to move around quite nimbly. One of the legs ended in a blue lightsaber that was now being ignited with a hiss.

"Masters", Paratus repeated, his eyes scurrying across the room, "don't worry, I will protect you from the Sith!"

Starkiller narrowed his eyes at the obviously mad Jedi. He raised his hand and opened the duel with a burst of lighting but the Jedi raised his lightsaber. He did not only block the lighting but reflected it back with the same ease Starkiller had blocked dozens of blaster bolts going his way today.

The young Sith had learned from his mistakes and instead of wasting his energy he rushed forward to meet the Jedi with his lightsaber. At once they exploded into a flurry of motion. Starkiller whirled his weapon around fast. Paratus was using his spare legs to attack Starkillers arms and legs with their sharp tips and throw him off balance. He scored his first hit, his blade brushing the domed head of the creature when Paratus aimed a powerful Force push at him, throwing him away and sending him crashing into one of the Council's seats. Starkiller sprang to his feet again and sent out another burst of lighting on pure instinct but it went wild and sent a random crate floating outside crashing into the temple.

"Our home!", Paratus cried, "stop destroying out home!"

Though Starkiller had been overwhelmed for a moment, instead of pressing the advantage, Paratus curled in himself, weeping for the loss of Jedi that were long dead.

Starkiller realized that the lunatic really thought he was still on Coruscant. He thought this was the day of Order 66 and that he was invading the actual Jedi temple.

A small, cruel smirk formed on his face. The Jedi came to his senses and stormed at him but Starkiller pushed him away and then ran across the room to get even more distance between them. Then he gripped some junk from beyond the empty windows and threw his missile at Paratus. The Jedi jumped out of the way easily and the crate smashed into one of the Council's seats.

"No!", Paratus cried in soulfelt agony. "I have to protect the Masters!"

Starkiller gripped another broken droid lying nearby and hurled it at the Jedi. This time the creature didn't evade but caught the missile with the Force and flung it through the window. He had to stay immobile and concentrate a second longer for it than Starkiller and in that second the Sith unleashed a new series of lighting bolts. Kazdan Paratus screamed and whimpered in pain as the lighting hit him. Starkiller blasted him once, rushed forward, blasted him again and like this he closed the distance between them gradually while keeping the Jedi stunned. The last lighting bolt cost him a lot of energy but he was close enough now to strike at him with his lightsaber. Paratus blocked but was too weak to control his mechanical arms efficiently and the blade closed in on him. He had to lean back in order to not get burned.

Then one of the spider legs pierced Starkiller's foot and he broke the saber lock with a cry of pain. Paratus scurried away quickly, climbing up one of the pillars. Up there Starkiller couldn't reach him. His lighting was easily blocked and Paratus started collecting junk from the magnetic field outside himself and hurl it at him.

"I will destroy the Sith... I will save the Jedi!", he called out and in the middle of the room a light formed itself. Starkiller smirked as he recognized the signs of a scrap giant forming. Before, the sight might have unsettled him but he had already destroyed two of them and knew doing so would only make him stronger.

Paratus stayed on his pillar, probably licking his wounds but Starkiller didn't give him time for that. He blasted the giant a total of six times, in between cutting it with his lightsaber, ripped off its rotating arm, slammed it into its torso and unleashed a steam of lighting to finish it off. The whole fight against the droid that judging by Paratus shocked expression had been his trump card hadn't lasted five seconds and Starkiller didn't even feel winded. If anything, he felt further empowered. Any exhaustion that might have developed during the duel was gone. He was ready to see blood.

Paratus had obviously not expected the scrap giant to be destroyed so fast. Starkiller took hold of the pieces of the giant himself and threw them at the Jedi.

"What's going on, Jedi?", he called out mockingly. "Don't you want to protect your Masters? Why are you running away?" He pushed the remains of the giant’s club into one of the empty Council's seats. "If you don't come down here, I will kill them all!"

Paratus cried out in anger and despair and jumped down. Using the Force to predict where he'd land, Starkiller rushed forward to meet him and drove him back with a barrage of lightsaber strikes. Paratus was agitated, that much was obvious. His fighting style had been merely defensive before but now he was slacking off and Starkiller managed to hit him with his lighting again, sending him to the floor in a tangled mess of organic and metallic limbs. He rushed forward to press his advantage. His lightsaber came down and Paratus rolled away but not quickly enough. The attack took off his right leg.

Paratus screamed and Starkiller pulled back to prepare for the final strike but the creature was a Jedi Master for a reason. He used his metal legs to raise himself up and climbed up another pillar.

"Oh no, you don't", Starkiller whispered. His eyes roamed around until he found three seats that weren't destroyed yet. He focused on a metal ring connecting all the pillars overhead and pulled at it with the Force. The entire structure bent down and Paratus cried out again about him destroying the temple and the Masters when the ring hit and destroyed the three seats. The crushed part of the metal ring now connected to the floor, providing Starkiller with a way up. He rushed up the self-made ramp and made his way over the ring to where Paratus was hanging on a pillar.

"You killed the Jedi! My friends, my family!", Paratus cried out in anguish. 

Starkiller had to stop when the old Jedi gripped a turbine from beyond the windows and hurled it at him. The young Sith caught it with the Force and threw it right back, crushing the pillar Paratus was hanging on. The Jedi was hurled back to the ground but even so he aimed a powerful Force push at Starkiller that even if it only grazed him, would've thrown him off the structure into the abyss. He braced himself, called on the dark side and caught the blast of power in his hands. Though he was filled with anguish, Paratus was still relying on the light side and the power seemed to burn his skin in his hands. It struggled against him like a caged animal but Starkiller's will was too strong. He overcame it, filled it with his own passion and threw it right back at the Jedi. The entire motion hadn't lasted a second and the attack hit the Jedi just as he was hitting the floor, pounding him into the duracrete with the power of a hover car hitting him.

Starkiller jumped down from the structure that was coming perilously close to coming down anyway. He landed next to Paratus, whose metal legs hat been crushed by the impact. The organic one Starkiller had cut off was black and burned. He was only moving weakly.

"I am... so sorry, Masters...", Paratus rasped out. There were tears slowly running down his cheeks. "I have... failed you...!"

Kazdan Paratus closed his eyes. Suddenly Starkiller felt a disturbance in the Force, as if a bright light was fighting against the ever present cloak of darkness covering the galaxy. It was a feeble attempt but it was made nonetheless and for a moment it was as if Starkiller could see an actual physical light emanate from the fallen Jedi's body. It gave one last flinch - then the Jedi lay dead and the light subsided.

Starkiller felt the expected rush of victory and for a moment he allowed himself to breathe deeply and just enjoy the feeling of power coursing through his veins. This was much... much stronger than what he'd felt at Kota's death. He'd actually been able to sense the life leave the Jedi's body, had felt his soul passing on. It had been so powerful. How could he have missed that with the General's death? Was Paratus that much stronger than Kota? Or was it that Starkiller had simply been not sensitive enough? It was just a few days ago - even though it felt like a lifetime. He knew that he had learned much just from this one mission with his Master but surely... surely he should've felt something at the General's death? Except...

A small black hole opened in Starkiller's chest, a void that began to suck in his joy and pride and replaced it with cold fear. Except if Kota wasn't dead. He'd fallen out of that hole down towards the planet - but so had Starkiller and Luke and they were still alive. They'd been caught by Eclipse. When Kota fell, there were several traffic lines between him and the ground. It was... improbable but not impossible that he, even though he was weakened, might have managed to maneuver himself onto one of the transports and save himself. Starkiller, too distracted in his rage and desire to kill Luke, could have possibly lost him.

Kota might still be alive. The man who had laid a trap for his Master and been willing to sacrifice hundreds of innocents in doing so, he may still be alive. Plotting his next step. Starkiller... had failed.

"Aaargh!", Starkiller cried out and gave the dead Jedi a kick that sent him skittering across the whole room.

"Blasted Jedi scum!"

That had... never happened to him before. Never before had he messed up a mission and let his target escape. Never. But as he closed his eyes to meditate on the Force, he knew it to be true. Rahm Kota was still alive,

... Darth Vader must never find out. Now that Starkiller had finally... finally a semblance of a chance to get his Master's respect, he must never learn of his failure. Despite everything his Master had told him the other day, Starkiller couldn't shake the feeling that all would be for naught if he learned that Starkiller wasn't such a perfect Sith after all. How could he be that opposite to Luke, who never failed in his thing of being light and pure and lovable? He couldn't even kill a damn Jedi.

But he had. Looking down at Paratus, the first Jedi Master he had ever murdered, Starkiller began to hope. Maybe it didn't matter so much after all. He was stronger now and would only grow stronger with time. If he could find Kota he could sneak out to kill him without Vader ever knowing. He was trained as an assassin after all, he could fight himself through a battlefield just as easily as he could hide in the shadows if need be. Yes... He would redeem himself. He just had to find Kota.

Starkiller raised his arm with the built in commlink.

"Eclipse", he said, "we're done here."

 

XxX

"Alright, Stam-04", Luke said, standing in a wide stance in front of the junk pile he had assembled in an unoccupied hangar bay, "this is a phenomenally stupid idea! Let's get to work!"

Stam-04 made an enthusiastic whirring sound and nimbly climbed over the pile.

Luke had broken the lock of a store room, stealing some standard issue tape used to seal off construction sites to keep unwanted visitors away from the hangar. While making himself unnoticeable with the Force he then proceeded to carry all kinds of spare parts to it that he would use to upgrade his chosen vessel. By the time he had everything, Stam-04 had managed to hack the code of the Imperial starfighter.

Luke looked over the ship with a smile. It had a round cockpit in the middle, flanked by the infamous TIE-solar panels. He knew it was a bad idea to steal it but the TIE's were the smallest crafts on board the Devastator and he would need to provide a very small target if he wanted to have any chance sneaking away without being noticed. Stam-04 would manipulate the sensors of the hangar bay so their take-off wouldn't be noticed. With some luck the targeting crew would mistake him for a stray asteroid. If not they would start firing immediately and then the small form and high maneuverability of the starfighter would work to Luke's advantage.

There was only one disadvantage. In order to make the craft as light and fast as possible, it lacked any kind of life support or hyperdrive. Luke could work with the former, he had his own flight helmet after all but the hyperdrive he would have to install manually. But he had a whole day to do that, so no worries.

"Stam-04, try to improve the deflector shields a bit, would you?", Luke ordered before he ducked and got under the ship to inspect its belly. The spider-like droid hurried inside the ship and Luke got to work. He knew exactly where he had to install the hyperdrive on the outside of the hull so it would still be covered by the shields. Drawing on the Force, he saw it all in front of him, where every part had to go and how everything fit together. He knew when Stam-04 needed some part or another before he even asked and levitated it inside the ship without even looking.

The droid and the boy worked together for hours, upgrading the TIE and preparing it for the long journey. In the evening Luke was exhausted but happy. He made sure Stam-04 recharged himself during the night and when they came back to the bay in the morning, Luke was very excited. He had flown TIE-fighters before, but never this one.

Luke climbed into the cockpit with Stam-04 sitting on his shoulder. The droid gave a series of beeps. He didn't speak, per se, but Luke was quite good and translating his binary by now. It went something along the lines of:

"[Crime rate] set to stage 'thievery'."

"Oh, I know", Luke answered. He tried to downplay his nervousness with a grin. "Father will be so mad that we stole his Black One. But that's what he gets for grounding me."

Stam-04 activated the closing mechanism of the door and Luke put on his helmet and strapped himself in.

"Activate [vacuum]", the droid beeped and with a hiss the air was released. "[TIE-01] ready for launching."

"You know", Luke said as he maneuvered the TIE-fighter out of the hangar, "my father modified Black One so often." Not only did it have a good set of deflector shields, meaning it wouldn't blow up immediately if you just looked at it a bit too hard but its curved solar panels also made it a smaller target than the standard hexagonal shapes of the normal TIE's, the hull was further reinforced and of course it had better weapons. It really deserved to fit into its own category. 

"We should call it TIE-revamped. Or TIE-Mark super new. Or... Oh, I know. How about TIE-Advanced? That sounds good, doesn't it?"

They were out of the hangar, trying to look inconspicuous as they put distance between them and the Stardestroyer.

"[Target systems] of [Star Destroyer: Devastator] locked on [TIE-Advanced]."

"Oh, shit", Luke cursed. "Father is going to kill me."


	35. Chapter 35

Lieutenant Praji was not having a nice day. He hadn't had a nice day yesterday either for that matter because a certain student of him had decided to skip his lessons. Praji had fully intended to give the boy a piece of his mind this morning but he hadn't shown up then either. In the absence of Lord Vader, taking care of Luke was his job. He knew that the kid had recently gotten into trouble and been stripped of his privileges for it so he thought it would be a normal, if immature reaction for the boy to hole himself up in his room. Just to make sure that the boy hadn't sneaked into places he was no longer allowed in, Praji had even checked with a Stormtrooper patrol to make sure that yes, the boy had come back to his room for the night and nobody had seen him in a restricted area but where he actually went remained a mystery.

Now he was gone again, Lord Vader wasn't expected back for some time still and Praji was stuck searching on his own. He checked the training hall, the flight simulators and the meditation chamber but he could find no Luke. Praji was just entering the bridge to see if he was playing around with high level software (again) when he noticed everyone was quite excited. Orders were being shouted around and when he looked out of the grand window he saw a TIE-fighter squad souring through space, their green laser canon bolts aimed at a single target.

"What is going on here?", he demanded to know.

"Unauthorized take-off in hangar bay 10. The ship was not responding to the hails and has been assessed as a threat."

Praji felt alarm bells ringing in the back of his head. Hangar bay 10 was where Lord Vader kept his personally modified TIE-fighter.

"And you're shooting it down?!"

The officer looked at him strangely. "It's standard protocol, Sir."

"You're fired, go away", Praji growled. He grabbed the next officer sitting at the communication desk and yanked him up at his collar.

"You will order the firing squad to stand down immediately! Do you understand me!?"

"What's going on here?"

Praji turned to see the Lieutenant Commander in charge of the bridge glaring down at him.

Praji dropped the officer and sprang to attention but he was not about to let the matter go.

"Sir, the men are shooting at Lord Vader's personal fighter!"

"Lord Vader is absent and the ship is not responding with the correct security codes. We have to assume it has been stolen by a deserter."

"Then we should pull it in with the tractor beam! Lord Vader would be very displeased if we destroyed that ship, I can assure you. Besides, there are very few people who could fly it all, all of them with a top clearance and you have no idea who's piloting it. Their communicators could simply be damaged. Do you really want to take responsibility for destroying Back One for what is probably a big misunderstanding?"

The Commander contemplated it for far too long for Praji's taste. Beyond the window he could see the small target expertly evading the dozen shots aimed at it. His suspicion about who was on board was rising and he did not like the prospect of it.

"Turn on the tractor beam", the Commander finally relented and Praji breathed out in relief.

The hunter squad was called off and the crew prepared to activate the tractor beam - but they had hesitated for too long. The small blip vanished from the radar.

"What happened? Where is it?", the Commander demanded to know.

"Sir, it appears the target has entered hyperspace."

"That's impossible! It was just a TIE-fighter, they're too small to support a hyperdrive!"

That stunt only confirmed Praji's worst fears. Luke's absence the other day now suddenly made sense. He was so going to lose his job for this. Again.

XxX

"Repeat that."

Praji felt himself sweating profusely. He barely got a word out and he probably looked quite pathetic quivering in fear like this but pissed-off Sith Lorsd tended to have that effect on him.

"H-He's gone, my Lord. We lost him when he entered hyperspace."

"How could he enter hyperspace with a TIE-fighter? They're not outfitted with one!"

"He, uh, must have installed one manually the day before."

"Not even Luke would be that stupid, he knows the squad would fire on any unauthorized vessel. How did he even get out of range without dying?"

"I suppose the deflector shields protected him."

"You mean to tell me he installed both a hyperdrive and a shield reactor in a single day?"

Praji really, really wished he could be anywhere but here right now. "No, Sir. The ship was already outfitted with a shield reactor." Oh please, don't let him ask...

"He took Black One!?"

A loud snorting could be heard and Praji stared incredulous at Vader's other brat who was standing behind his Lord. The damn teenager was actually laughing!

"Sorry but that is so typical for Luke", Starkiller said and turned to hide his smile (failing miserably).

"Luke has always shown nothing but loyalty", Vader protested. "To steal from the Empire and then flee is completely unlike him. He must've planned this for a long time."

Starkiller stared at Vader in disbelief. Slowly but surely the Force bond between them had been strengthening and he could sense that the Sith Lord was genuinely hurt by Luke's behavior.

"You do realize that he's not... He's not betraying you or anything, don't you? He probably just wanted to get back at you for grounding him. He will be back in a couple of days."

For a moment, Vader was silent.

"I have... expected him to do something like this for years", he admitted finally. "I tried my best to hold him here but I always knew... That one day he would reject everything the Sith represent and he would turn his back on me."

"Well, I don't believe he did that", Starkiller returned with a scowl.

"How would you know?"

"Make no mistake, I could see him fleeing from you any day. You're a crappy father figure. But he was quite happy to have me back and he wouldn't have left without saying good bye."

Praji looked between the two Sith with disbelief. He had never seen anyone dare to speak to Lord Vader like that - and not be killed for it. However, with this young man, Vader didn't even react to the insult. He remembered how submissive Starkiller had been when he first came to Death Squadron and how strict Vader had been with him. Apparently, something grand had changed between them because they treated each other like... like equals.

That was a terrifying thought. To have two of their sort on the ship! Mentally, Praji checked all of his limited encounters with the younger Sith. He really hoped he had never insulted this guy.

"I hope that you are right. I will have to think about another way to bring him back then..."

"You weren't going to send the entire fleet after him, were you?"

"Of course not."

"Riiight... Any idea where he would go?"

"Yes. I will meditate on the matter to find his exact location but if he went where I think he did, we have to hurry."

"You want me to chase after him, don't you?"

"If you feel up to it. You need to have your wounds checked."

Starkiller waved him off. "I can go through bacta treatment during the flight and be as good as new."

"Then come with me."

Praji couldn't believe his luck as the two Sith wandered off, completely forgetting about him. Vader had been a lot more moody and occasionally violent since Starkiller was back but it seemed he was not going to slip back in the old habit of killing the messenger. Thank the stars.

Vader led Starkiller to his personal chambers where he activated the monitors and began pulling out some files.

"Because of our travels, Luke has no connection to any planet. There are a few he likes but only one that holds a special place. Tatooine, his home world. He grew up there with his aunt and uncle. He might go back there."

"Has he ever said he wanted to go back?"

"Not after the first few months, no. I convinced him that they would be better off without him. They are just poor farmers after all, one mouth less to feed can make all the difference in the desert and I told him if he stayed, they would get financial support."

"But that was a lie", Starkiller guessed.

"They were hiding my son from me for years and collaborating with the Jedi traitor, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Of course I didn't let them get away with that."

Starkiller felt cold. If Luke found out about this... "So they're dead?"

"They're imprisoned." Vader opened a file and a holo image showed an Imperial prison on the moon Oovo IV along with defining data about it.

"They have been in this place for the last six years. Their sentence is one for life."

That was... surprisingly lenient. Starkiller checked the data and found that the prison was equipped to hold high level criminals and was well defended. However the wing the Lars couple was being held in was quite high class, usually reserved for family members of important military figures and politicians. They were still criminals but had friends high up that must not be upset by sticking them with the scum of the galaxy.

"Do you want me to terminate them?", Starkiller asked. If Luke returned to Tatooine and found out his family was missing, he might follow the trail back to see were they went. If Vader wanted to erase all traces of this breach of trust, this couple would have to die.

"Would you?", Vader asked in turn.

Starkiller narrowed his eyes. The way the question was posed irritated him.

Starkiller didn't have a problem with killing people. He didn't like killing innocents but he had done so in the past and knew better than to make certain important people his enemies by disobeying an order. But Vader was not ordering him. He was given a choice. Vader had betrayed Luke's trust by keeping this a secret from him for so long and now he was asking Starkiller to do the same on an even grander scale. Would he?

"I don't think that's what you want", he said at last.

Vader merely nodded. "That's right. I do not mean to kill them, I was merely curious."

"I would kill them if it were for a good reason", Starkiller conceded. "We are not sure if Luke even found out and even if he did, it might only worsen the situation in the end."

"I see. Your task will be to ensure their save return to Tatooine and to aid in the rebuilding of their farm. If Luke does come there he will find out, he will be mad but it will be limited and hopefully not too damaging. It will be your job to get him to return willingly."

"If you think that even after finding out he might still return then why didn't you release his relatives sooner?"

"There was no need for it as long as Luke wasn't about to return."

"But you're willing to let them go now. You have... forgiven them for hiding Luke, haven't you? Why keep them imprisoned still?"

"You want me to say it, don't you?", Vader snapped. "Fine. It slipped my mind. I don't care about those people one way or another."

"You could just send an Imperial transport then", Starkiller suggested, not liking the idea of working on a desert farm.

"They wouldn't understand the significance of these people and could make problems if they're uncooperative. They could potentially be used against Luke so I don't want anybody to know of their existence. Also if Luke does show up, I'd rather have you confront him than a Stormtrooper squad."

"But-"

"Starkiller", Vader said with a warning tone. "I need you to be the strongest you can be and you will need time to recover from Raxus. This is an easy but important mission that will give your body time to rest."

Starkiller sighed. He would have much preferred to hunt down another Jedi. The wounds he'd gathered from Paratus's crazy droids weren't that bad. But if that was what his Master was commanding...

"Fine, I'll do it."

Vader pulled up a pardon form, put in his signature and handed it to Starkiller in the form of a data stick.

"Give this to the director of the prison and remember to stay inconspicuous."

"I'll get right onto it", Starkiller said and grabbed the data stick.

"Good. And about the last mission... You did well against Paratus. When you return I believe we will be ready to set into motion a plan that will end with the head of your last nemesis at your feet."

"You have a plan to kill the Emperor?", Starkiller asked excited.

"Yes. A number of smaller battles will have to be fought to form the perfect battlefield but if everything goes well we will lure him out of his palace and defeat him together."

"Then I will return as soon as possible."

Starkiller left the room and hurried back to the hangar. He'd been on the Devastator for barely three hours and already was being sent off again. He didn't mind it, his life had always been like that but it did provide a problem. He had to search for Kota and he couldn't do that when he was playing baby sitter for Luke's relatives. He would have to find a solution for that. Now that Vader had a plan to kill the Emperor, it was even more important. He couldn't risk his Master changing his mind half way through.

"Captain Eclipse", Starkiller spoke into his commlink, "we're off for another mission. Meet me at the Shadow."

"Understood", her voice sounded back.

Starkiller continued on his way when suddenly he felt a phantom pain in his chest. He stopped with a scowl and upon concentrating felt the dark side quiver around him. The pain got worse but it was strangely distant as if it wasn't really belonging to him. Experimentally Starkiller began to shield his mind, to block the connection he shared with his Master and sure enough, the pain vanished.

So that was why Vader wanted him to go after Luke. Of course the easiest way to find him would be through Luke's strong connection to the light side and Starkiller knew connecting to it hurt Vader. That's why he had to remain with the squad where medical care was available in case of emergency.

"Dammit Luke", Starkiller cursed. "You never think things through, do you?"

Twenty minutes later Starkiller and Eclipse entered the ship and took off.

"Who are you going to kill this time around?", Eclipse asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Nobody", Starkiller replied and gave her the coordinates for their destination. "We are undercover."

"Oovo IV? We're going to break someone out of prison?", Eclipse exclaimed in disbelief.

"We are going to transport a pair of criminals that has been pardoned", Starkiller corrected her irritated. "I'm not all about murder and breaking the law, you know?"

"Oh and there I was thinking it was the core of your job description, being an assassin and all."

Starkiller had enough, his head was filled with worry for his Master, anger at Luke and this whole stupid mission and fear that Kota might return to ruin everything.

"Look, if you have a problem with killing people you probably shouldn't have joined the freaking Empire", he snapped at the Captain.

Eclipse looked taken aback but recovered her composure fast enough.

"I apologize", she said, once again purely professional. "I spoke out of turn, I did not mean to judge you."

"Oh, you didn't?", Starkiller replied angrily. "Then what did you mean to do?!"

She gave him a quickly glance and a small smile. "To tease you."

"To... what?"

But Eclipse had her gaze fixed on the navi computer.

"Coordinates set for Oovo IV. We're entering hyperspace now."

The stars blurred together beautifully but Starkiller didn't pay them any mind.

"What do you mean?", he insisted.

The Captain sighed. "Nothing. I just felt we got off on the wrong foot and wanted to show some humor. My mistake."

"Why the good mood?"

"Well, I did just survive my first mission with Lord Vader."

"He's not that bad."

"How would I know? He doesn't usually work together with people, you know? He commands armies, sure, but he doesn't do teamwork. There's a reason his personal starfighter only has room for one person."

"Oh, you mean Black One, the one that was stolen?"

Eclipse sputtered and turned to him in shock. "Somebody stole Black One!?"

"Yeah..."

"But... who would be suicidal enough to try that?"

"Luke."

"...oh."

"If anything weird is going on, I've come to learn that the answer is usually 'Luke'."

"Family meetings must be weird", Eclipse muttered.

"Oh, you have no idea." Starkiller turned to leave. "I'll be in the med bay, come and find me when we're about to leave hyperspace."

Eclipse bit her lip in order to not let something slip. She had an idea about what went on on Raxus Prime since she had been listening to the comm and Vader had commented on Starkiller getting hurt. On the way back to the fleet he'd spent all his time in the med bay as well. If he was still not recovered his wounds must've been more serious than she had thought. The thought of him getting hurt this badly did not sit well with her. Vader could at least send him on leave or something to recover. Or maybe this mission was his way of doing just that? They were apparently not doing anything illegal or dangerous this time around. Just an easy job.

Starkiller arrived in the med bay and searched for the bacta patches. He found one, unpacked it and quickly checked its color and consistency. It looked alright but... He felt a tingle in the Force and rolled his eyes. Knowing the routine he grabbed a med kit that had some poison testers in it. The first one reacted negative to the patch, the second as well - but the third showed a positive reaction. The patch was contaminated.

"Not good enough, PROXY", Starkiller said and threw away the useless patch. He grabbed the box only to notice that this had been the last one.

"Oh, come on", he muttered, now more than a bit irritated. He reached behind himself with one hand, catching the metal arm that was just then thrusting down a vibroknife at his head. He twisted, turned around and slammed the droid on the floor.

"Once again, you have defeated me, Master", PROXY acknowledged. "Your concentration is certainly not lacking."

"Come on", Starkiller said and pulled the droid up. "If you poisoned all the medi gel, you might at least help me to change the damn bandage."

"Certainly, Master."

Starkiller sat down on a stool and stripped his armor down to his pants. PROXY used the knife he had just used to try to kill him to cut away the white bandage that went from Starkiller's stomach over his hip and wound around his back. It fell away together with the old bacta patch, revealing an encrusted, angry red wound in the early stages of healing.

"Oh my. What kind of weapon managed to hurt you like that, Master?"

"It was a spear."

"A spear?"

Starkiller rolled his eyes. "Yes, a big freaking metal rod wielded by a two meter tall battle droid who was being steered by a Force-user."

"Oh, I wish I could've seen that. I would have added a recording to my database and implemented the pattern into one of my combat modules."

"Whose side are you on?"

"Yours of course, Master. Until the day that I kill you."

Despite his rough words, when the droid cleaned his wound, his movements were surprisingly careful. PROXY never wanted to cause him pain. Kill him, yes, but never to see him suffer. Starkiller didn't doubt that the sabotaged bacta patch didn't merely hold a contamination that would cause his wound to infect, no it would be a contact poison that would've killed him almost instantly. It was hard for outsiders to see but Starkiller knew that PROXY did care. In his own way.

"You will need to rest, Master, and not disturb the wound. We have some bacta spray left that I could apply to the wound twice an hour."

"You do that, I will sleep for a bit. Don't get your hopes up though, the pain keeps me pretty well connected to the dark side. If you try anything, I will know it."

"I understand, Master." PROXY sounded quite disappointed but Starkiller couldn't care less. He got on the stretcher and closed his eyes, trying to block out the throbbing pain of the wound and find a little bit of rest. It would be a few hours until they arrived at their destination.

XxX

Marvin decided that fate must really hate him. First he got a super exciting job in Death Squadron. That was great, a big improvement to the boring desert planet he served on before. Then he was stuck teaching a ten-year-old how to hold a blaster while all of his comrades got to go out and do fun stuff. That was alright. Luke Skywalker was a cute kid that grew on him quickly and he didn't mind spending time with him. Years had passed and he had grown comfortable in his role as a part time uncle to the kid. Then the brat decided to get into his rebellious teenage phase and stole his armor to sneak away on a dangerous mission. Marvin got degraded, lost his position and rank and been stationed on a planet that managed to be even worse than Tatooine.

Kashyyyk wasn't boring. 13 years ago the planet had rebelled against the Empire and the entire native Wookie race had been degraded to second class citizens for it. Being tall, hairy things with strength far above that of any human's, the Wookies had not accepted their fate quietly. Even more than a decade later, trouble arose on every corner and the Stormtroopers had their hands full keeping the peace intact. Marvin had shot two Wookie suicide terrorists just this month and people said riots took place at least once a year.

But it wasn't just that Kasyyyk was dangerous. The worst part was that Marvin understood why they were fighting and to a certain degree he could even sympathize with them. Whenever a crime was committed that involved a human and a Wookie, the Wookie got the blame, no matter if he was in the role of the victim or the aggressor. Many humans took advantage of that but instead of fearing them for it, the Wookies just got more angry. There wasn't any organized rebellion, they did understand that fighting the Empire could mean the extinction of their race but that didn't stop individuals from randomly attacking Imperial citizen. This had earned them a reputation as savage beasts, little more than animals and only solidified in the minds of most humans that they deserved what they got.

If only that infernal race could reign in their temper and act a bit more civilized, maybe with time they could get back full human rights. The Empire forbade slavery after all. The class system was not a matter of racism but of punishment. There were several alien races out there who had the same rights as humans. But the Emperor was quick to condemn the entire population of a planet for the crimes of a small group and since most non-human races were more or less cooped up on one planet, they were caught in it as well. This did not mean there was no way of redemption but in case of the Wookies it looked like a lost cause. The more they fought, the harder it would be to get equal rights. The Empire could not appear weak by submitting to a bunch of animals after all.

Marvin had been thrown into bad situations before but he was an optimist and always managed to see the good in it. For example this week he managed to be grouped with the squad that was responsible for general safety during the festivities in Kachirho. This area was secured with only the occasional Wookie in it, all of them with clean slates so all he would have to worry about was breaking up a few drunken fights. He always loved the Festival of Stars and he'd been looking forward to it for some time now.

But as usual, just when he had gotten used to a bad situation and started to enjoy it, fate threw a slab of shit in his face. The last couple of times it had happened, it had something to do with Luke Skywalker so he really, really shouldn't be surprised that this time was no different. But he was.

"What the hell are you doing here?", Marvin asked, staring at the boy in front of him.

"Trooper!", his Commander who had brought him to the meeting room bellowed. "You will speak with respect to the agent."

"Agent?", Marvin scoffed. "That's no agent, that's-"

"Your rations will be halved for the rest of the week, now be silent, trooper!", the Commander said. Marvin noticed he was beginning to sweat, looking at Luke nervously.

"Sir, I could bring another trooper if you prefer..."

"No, that will be quite alright. It seems this one has a lesson to learn anyway", Luke said with a smile. To Marvin, it looked quite friendly and polite. But if you tilted your head just right, it could very well come across as feral and predatory.

The Commander left and Marvin took off his helmet.

"Okay seriously, kiddo, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see the Festival of Stars! And you're coming with me", Luke decided, grinning more widely.

"Uh, right and what did you do to my Commander?"

"I told him I'm a secret agent sent by Lord Vader to inspect the safety regulations in Kachirho."

Marvin looked at him incredulous. "And he believed that?"

"Well, I did arrive in my father's personal starfighter and could name the correct Imperial security codes, so..."

"Sorry kid but you totally don't look like a secret agent."

Luke sighed. "I know. I used a mind trick on him, okay?"

Marvin nodded. "That's more like it. But why did Lord Vader sent you here without an escort? I thought he was still mad at you for running off. What did you do to make him allow you to go to the festival all on your own?"

"I bought him an apology cake. Now less questioning and more partying! I want to see the town!"

Marvin had a bad feeling about this. "Luke, please don't tell me you stole your father's personal fighter and sneaked away after being reprimanded for sneaking away."

"Of course not! He just really likes cake!", Luke exclaimed.

"Really?"

"Well yeah but keep it silent, nobody is supposed to know about his greatest weakness", Luke whispered conspiratorially.

Marvin sighed and put on his helmet again. He preferred not to be seen with this idiot.


	36. Chapter 36

"Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?"

The Wookie gave a series of cries.

"I know, I'm sorry."

Mallie crossed her arms in front of her chest and furrowed her brow in thought.

"This changes everything", she said at last. Then she looked at the people standing in a half circle in front of her. There were four of them: Katdella, a Wookie that was working at the Imperial base on Kachirho, mostly doing the heavy lifting, Arnod, a Corellian smuggler and pilot who served as a connection to the network, Ming Wing, with sixteen years their youngest member and a gifted thief and Torald who owned a bar in the city. Together they were forming a cell in a giant network spanning the whole galaxy. They had only one goal: to offer resistance to the Empire.

Mallie was the leader of the cell. She knew many people, mostly Wookies, who opposed the Empire on Kashyyyk and all of her team members did as well. People told them things. They gathered information and in turn whispered them into the right ears, trying to sabotage the Empire wherever they could.

All rebel cells kept strictly separate from each other. Every cell leader had five contacts, five known identities of other cell leaders that he could contact in case of emergency or if they secured important information but for the most part they were on their own. Mallie didn't receive any orders from higher up and the responsibility for her team members lives was hers alone. If she had to contact the network she would send out Arnod but even the pilot had never met a rebel outside of their cell, he would only speak to messengers. Security was essential for their survival. Even so they had lost two members in the last five years. After that Arnod had been assigned to their cells. Ming Wing they had recruited on their own. Every one of them had a history with the Empire. Everyone had lost family, friends and loved ones to them.

"What did she say?", Torald wanted to know and nodded to the Wookie.

"That she was there thirteen years ago when the Empire slaughtered her tribe. She would remember what Darth Vader's personal TIE looks like", Mallie replied with a mix of sadness and anger.

Katdella was their greatest inside informant, working directly with Imperials. Most of them thought Wookies were stupid, not much better than animals and so paid little attention what they said around them. Some even thought just because their anatomy didn't allow them to pronounce words in basic meant they couldn't understand what they were saying.

Hearing the news, the rest of the human team paled.

"Vader is here?!", Arnod exclaimed. "Why? What's he doing here?"

"We have to abort", Ming Wing said, nervously biting her fingernails. "We can't go through with it with him here!"

Katdella roared angrily and made a very rude gesture. Her Shriiwook translated to:

"We can't abort! This is our chance to get him!"

"If we could manage to arrange for Vader to be at the base when the explosives go off... it would be a huge victory", Mallie thought aloud. Oh, she liked that idea. To kill Darth Vader... The man who had killed her family, who had enslaved worlds and brought nothing but terror over the galaxy...

"That's crazy!", Arnod protested. "With our luck he would survive anyway and they'll raze the whole planet for us!"

"It would be worth the risk!", Katdella growled back.

"Would it?" Mallie wrapped her arms around herself and suppressed a shudder. "Please don't misunderstand me, Kat. I despise that man just as much as you do, if not more. But if he dies in a riot on Kashyyyk or even if he survives, the blame would fall back onto your people."

Katdella returned her gaze unimpressed. "It can't get much worse for us", she growled. "And even if we have to sacrifice ourselves... Maybe that will finally wake up all those sheep out there."

"As much as I respect your determination, you cannot speak for your whole race", Mallie said and shook her head.

The rest of the team looked relieved. "Then we will abort?"

Mallie clenched her hands to fists. They had planned this coup for months. All of the explosives were already in place, hidden all over the Imperial base that laid some way outside of the city Kachirho. Most of the staff would be in the city to supervise the festival but the goal was not to kill as many Stormtroopers as possible. It was to destroy their supplies and machines so that when the Gung tribe raided the concentration camp in the north in three days they would encounter less opposition.

Mallie didn't want to abort the mission but it was not because of all the work they had put in it. It was not because she wanted to secure the success of the raid either. Of course that played a role as well but if she looked into her heart, even though it pained her she had to admit that her reason was more selfish. She wanted to see Vader dead. She wanted to see his lifeless corpse at her feet and she wanted to kick it.

She knew that was not very honorable. She knew she was supposed to be better than that but oh, how much she wanted to just grab her blaster, put it to his head and fire. She wanted to see him burn for what he did to her family.

"We will not abort", she decided. "No we... simply have to go about it in another way. We need a scapegoat for the attack so they can't blame it on the Wookies."

"Well sorry to break it to you", Arnod said, "but it will be hard to find a group the Empire despises more than Wookies."

"There is one", Torald whispered. "The Jedi."

The team looked pensive, except for Ming Wing who asked: "Who are the Jedi?"

"That's right, you're too young to know about them", Torald said. "The Jedi were knights of honor and diplomats of peace in the Republic. The Empire branded them all as traitors when a group of them tried to stop the Emperor. Over the years they were hunted down mercilessly."

"I thought the Jedi were just a myth", Arnod said. "And even if they're not, they're extinct. Who would believe that?"

"It would fit our needs though", Mallie argued. "The Jedi weren't a race, they were an order of mixed people from all over the galaxy. Vader has hunted down many of them himself so it wouldn't be too far fetched to say one of them followed him here to set an ambush. Arnod is right in that the Jedi are extinct, therefore even if we blame it on them they won't suffer from it."

"But how would we convince the Imps that it's the work of Jedi?", Ming Wing wanted to know.

"Well... they used those lightsabers, didn't they?"

Mallie shook her head. "We don't have one of those and won't be able to get one in the short time remaining."

Katdella howled: "The Jedi used the Force. If we could imitate that, it should be enough."

Mallie translated the suggestion and the group spent a few minutes trying to remember what little the old legends said about the mysterious Force before the Empire declared it all nonsense. Ming Wing still looked very skeptical but Katdella insisted that the Force was real.

"She says she saw Vader fight with it", Mallie said in a subdued voice as the Wookie began to describe the rebellion of her people. "She says he pushed Wookies out of his way without even looking at them, catapulting them off bridges and into the abyss beyond. He destroyed their barricades and crushed the windpipes of grown warriors without even touching them." Again she had to suppress a shudder as the description brought back old memories. For a moment she remembered standing over such a corpse herself. There had been no visible mark on him but when he'd been transported away on a stretcher his head had rolled this way and that as if it was only connected to his body by a thin layer of skin... with hundreds of crushed bone parts in between.

"You know, Vader always stuck me as creepy", Arnod admitted. "And now you say all the stories about him are true? And you think you can kill him?"

"We have to try", Mallie returned resolutely.

"It's not worth the risk! The chances of it working are low and-"

"You don't understand", she whispered. "I know that you have all lost people. They died in demonstrations or were executed for a crime they didn't commit. They died by the hands of faceless Stormtroopers or in an explosion together with many others. But Katdella and I, we lost people to Vader. We know his face and we will never forget it." She turned towards Torald. "What would you do if you had the name and address of the Imperial judge that sentenced your wife to death because she dared to accuse a Lieutenant of raping her?" Then she turned to Arnod. "What would you do if you found the ship that gunned down your crew?" And to Ming Wing: "What if you knew the face and name of the Trooper that shot your parents?" Her mother had stolen a blaster from a transport, probably intending to use it for something bad (she'd been friends with a Wookie that had suffered the bad side of the Empire) but her father had merely tried to protect her.

She saw it in their faces, in the way their looks darkened.

"The Empire is a terrible dictatorship that doesn't know a thing about fair treatment but this is the man who killed my family. I can't pass this chance up. I understand if you are afraid and if you don't want to help us, I won't hold it against you but we have to try."

For a moment the team was silent but Mallie was proud and honestly touched when at last all of them agreed to help her.

"So how do we do it?"

"We blow up the base as planned", Mallie said. "Then we position a bait at the ruins, someone who will play the role of the Jedi. If Vader dies, very well. We'll just wait for the reinforcements that will come from the city. If not he will probably engage the bait immediately since it will be the only enemy in sight. The explosions can be set off from a distance so the team will be safe. Whether it's Vader or the reinforcements, the bait will use the Force to attack them. We can imitate this with repulser technology and strong magnets that we have to hide in the rubble beforehand."

"That's a stupid idea", Arnod protested. "Whoever plays the bait would have zero chances of surviving."

"I know", Mallie answered and straightened her shoulders. "That's why it will be my role."

Immediately her team was protesting with Katdella howling the loudest.

"You can't do it", she told her Wookie friend softly. "If you posed as the Jedi the entire purpose of not blaming the Wookies would be moot. They would think you're merely a normal Wookie just discovering her Force powers."

"Revenge or not, we can't allow that", Torald decided. "If you're captured-"

"Jedi never get captured. They get killed immediately. All the stories say that, Vader never leaves survivors. You know I would never betray you even if I were to be captured - but I won't."

"You can't kill Vader!"

"I'm not trying to!", Mallie exclaimed. "I know I couldn't beat him. But there is a chance he could die in the explosion. If he does I have a fairly good chance of imitating a Jedi for the troops and getting out of there alive."

Arnod was the first to relent. "Fine. I don't like it but I'll help you."

"We will make sure Vader is in the middle of it when the bombs go off", Torald agreed.

Ming Wing remained silent, she looked everything but happy.

"Good. First we have to find Vader, find out why he's here and then ensure he goes to the base. If everything else fails we will just have to wait until he's about to leave the planet again." Suffice to say she'd rather not do that as every minute they waited meant the Imps had a chance to discover the explosives but they had to make sure the Sith was caught in the fray himself. This might be the only chance Mallie would ever get to avenge her family.

XxX

"What are you so fidgety about?", Marvin asked annoyed. They were walking through the streets of Kachirho. Everywhere colorful lights could be seen and music heard. There was a huge crowd in between various market stalls offering goods, food or games. In the beginning Luke had been excited and happily checked out everything but as time passed on he had started to look over his shoulder frequently. He would bump into people without noticing and run off into unexpected directions.

"I'm looking for someone", Luke answered, having to raise his voice in order to be heard over the music.

"Who?", Marvin called back into his ear.

"A friend. I'm supposed to meet her here. But... There's something else..."

Marvin scowled. If he was supposed to meet a friend then why was Luke looking so nervous? And when would he have had the time to make a friend on Kashyyyk anyway? Or any other planet for that matter.

Suddenly Luke's face lit up and he pushed through the crowd so fast Marvin had trouble following him.

"Leia!", he called out, waving at someone. "Over here!"

Marvin pushed through the crowd, which was made easier by the fact he was still wearing his military outfit. At Luke's insistence he had taken off his helmet which he had strapped onto his belt but people still recognized the white armor and made room for him.   
Marvin arrived just in time to see Luke approach a group of girls. When they got closer, said group split up. Some of the girls seemed to quickly take their leave and left with one of two guards. By the time Luke got there, only three persons remained. Marvin immediately scanned them for threats. The most menacing one was a tall man in red and brown armor with a blaster rifle strapped to his back. Marvin assumed him to be a body guard of some kind because the other two were young girls. They wore expensive dresses with flower patterns on them. The girl with the yellow robe drew his attention first simply because of her odd hair color. It flowed over her back in snowy white cascades. The second girl, wearing a green dress, had dark brown hair that was braided in a way that formed a bun at the back of her head. Both of them were very beautiful for their young age (around Luke's) and obviously of the wealthy kind.

Luke had apparently addressed the brunette for she smiled widely at him in recognition. She stepped forward and Marvin saw her grab the fabric of her dress in preparation of making a curtsy and he had to smile when Luke, totally obvious, ignored all protocol and went to hug the life out of the poor girl.

"It's so good to see you again, Leia!", Luke exclaimed happily.

"Luke!", the girl now identified as Leia protested, "let go of me!"

Reluctantly, Luke did but continued to hold her at an arms length. He gazed at her up and down in what Marvin knew from experience was considered very rude in most cultures and said: "Wow, you're beautiful! Even more so than at night."

Leia's friend gasped in shock, the brunette went an angry shade of red and Marvin decided Luke had dropped enough bricks for now.

"Luke, why don't you step out of the Lady's personal space and introduce her to me?", he suggested. Even though he knew he probably just witnessed a royal social blunder, he couldn't help the grin forming on his face. Vader might be Luke's father but Marvin had helped to raise him as well and it showed. He was so proud of the kid.

While Marvin was amused and Luke oblivious to the awkward situation, Leia was torn between being embarrassed and relieved. She was embarrassed because Luke was leaving hints about their nightly activities, namely him visiting her in her dreams, that could very easily be understood in a wrong way. The relief she felt came as a surprise to herself and was a bit more complicated. For years now she had dreamed about Luke and though she hated to admit it, a small part of her had always thought that maybe she was just imagining it all. Maybe she had a stupid crush about the nice boy she met several years ago without realizing it and her imagination went from there. Maybe she was crazy. Seeing that Luke was real, that he knew her and had kept his promise of finding her at the festival was a relief. Also she hadn't slept the entire night, thinking about how he would treat her. Just talking in a dream was one thing but a real face to face encounter was another thing entirely. Would he be reserved? Awkward? Would he laugh in her face for being so stupid as to fall for his tricks, mock her and than arrest and torture her for information about her family? When she readied herself for the journey she had honestly wondered if inviting him hadn't been a big mistake and she had convinced herself that the celebration would be boring at best and a nightmare at worst as soon as Luke joined the fray.

But contrary to all her expectations, Luke had been just as cheerful and open as he always was with her. The hug was unexpected though. Luke rarely ever touched her in her dreams and when he did it was not... real. When she woke up she could remember every word he'd said, she could remember what he'd done and what he'd looked like but she couldn't remember what his touch felt like. She couldn't remember what she smelled either, she guessed those senses were just not deemed as important by her subconsciousness. But now he was hugging her and for the first time and she noticed that he smelled faintly of motor oil and smoke. He didn't smell like an evil mini-Vader or even like the virtual prince of the Empire that he was. He smelled like somebody who spent more time lying under a speeder or a ship, getting his hands dirty in a way that had nothing to do with blood. That was kind of reassuring.

The last person in the group (not counting the princess' bodyguard who tried very hard not to make a face as his ward was tackled) was Winter Chalice.

Winter had been growing up alongside of Leia. She had not been adopted into the royal family but still the princess was like a sister to her (a younger sister that constantly got into trouble and that she had to protect and look out for at all times). She used to believe she was Leias first confidant (maybe just after her mother) and so it came as a great shock to her that Leia apparently had a friend she didn't know about, as she usually knew all of her friends. Well, that was not entirely correct. She wasn't shocked that Leia had a friend she didn't know. That wasn't that surprising, especially seeing as it was a male friend but it was the identity of said male that shook her to the core.

Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader's only son and heir, was treating Leia as if they had known each other their entire lives, as if they were best friends and that not just since yesterday. When had that happened? When had Leia even had a chance to get to know this boy? She didn't! And even if she did, she should be smarter than that! This family was hardly proper company for the princess. Oh, they might have a high standing in the Empire but with Bail Organa's line of politics, such a connection was beyond unusual. Maybe it would be less surprising if Leia wasn't so eager to follow in her father's footsteps or if Skywalker wasn't known to never leave Vader's side and not mind it. But those two came from completely different backgrounds, both feeling comfortable where they were and yet they were befriending a person that stood against everything they believed in? It didn't make any sense to Winter.

Following the prompting of the Stormtrooper (of all people) Luke finally let go of the princess. Winter had never seen a trooper without his helmet or out of duty. In her mind they were all robotic things. It was well known that the Stormtrooper Corps evolved from the Clone troopers of the old Republic. Those clones were aging quickly and would all be old men by now. The Stormtroopers were recruited from the civilian population and while that was no secret, people tended to forget it. Their training was said to be so rigorous it left no place for individuality and forged them all into single minded units that served no other purpose than following commands.

But Luke Skywalker did not introduce the Stormtrooper as his bodyguard. That the trooper dared to speak without being prompted and then even mock Vader's son while doing so spoke of a closer relationship. Luke confirmed this by introducing the trooper as his friend. He called him 'Marvin', which was another surprise, didn't troopers go by designation numbers only? You know, like droids? Winter didn't like Stormtroopers and she had heard some pretty terrible things about them, both rumors and solid facts. But she did wonder what was so special about this trooper. Her mistress, princess Leia, answered Marvin's exaggerated bow with a tight smile. She did not seem to be surprised at his presence and so Winter was reluctantly ready to ignore the man for the time being. But after the celebration... oh, then Leia would have some serious questions to answer.

XxX

Beru Lars took another uniform out of the basket, folded it and added it to the growing pile. For a moment she halted, looking down at the gray fabric. She remembered when she came here she had hated the mere thought of working for her captors. Very soon though she learned that merely sitting in her cell all day was incredibly boring. By taking one of the few jobs prisoners were allowed to do, she could earn a beggar's fee that allowed her to buy small things, like books. Those were really valuable to pass the time.

The work was easy, just laundry, sometimes repainting walls or cleaning. She didn't mind it and in fact it gave her back a sense of normality. The other women in her cell block complained loudly and frequently how such work was beneath them or it was something to be done by droids, yet they still did it because they too had nothing else to fight off their boredom.

Beru sighed and reached back into the basket only to find it empty. She took it back to the corner were the empty ones were kept and then continued to carry the folded laundry to another table where one of the women would collect it later.

Only four more hours to go before she would be back in her cell. It was Monday, twentieth day of the month. Only ten more to go before she would see her husband again.

Imperial prison was not all that bad, at least not as much as she had feared when she first received the sentence. What was bad was that she was separated from her husband. Beru saw the need for separate women's and men's prisons but where she had been used to seeing her Owen every day, now she was lucky if they could hold each other once every month for a measly two hours. In the beginning, it hadn't even been that much. A whole year had gone by before she had gained enough good behavior points to be allowed any visits at all but by keeping quiet and not making any trouble they had been able to get more privileges with time.

Still it was not the same. Beru loved her husband and was glad for seeing him at all but it had been six years now. She knew their marriage was damaged, maybe irreparably simply from being separated for too long. The question whether or not they could fix it wasn't even there because they were stuck in this prison for the rest of their lives. There would never be anyone else for Beru for Owen was still the only man she got to see (not counting guards) but the passion of their youth was long since gone.

It was strange in a way. The long time between meeting her husband had made a successful relationship almost impossible but Beru was still thinking quite regularly about her nephew, about little Luke and she felt she loved him still the same and it still pained her to not be able to see him or know if he was alright. The total lack of information threw her mind into disarray. The image she had of Luke in her head became more and more perfect. She still faintly remembered that the child could be annoying sometimes or drive her nuts with worry when he did something stupid but the more time passed the more she missed him. She also feared for him, how could she not, the last thing she heard was that he was in the grasp of a monster after all. Was he even still alive? Not knowing that drove her crazy but she was not yet at the point where she wished for confirmation of any kind. As long as she didn't know anything, she could cling to the hope that Luke was somewhere out there, that he had escaped his father and was happy.

"Lars, Beru?"

Beru turned around to see a very bored looking Imperial guard standing at the doorway with a datapad.

"That's me", she said, making sure not to look the man into the eye.

"Get your things and report to the northern gate."

Beru was confused, she didn't know of any work that was done at the gates and why would anyone ask for her specifically. She began to move, she had brought no belongings to her work, but not two steps into the corridor the Imp drawled:

"From your cell, prisoner. You're being moved."

Moved? As in, in another cell? Or another prison? Right now she was sharing a cell with three other women and while that had been annoying at first she had just gotten used to it.

"Why am I being moved?", she asked.

"What do I care? Just do as I told you", the guard snapped.

Beru ducked her head and hurried in the direction of her cell. On the entire way she wondered what was going on and why.

Once at the northern gate, she got the shock of her life. She was not being moved. The Officer in charge told her to head to the public landing bay - she was being released.

Beru had so many questions. Her sentence was for life, how could she be released? And what about her husband? The Officer told her someone was there to pick her up but who could that be? Her friends on Tatooine had probably all forgotten about her by now and anyway, she didn't know anyone with enough money to rent a starship. Part of her was convinced that this was all a malicious plot. Maybe Vader had decided to finally get rid of her and she was walking right to her death?

But trap or not, she couldn't very well go back to the prison and the hangar was the only place where she could get off planet.

She'd been given the number of the hangar bay she was to head towards. Once there she saw a starship around the size of a freighter but oddly shaped and in far too good a shape to belong to anyone she could've known. Sure enough, she didn't recognize the young man that was tensely standing by the boarding ramp.

"You are Beru Lars?", the man asked her neutrally once she approached.

"Y-Yes, that's me. The guards told me..."

"Go inside", he cut her off, nodding towards the ramp.

"Huh?"

"Inside", he repeated with a voice like steel. Beru noticed how cold and unfeeling his eyes were and she shuddered. However, she didn't move.

"What is the meaning of this?", she wanted to know. "Why am I being released? Where do you want to take me?"

"Not your concern. You're lucky. Tatooine. Now get inside", the man answered short and clipped.

Suddenly another voice called out to her from behind. "Beru?"

The woman turned around and gave a small squeal when she saw her husband.

"Owen!", she cried out and ran at him, hugging him hard. Whatever was going on here, she was not in it alone! Her husband was with her.

"Beru, dear, what are you doing here? What's going on?"

"Force be damned", the stranger cursed. "I will not repeat myself a third time. Come with me or stay, I don't care either way. We're leaving in five minutes." With that he turned around and boarded the ship.

Owen turned to Beru with a questioning look.

"I - I don't know anything either. They said that I'm released and that there was someone here to pick me up. That man said he was heading back to Tatooine."

"We will find out what this is about", Owen reassured her and took her hand. Beru nodded and together they walked up the ramp.

In the corridor they met the young man again who was talking with a blonde woman in Imperial uniform.

“I see, you are here”, she said with a tight smile. “Can we start then?”

“Whenever you’re ready”, the man answered after which she left for what was probably the cockpit.

Owen gathered all the bravery he had and built himself up in front of the man.

“Now, I believe you owe us some answers! Where are we going, why are we leaving and on whose orders are you taking us away, young man?”

His answer was a half incredulous, half angry look.

“I owe you?”, the yet to be named solider (at least he looked like one) repeated. “You should be thanking me on your knees for wasting my time to come here. As far as I’m concerned, you two are the most useless and primitive humans I’ve ever had the displeasure of encountering. You have been pardoned of your crimes. I will transport you back to your home and do what is necessary to get you back to your previous state of unimportance and ignorance. The who or why does not concern you. If you fail to cooperate, you will spend the journey bound and gagged. Do you understand me?”

“Yes…”

“Good. The journey will take a few hours, you can rest in the crew quarters.” He pointed towards one of the doors and then without another word left them alone.


	37. Chapter 37

In the front of the Rogue Shadow Starkiller let himself fall into the seat next to Eclipse.

The woman glanced at him. "You have been fighting Jedi Masters and giant robots with little to no effort. Don't tell me talking to those people exhausted you."

"I'm not good at dealing with normal people", Starkiller admitted.

"They're not normal, they're criminals." Eclipse prepared the ship for take-off but kept talking. "What were they imprisoned for anyway?"

"They angered Lord Vader, that's all you need to know."

"Then why are they still alive?"

Starkiller remained silent.

Eclipse sighed. "I understand. You aren't allowed to tell me."

"No I'm not", he agreed. He glanced at the pilot out of the corner of his eye. As much as he hated to admit it… He needed her help and if he didn't want her to betray him, he had to give her a bit of his trust in order to gain hers.

"They're Luke's relatives."

Eclipse looked at him in surprise. "I'm sorry, what?"

"His aunt and uncle. They raised him till he was ten."

Eclipse turned back to the front window, steering the Shadow out of the bay. "They are… not what I expected", she admitted slowly.

Starkiller raised an eyebrow. "What did you expect?"

"I don't know. That he grew up as a spoiled brat or something." Hurriedly she added: "Not that he is one now, it's just… He's so lively and cheerful all the time and now we're taking his relatives home... to a poor farm on a desert planet…"

Starkiller merely nodded. He wanted to keep up the conversation and thought quite desperately how to continue it before they would fall back into silence and it would be awkward to start it up again.

"Which planet do you come from?", he asked at last.

Eclipse seemed surprised by the question.

"I was born on Corulag", she answered.

"A nice world", Starkiller guessed. "Civilized. It's in the core, isn't it?"

"That's right. I never saw much of it outside of my home town though. I left for the academy early on."

"I see." Again Starkiller didn't know what to say and so they kept silent until the moon was left behind them and the Shadow entered hyperspace.

"Where do you come from… if I may ask?", Eclipse said then, surprising Starkiller.

"I was trained by Lord Vader from a young age."

"Were you?" She had suspected it by the way they treated each other but hadn't been sure. "But before that? What is your home world?"

Starkiller had to think about that. Eclipse thought he had pulled back because she'd pushed too far, she knew he didn't like personal questions.

"I'm sorry – you don't have to tell me…"

"No, it's just… I don't actually know. I know I was born under the name Galen Marek. I know that my mother died in a conflict involving some Trandoshan slavers and my father died during the Wookie rebellion on Kashyyyk a few years later. That's where I was found as well but I don't know if my… birth parents lived there or were just passing through."

After learning what his birth name was, Starkiller had done his own research on his family. What he told Eclipse was all the information he'd been able to find during his research because that was all that was in the database. It was the Emperor who told him that Vader had killed his parents. It had made sense to him. The Empire had a policy of covering up the immoral crimes of their leaders. Civilians happened to die in the crossfire of a large battle and illegal slavery was indeed a problem on Kashyyyk. It was only when Starkiller returned to Death Squadron that he learned his birth father had deserved his fate for being a Jedi and that Vader didn't even have anything to do with the death of his mother. It had disappointed him a lot. His parents belonged to a group of people he disliked with a great passion. He supposed he could find at least a shred of respect for his father, who had died in a battle with his Master but his mother kicked the bucket in some unimportant brawl that not even history bothered to remember. It was no wonder that he felt no connection to them or his supposed home world.

But Eclipse didn't know that.

"I'm sorry about your loss", she said sympathetically and Starkiller had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. He needed her sympathetic.

"My mother died when I was very young as well", she continued. "My father… changed after that. I joined the academy to make him proud. I thought maybe it would make him recognize me."

Starkiller was silent for a moment. Then he asked, "And did it?"

"Huh?" Eclipse had been lost in thought. "Oh. No, I guess not. We don't have contact anymore."

"Your father is a dick", Starkiller decided.

"What?!"

"You're a strong and determined woman and an excellent pilot. You can keep up with Team Vader without going insane. You made yourself a name in the Navy, which is really not easy for a beautiful woman like you. If he doesn't recognize you with all those achievements then he's an idiot and doesn't deserve you."

"I didn't know keeping your sanity around 'Team Vader' counts as an achievement."

"Oh believe me, it does."

Starkiller knew very little about courting women. He knew that some of them sized him up the moment they saw him, showing their attraction to him immediately. There had been some girls who had reacted that way to him at the Imperial palace. Others paid him little mind unless he made an effort to be non-threatening and complimented them. Only then did they take real notice of him and if they liked what they saw (which was usually the case, he was a very athletic young man after all) they would blush, sometimes giggle and say or do the stupidest things. He had experimented a bit with them but soon found the girls to be boring or simply not worth his time. Not to mention he had to kill those that got too close to him if he wanted to spare them the comfort of Imperial torture chambers.

Eclipse did blush at his words, which Starkiller took as a sign of attraction in response to his compliment. However, she did not follow it up by letting her eyes roam over his body as if he was a piece of flesh but neither did she turn away as if his attention was unwanted. She merely smiled and whispered a "Thank you".

He had hoped she'd say more but Eclipse seemed to be content with silence and he honestly had no idea what else to talk about. It would have to be enough.

"If you need anything, you know how to find me, Captain", he said and stood up.

"Of course. I will notify you when we reach Tatooine." She hesitated and Starkiller lingered at the doorway until she spoke up again. "You, well… You don't have to call me Captain. Just Juno is fine. If that's… if that's alright with you."

"Juno", Starkiller repeated as if tasting the name. "Alright." Maybe he was getting somewhere after all.

Starkiller walked the short distance to the med bay where PROXY was already waiting for him to change the bandage again.

"Master!", the droid called out when he entered. "What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?", he asked unconcerned. He was feeling fine.

"Master, there is something on your face. Let me scan you… Oh, it seems to be a smile. May I ask who is going to die?"

Starkiller gave a snort. "Very funny. Now come here and help me with this thing."

Proxy helped him to cut away the bandage. They had resupplied on Oovo IV so they had gotten new bacta patches that would speed up the recovery considerably. For the rest of the journey Starkiller retreated into the meditation chamber, further numbing the pain by meditating in the dark side but found it hard to concentrate today.

At last Eclipse – Juno – called him over the comm. He went to the cockpit and witnessed how she evaded any other crafts in the Hutt controlled system, which was made easier by the ship's cloaking device. Starkiller went to gather the Lars and got the coordinates of their old home from them. At last they entered the atmosphere, landing in the middle of the desert.

The odd crew left the ship and Starkiller was very glad he'd taken the time to change his gear. He possessed several sets for different situations and indeed had brought one suited for a hot climate. His shoulders and vital organs where covered by reinforced leather but he wore a light and slightly baggy shirt under it that would protect his arms from solar radiation. Still when he left the ship it was as if a wall of compressed air met him that felt as if it was close to the boiling point. He had to stop for a moment in order to not stagger.

"Well, that was our home", Owen muttered, staring down at a spot in the desert that looked somewhat sunken. Starkiller approached to see there was a basin with only the occasional tip of metal junk rising over the sand.

"What is it supposed to look like?", he asked.

"The farm was mostly underground", Beru explained sadly. "There were large caves that could be easily cooled. We placed vaporators in the desert that would gather air and send it to the caves where it would fill up a cooling system. Any water that was contained in the air would condensate. Our living area was in those caves as well." She pointed towards a small hill of sand. "This is where the entrance used to be, a dome shaped structure with a door and stairs leading to the caves. It was the only entrance." She pointed towards the basin. "Down there we had a courtyard where we grew some vegetables. It laid several meters lower than the desert, you couldn't jump down without breaking a leg. That protected the plants from wild animals or thieves. Those would have to go down the stairs but we kept the door locked."

"There must have been a sand storm", Owen growled. "Every time we have one we have to shovel all the sand out of the basin."

"I see. Since there was no maintenance for over six years, the basin filled with sand", Starkiller said. "Do you think the caves are still intact?"

"Probably, they're natural caves. They've been here long before us", Beru answered. "The walls around the courtyard were very strong, they shouldn't have taken as much damage as the entrance. But digging it up would take weeks..."

Starkiller could see the hopelessness in the way her shoulders dropped and she blinked rapidly to suppress her tears but she didn't say anything and he didn't mention it.

"We will find a way", Owen said and laid an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his chest. Then he looked at Starkiller and the young Sith could see how much it took him to say the following words:

"I... thank you for bringing us here but we will need time to build up our old home. You probably want to get rid of us as soon as possible but if you leave us here we will die of thirst before we reach the next town. Could... Could you drop us off at Anchorhead? It's just a few minutes with your ship."

Starkiller raised an eyebrow, he enjoyed seeing the rude man so submissive.

"I'll think about it", he replied with an evil smirk, "if you say 'please'."

Owen's face went an ugly shade of red and his fists trembled but he lowered his head and muttered: "Please."

Starkiller grinned. "Alright."

"You will bring us to the town?", Beru asked eagerly.

"I said I'll think about it." Starkiller turned around to where the entrance to the farm used to be and sat on the ground, folding his legs under him and thus taking a meditation pose.

"You may wait in the ship while I think", he allowed them graciously. Then he closed his eyes and ignored the angrily fluctuating aura of the old farmer. He was starting to enjoy this...

Owen began to curse Starkiller, the Empire, Starkiller, the desert, Starkiller's parents and Starkiller but he had the mind to do it in Huttese, which the young Sith fortunately didn't understand. Beru was aghast and tried in vain to calm her husband down for several minutes. Starkiller continued to simply sit there, meditating. At last the Lars went back into the ship as it was simply too hot to stay outside any longer. Owen decided to head to the cockpit. He hadn't talked to the ship's pilot before but maybe the woman would be more sympathetic to their situation.

"Ma'am", Owen greeted the Imperial Captain stiffly.

"Hello. What can I do for you?", she asked friendly enough. The old farmer felt his hopes rising.

"You dropped us off at our old home but it doesn't exist anymore. My wife and I were wondering if you could take us to the next town instead."

"Do you have friends in town that could help you rebuilding?", Eclipse wanted to know.

Owen and Beru looked at each other.

"We used to... It's been a long time."

"I think you are better off accepting our help then", she decided.

"But he doesn't want to help!", Owen exclaimed, gesturing towards Starkiller who could be seen through the cockpit window. "He's just... sitting there, thinking about whether to let us die or not!"

Eclipse followed his gesture.

"He is meditating", she said. "Do you really think we would go through all the trouble of bringing you here just to let you die?"

"What do I know?!", Owen exclaimed and threw his arms into the air. "Maybe this is some sick joke of Vader's!"

"I hardly think this is his brand of humor", Eclipse replied dryly.

"Oh yeah? How'd you know? Have you ever met him?"

"As a matter of fact, yes I have", she answered a bit colder.

Beru leaned forward hopefully. "You have? Can you... Can you tell me... Have you ever seen a... a boy around him? He would be sixteen now, blonde, blue eyes..."

Juno hesitated, she was not sure if she was supposed to give out this information. But Starkiller had said they were Luke's relatives. Before Juno had thought that maybe they had mistreated Luke as a child somehow, that this was why they were imprisoned. It would explain why Luke was on such good terms with his father if he saved him from them. But if that were the case the Lars would've been executed, certainly not freed and Beru sounded so desperate...

"Luke Skywalker, yes I know him", she admitted. "I have flown with him before."

Owen's eyes widened and Beru came close, so close Juno had to lean back in order to not touch her.

"You have met my boy? How is he? Is he well? Please, you have to tell me!" There were tears glistering in her eyes, which made Juno distinctively uncomfortable.

"Uh, yes. Yes, he's fine. Cheerful personality. Would you please take a step back?"

"He is... He's happy?", Owen asked. "With the Empire? With Vader?"

This time Juno took care to look the man in the eyes as she said: "Of course he is."

"But..." The farmer deflated a bit, looking very confused all of sudden.

"From what I've seen and heard", Juno said in a strong voice, "Lord Vader takes good care of his son and is adored by him in return. Luke is on good terms with many Imperials and calls them friends. In my humble opinion, joining us is the best thing that's ever happened to him, especially seeing as Tatooine is such a dangerous place to live on. If you want to know any more details, you should probably ask Starkiller. Luke and him are like brothers."

"That asshole?", Owen exclaimed, earning a very deep frown from Juno.

"I would be careful what you say", she warned him quietly. "I'm sure Starkiller knows more than a dozen different ways to kill you. Without using his hands. I'm not that imaginative but I won't allow you to talk about members of my crew like that." Her hand brushed against the blaster at her hip casually. She was not serious of course, their mission was to help, not to kill them but Owen got the message and backed away.

It was in that moment that Beru patted her husband's arm and pointed towards the window. "What is he doing?"

They looked outside where Starkiller was still sitting on the ground motionless, deep in meditation. Around him through the desert had come to life. Wind had picked up, gathering big clouds of sand and sweeping them away.

"It's a sandstorm! We have to get him inside", Beru called out but Juno held her back.

"No, we'll stay. He will come on his own if it's dangerous."

"In a few minutes he won't be able to see his own hands, let alone find the ship!", she protested.

"I said: stay", Juno ordered and worked the console to close the ramp.

The wind became stronger and stronger and sand was whipping against the glass. Juno grit her teeth when the sensors activated an alarm. She had to get the Shadow out of here.

"Eclipse to Starkiller, the storm is getting dangerous", she said into her comm but Starkiller didn't answer. Was he too deep in meditation not to notice the danger?

"We have to get him!", Beru repeated.

"We can't", Owen said. "It's too late."

He was right. Within a surprisingly short amount of time the wind had picked up incredible speed and sand was being whipped around so strongly in such masses that the Shadow shook under the impact. They couldn't even see Starkiller anymore.

Juno had no other choice. She started the motors and the ship fought its way through the storm. The Captain was relived when the journey turned out to be very short. Soon they passed the borders of the storm, landing again in some distance from the farm. From here they could see the storm like a solid wall of sand rising up.

"What is that?", Beru asked, equally fascinated and afraid.

Normally a sandstorm appeared like wall of dust spanning several hundred kilometers, a dark weather front waltzing down everything in its way. This storm however was barely half a kilometer wide but reached up high into the air. However it did not connect to the sky like a hurricane would. It was just... a solid pillar of sand and wind, never moving from its position over the Lars farm.

"Starkiller is causing this", Juno voiced aloud what she had suspected from the beginning. This weather was not natural.

"How?", was all the farmer asked.

Juno shook her head slowly. "I have no idea", she whispered, unable to hide her amazement completely. She had never seen anything like this.

The storm shrank again after several minutes. The wind calmed down and it was safe to take the Shadow back to the farm again. When they landed at their old spot, they immediately noticed a change. Where before there had been a basin, hardly distinguishable from the surrounding desert, there was now a deep hole with walls of heavily affected sandstone. Junk metal and parts of droids were lying around but you could clearly make out a wall with well preserved windows and a door. The storm had excavated the Lars farm.

On the edge of it Starkiller sat, unharmed and in exactly the same position as they left him in.

"Incredible", Beru whispered. Owen gripped her shoulder and when Juno looked at him she knew that he was less amazed by the stark demonstration of power. He was afraid.

Juno looked down at the Sith sitting there unaffected after playing around with the weather.

She decided Owen was right to be afraid.

XxX

At the Festival of Stars in Kachirho, the celebration was in a full swing. People were laughing and drinking and flirting with strangers. Bright lights were everywhere, flashing in every color and the music of five different stages mixed together to one muffled droning.

Amongst the crowd was a group of young people. They seemed to hold a drinking game at one of the bars in an open tent. They were all cheering on a lone Stormtrooper who had his head dipped back, gulping down a huge glass of some amber colored liquid.

In the shadow of a neighboring tent, two female figures watched the group.

Mallie couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had pulled all her contacts, even sent Katdella back to the base to confirm it: Darth Vader was not on Kashyyyk. The pilot of the distinguished Starfighter was a teenager. His name: Luke Skywalker. Vader's son.

Objectively, Mallie had known the monster had a child. It had been all over the news years ago after all. She had known but not cared. It was obvious that the Sith Lord would raise his offspring to be just as heartless and cruel as himself. The child would become a trained killer, an assassin and he would murder many innocent people.

But the boy Mallie saw here, just a short distance away, celebrating with his friends was so different from her imagination. He was laughing and drinking with friends, not subordinates. He was leaning on and whispering into the ear of a beautiful girl who was smiling back at him. She might be his girlfriend. By the Force, the boy might be drunk, his guard down completely amongst the people he trusted. He was so normal. He looked so happy. He was everything Mallie would've wished for her own son.

Only her son was dead, had his life cruelly ripped away when he was but a baby, his innocent blood spilled for nothing but the pleasure of the monster that was Darth Vader.

Vader had a son. The monster dared to have a son, one that was normal and happy and innocent when Mallie's child was dead.

"I'm going to kill him", the rebel whispered. Her eyes, formally wide in shock, narrowed to slits and her hands curled to shaking fists as she felt an ugly darkness rise in herself. She couldn't think of anything but how unfair this whole situation was, how much she hated Vader.

It had always been impossible for her to imagine the Sith Lord as a human being that had feelings of his own. But now she wished with all her heart that the heartless bastard loved his son because Mallie was going to kill him. She was going to kill that innocent child and see how Vader liked that. He should suffer as much as she had suffered.

"Mallie?", a small voice called out to her and the woman turned to Ming Wing standing at her side. The young rebel was a teenager herself, barely older than Skywalker. She was looking at Mallie with hints of fear in her eyes and she tried to pull herself together, though it was hard.

"The plan stays the same", she said at last in a cold voice. "The loss of his son will be a hard blow to Vader. It will have to be enough."

"But – he's an innocent!", Ming Wing protested.

"How would you know?!", Mallie hissed. "He could be an assassin for all we know. Don't let yourself be fooled by his appearance. Do you really think Vader would lend him his personal Starfighter if he were a mere civilian?" She did not believe that herself but Ming Wing didn't say anything when Mallie whirled around and left.

If they were drinking and partying like that they would have a deep sleep following up. It was reasonable to assume Skywalker would spend the night at the base, in one of the Officer's quarters. There was little time left to prepare. She had to hurry.

Just as the rebel leader turned away from the tent, Luke Skywalker raised his head. Next to him, Leia was feeling very dizzy already. She had tried alcohol before of course but never this much. Around two hours ago they had lost Thomson, their bodyguard (by running very quickly in the other direction laughing like mad) and even Winter who normally tried to be the voice of reason had taken maybe a drink or two too much. At least Leia thought so because it would explain why she was the one cheering poor Marvin on the loudest as he gulped down another glass. Normally Leia would never let herself go like that... but Luke had grinned at her and said: "Come on, let's have fun, I feel like being irresponsible!" and for some strange reason that she probably wouldn't be able to remember tomorrow, it had sounded like a good idea.

"What's up, Luke?", she asked (she was very proud of herself for not slurring). They were sitting next to each other on a bench, watching their friends. Leia was leaning against Luke who had an arm around her shoulders. They were closer than they had ever been even during their dreams and it somehow felt right and comfortable.

Luke made a vague gesture towards the street. "You know that moment... when everything's perfectly alright... and suddenly something just snaps?" He clicked his fingers. "Like that?"

"I dunno what ya talkin' about", she admitted.

"Is like... Something happened. Something weird. That was not supposed to happen... Like... a gay baby being born. You know? Cause babies aren't supposed to be gay. Not that I have anything against gays. Cause I don't!"

He was not making any sense and Leia told him as much. "I think you're confusing something", she said. "What you have is a... a..." What was it again? "A bad feeling. Right. That's what you call it." She nodded, proud of herself.

Luke didn't seem to have heard her. He was still mulling over the weird feeling. "Is like... where have I felt that before... Wasn't too long ago. Something to do with dragons...?"

Leia slapped him in the face.

"Ouch!", Luke said, rubbing his red cheek. "Why did you do that?"

"You're not supposed to have bad feelings when we're partying!", she decided. "You have fun! So forget about the baby!"

"But what if-"

Leia grabbed him by his collar and pulled him towards her roughly. She pressed his lips onto his clumsily and Luke's eyes widened in surprise. He lost his balance, flailed his arms briefly and fell over. His head ended up in her lap and Leia laughed.

"That shut you up!", she triumphed.

But her delight was quickly damped by several seconds of stunned silence as Luke was merely staring up at her with those impossible blue eyes of his. Leia realized what she'd just done, Luke realized what she'd just done and it was as if five years of shy glances, innocent teasing and careful prodding came crashing down on them at once. Their friendship had started out truly innocent but as time passed and their bodies matured it had grown naturally difficult to not notice the other. And now they were on this party together... Leia who had been shielded by her family, under constant watch for her royal status and Luke who lived on a starship, never got to see any girls in pretty dresses outside of formal, stiff banquets and...

"We need more alcohol", Leia decided.

"I'll get some", Luke hurried to say and was gone so fast you could see where he left a cloud of dust behind.

He had totally forgotten about the 'bad feeling'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Teenage rebellion phase... followed up by young teenage love. Seriously, that was bound to happen.
> 
> I wanna give a heads up for everyone afraid of incest... There won't be anything too serious between the twins. They're young, they feel drawn to each other for reasons they don't understand and they're experimenting. That's it. (Of course, should SK ever find out about it, he will tease Luke mercilessly about it.)
> 
> I'm not even sure if SK and Juno will make it because Sk thinks sex and love have nothing to do with each other (thanks to his Sith teachings) so even if he did grow to like Juno, he wouldn't understand the concept of fidelity... Which our dear pilot wouldn't like at all... so they probably won't get anywhere anytime soon either. This is a fanfic about family and friendship and growing up in a crazy galaxy after all, not a romance. But of course hormone explosions are part of a young man's life, right?


	38. Chapter 38

Starkiller woke up in a bed that he didn't recognize.

That was always a bad sign.

The young Sith took a moment of lying still with his eyes closed to get a feeling for the hard mattress he was lying on. Too soft to belong to a holding cell or a medical stretcher, too hard to be a bed in an Imperial suite fitted for the rank of any of his many fake identities. It was also too short for him. Someone had placed a stool at the other end of the bed to place his feet on.

The Force did not give him the warning hum usually associated with an upcoming attempt on his life and that was the only reason why he didn't immediately roll out of his bed and to the side, out of the line of any weapon before getting in a crouching position, ready to spring up and take his enemy by surprise.

The Force did not warn him about a certain maniacal droid trying to complete his primary programming, which in itself was worrying. PROXY would've never missed out on such a chance.

While listening for a warning of the Force, Starkiller noticed that he was not alone. There was another presence in the room, very close to him - too close for comfort. Certainly within a blade's reach of his vital organs.

All of these observations Starkiller analyzed in less than four seconds before deciding to open his eyes.  
He was in small room lit only by one lone oil lamp on a night stand. There was an empty shelf on the other side and some broken objects of everyday use lying around. It looked like the room had been looted a long time ago as it also smelled quite dusty. Starkiller also took notice of the coolness of the room, which was when he remembered that he was supposed to be in a desert.

On a chair next to his bed sat Juno Eclipse, reading a datapad.

Starkiller sat up and she raised her head, smiling at him in relief.

"Welcome back among the living, Sir."

"For how long was I out?", he wanted to know.

"Three days."

He stared at her aghast. "What!?"

Juno's lips curled to a smile. "Half an hour... Sir."

Oh, that... woman!

Starkiller growled and got out of the bed but had to support himself at the wall for a few seconds until the world stopped spinning.

"We are inside of the living quarters of the Lars", Juno told him calmly. "They have ventured out in the desert to search for their droids." She regarded him worriedly. Normally Starkiller would hate it to be looked at like that but with her... He found he didn't mind so much.

"What happened?", she asked quietly. "Did you... overuse the Force or something like that?"

"Something like that", he agreed tiredly.

"You shouldn't have done that... You are still not fully recovered from your last mission. The wound has opened again as well."

"That had nothing to do with it."

She looked at him shrewdly.

"Well... maybe the blood loss is getting to me a little bit", he admitted. That and the freaking heat.  
When practicing Force levitation, mass or size did not matter. Theoretically lifting a pebble was just as difficult (or easy) as lifting a hovercar. However, there was a difference in whether you lifted one pebble or a dozen at the same time. The trick with bigger objects was to concentrate on only a part of them, for example on the body of the hovercar, not on all of its separate components. That was where most Force-users failed. Droids that were put together from thousands of tiny parts were hard to lift but if you concentrated on only their head or torso you could lift up that and the rest of it would simply go with it.

When using Force grip on humans, Starkiller had been taught by Vader to focus on the bones. The pelvic bone did it nicely, being rather big with a central position and easy to imagine. His Master himself had developed a sort of signature move by picturing a single peg in the upper human spine, one that he used to put pressure on the air tube. Hence the Force choking.

The more single objects you had to concentrate on while levitating them the poorer your control got, if you managed to lift them at all. To lift up a single hand of sand with thousands of grains in it you needed to concentrate very hard. To empty out an entire basin the size of the Lars farm required a deep meditation. Not only that but in order to strengthen his connection to the dark side, Starkiller had ripped off the bacta patch covering the healing flesh wound and poked at it with his fingers until the pain made him want to hurl.  
Normally after an exhausting fight the feeling of victory, of his enemy’s life passing on filled Starkiller with strength. Strength that kept him on his feet, never noticing any physical exhaustion for hours and even healing smaller cuts and bruises on its own. This time around there had been no fight, no rush of victory. There was nothing to replenish his strength. Starkiller had never gone so far outside of combat, had never drawn on the Force this strongly when his reserves were already depleted. He had not expected passing out from it and if he thought about it, it would probably freak him out (all the dangers that could've befallen him while he was vulnerable!) but... He really didn't want to think about it. He was still alive. He would never do something this stupid again. Case closed.

"I don't want to stay on this planet any longer than absolutely necessary", Starkiller said. "Lord Vader ordered me to help building up the farm but I'm not going to stay here for weeks shoveling sand."

"You scared me", Juno admitted unexpectedly. "For a moment there, you really scared me."

Starkiller looked into her eyes (they were blue - not sky-blue like Luke's but clear like crystal with a bit of gray in it) and felt a pang of regret.

"You don't have to be scared of me", he muttered. The mere idea felt wrong and ugly to him. He was... He was not going to hurt her.

"Not scared of you but for you, you idiot!", Juno clarified with a light scowl.

"...oh." What was he supposed to say to that? Sorry? Thank you?

"What will we be doing next?", Juno changed the subject.

"Where is PROXY?"

"I locked him in the ship. We don't want him to get sand in his joints after all." Translation: We don't want him to kill you while you take a nap.

"Then I have to get back to the Shadow."

"Of course. Uh, do you..." Juno offered him her arm awkwardly and it was only then that Starkiller noticed he was still supporting himself at the wall. He wasn't feeling dizzy anymore but for a moment he contemplated if he really wanted to save his dignity and walk alone as he should or... How might it feel to lean on her, to feel her body pressed against his, how would she look when she smiled up to him, a bit embarrassed maybe but supportive, how would her hair feel if he ran his hand through it, knocking off that cute dark blue cap to loosen her hair further, then yank at her scalp, bending her head back so he could kiss her deep and passionately, turning that teasing smile into a moan and - WHERE HAD THAT COME FROM!?

Starkiller blinked and massaged the bridge of his nose, chasing away the most unhelpful thoughts.

"I'll be fine", he grit out between clenched teeth. "Already feeling loads better."

Worst part was; that wasn't even a lie. The dark side was easily fueled with passion after all.

Sometimes Starkiller really hated having the hormones of a normal eighteen year old. He was an exception in pretty much every social matter but in this... He was just like everyone else. Damn.

Starkiller and Juno returned to the Shadow where the young Sith was greeted by a sulking droid.

"I will have to stay here for a while longer", Starkiller announced once they were both listening. "It will take more than just digging out the farm to ensure the Lars can continue to live here. However there's no need for all of us to waste our time like this. I have a mission for you two."

"A mission?" PROXY was the first to react. "But Master, my mission is to protect you and help you to become stronger."

"File it under the first objective then", he replied. "I need you to do something for me, something very important. My future could very well depend on it so you must not mess up."

It was risky, asking this of them. Starkiller's orders were clear, he must remain with the Lars until either their farm was fully restored or Luke showed up and he could convince him to return to Death Squadron. He would much prefer to go with his crew instead, especially since the mission could be dangerous but he had no choice in the matter.

"What do you need us to do?", Juno asked.

"Before I tell you that you have to know that this is no official mission. Success or failure will be reported to me and nobody else. As far as Lord Vader is concerned, you stayed with me on Tatooine for the entire time."

Juno visibly stiffened at those words. "With all due respect, but Starkiller... if you're planning some sort of mutiny or..."

"It's nothing like that. There is a... potential threat that I want to scout you out. If it proves dangerous, I will take care of it but if not I do not wish to alert anyone unnecessarily."

"I will follow your orders, Master", PROXY agreed readily.

"As long as my silence will not endanger the Empire, I will do so as well", Juno agreed slightly more hesitant.

Starkiller allowed himself a moment of the relief sinking in.

"Thank you. Now to the mission itself. I have reason to believe that Rahm Kota is still alive."

Juno's eyes widened in surprise. "Kota is alive? But how? You killed him on Nar Shaddaa!"

"When the command center came crashing down, Kota fell but only after we had already breached the atmosphere. If Luke and I could survive that, so could he."

"But you two got out in the last minute, before the structure was superheating but early enough to not pick up too much speed from your fall. Kota must have fallen almost a minute earlier!"

"Yes but that also means he fell while the traffic lines were still under him. I can't explain it well but... I felt no confirmation of his death in the Force. I only noticed this mistake after killing Paratus on Raxus Prime. If Kota is still alive he might be planning to set a new trap for Lord Vader. It is unlikely he will do this anytime soon, he lost a lot of people that day but the danger is there. I need you to search for him. Start on Nar Shaddaa, search the hospitals and rumors of anti-imperial hostility. Then check for hired transports off the planet. I don't think he would've had much money on his person to buy a ship but you can look into it anyway. You have his description. After the fight he would have several broken bones to take care of. I think I might have also managed to burn his face with my lightsaber. He should offer a sight people would remember but with the number of casualties from the battle you still have to search thoroughly. If you do manage to find him, do not try to engage him under any circumstances. If you can make sure he is unaware of your presence, you may try to find his transport and put a tracing device on it. Then you return to me immediately. If you can't find out anything, return to me in two weeks, I will be finished here then at the latest." He turned to PROXY. "This mission is undercover so you will take on an appearance that fits in well. You are to follow the Captain's orders and if anything goes wrong, protect her with everything you have."

"As you wish, Master."

"I will do what I can."

"Good. You will also have to re-supply on Nar Shaddaa, we will have to leave most of the food and water here."

Juno agreed and without wasting further time they got to unload the rations that were kept on the Shadow.  
At last when it was time for them to go, Starkiller addressed the pilot again.

"I... want to thank you for doing this for me", he said a bit awkwardly. He didn't usually thank people. "It means a lot to me. The situation between Lord Vader and me is... strained at best and I do not wish to alert him by revealing this. But I don't want you to get hurt either. If you get noticed, don't try to play the hero. Just run. Come back to me. Can you do that?"

Juno gave him a beautiful smile. Starkiller felt like it was the warmest gesture anyone had ever made towards him.

"Of course. I know where my limits are, I'm a pilot not a soldier. I will come back."

"Good." Starkiller didn't know what else to say but he didn't want to let her go yet either. Juno turned to leave and he just.... followed on instinct. He reached for her shoulder to halt her and when she turned around he kissed her. It was just a quick but firm kiss during which Starkiller had to consciously fight against the urge to pull her closer, make it linger. He felt the dark side surge in him with his desire for her but he fought it down. He didn't want to scare her.

When it was over Juno just stood there for a moment, her mouth slightly opened in surprise, Starkiller's hand still resting on her shoulder. He took it away and stepped back, suddenly afraid she would push him away.

"Good luck", he managed to get out, then he turned his back on her and walked back to the farm as fast as he could without running.

Juno stayed behind for a few more seconds, suppressing the urge to touch her lips in wonder. He'd kissed her. Starkiller had kissed her! She did not think for one second that it was just for good luck either, he wasn't innocent like that. There was... something between them, a tension that she could not deny. Juno enjoyed teasing him occasionally. At the beginning it had been just to distract herself from all the craziness around her but... Starkiller had a depth like she had never seen it with another man. She didn't doubt that he had suffered deeply. He had such an understanding about mysterious things like the Force and yet used it as if it was the most common thing in the world.

She'd known that he was attracted to her, she'd seen the way he looked at her. He wasn't like a few certain salacious grinning Officers she'd had to deal with in the past, he kept the staring to a minimum so she never felt uncomfortable around him and to be perfectly honest, it had flattered her a bit. He was quite the good looking man too after all.

But objectively they knew each for barely two weeks. She liked him well enough and she thought they might have even started to form a real connection but she would've never expected him to be so forward so quickly. Was it just a tease? Juno was not searching for a relationship. Keeping one up in her line of work was difficult enough, doing so with a member of her crew was unwise and she refused to be used in anything short lived anyway. But at the same time she couldn't forget that short moment when Starkiller backed away from her after the kiss. For a second he had looked truly vulnerable before practically fleeing from her. She did not feel like it was a tease or she was being used. Maybe he just really... liked her? The thought made something flutter in her belly and when Juno finally returned to the Shadow, she had a stupid smile plastered on her face. Absentmindedly she touched her lips, remembering the kiss. It felt... nice.

XxX

Marvin bent over the table, gazing very hard at the bottles lines up. For the life of him he couldn't read what they said, his vision was so blurry. With a shrug he just grabbed a random one and returned to where the Winter girl was laughing together with a group of young people that had entered the tent some time ago.

"Hey yo, I brought a fresh supply!", he called out, raising the bottle for everyone to see and they cheered.

Suddenly there was a heavy hand on his shoulder and Marvin turned around. Some guy was standing behind him. He looked vaguely familiar but he didn't wear white armor so where had he seen him before?

"Whassup?", he slurred, grinning widely. "You wanna have a shot as well?"

"You bumbling buffoon, where is the princess?", the guy wanted to know.

"Tse, what do I know? Somewhere over there... or there...?" He made a vague gesture encompassing the entire tent.

The royal guard looked around the tent, fighting his way through the parting people. It had taken him an hour to find the princess after she had run off, the king and queen would never forgive him if something happened to her... But then he spotted her on a bench in a corner of the tent, alive and well and.... snogging the life out of Luke Skywalker.

The guard drew in a sharp breath and practically lunged forward, ripping the girl out of the arms of the obviously drunk teenager.

"Princess, what has gotten into you?", he hissed when Leia fought against him weakly.

"Hey, gimme back my girl... We have a thing going here!", Luke protested and got to his feet shakily.

For some reason, Leia found that very funny and started to giggle. "Oh, don't be such a buz killer", she scolded the guard as if he was the drunken kid and not her. "We're just havin' fun!"

"You've had enough fun for a life time", the guard decided and pulled her with her.

Leia let herself be dragged away but not without turning back to Luke with a grin, waving.

"Dream of me!", Luke called out to her.

Leia giggled some more and threw him a kiss. "I sure will!"

The guard dragged Leia out of the tent, picking up Winter on his way. Marvin saw them leave and Luke standing by the entrance, watching with a far away look in his eyes. Then the boy bent over and emptied his stomach into the bushes.

Marvin laughed and walked over to him, helping him up and putting one arm over his shoulder in a brotherly gesture.

"Boy, you're gonna have THIS BIG of a hangover tomorrow. Let's get you to bed, alright?"

"Eh, maybe that would be good. I don't feel so well", he mumbled.

Marvin chuckled and supported Luke. They would go back to the base, get a good night of rest and hopefully, in the morning Luke would be sane enough to decide staying at the festival any longer was a bad idea.

Marvin dragged Luke all the way back to where he'd parked his speeder, got him in the back seat (where the boy promptly began snoring) and took off. Marvin was pretty sure he took the wrong way at least three times and he might have had a minor crash as well as shown the finger to a couple of sirens but he was quite unconcerned with breaking traffic laws – he was wearing his helmet after all. Good luck tracing that Imperial speeder!

It wasn’t the first time Marvin was coming back drunk from a party. He was quite good at holding his liquor and helped his comrades out a few times. Thus it was quite natural for him to shove Luke into one of the beds in the barracks even though he should’ve known that Luke had a suite reserved for himself. It wasn’t like he could ask the boy. Once that task was done, Marvin promptly fell asleep as well. He was vaguely aware that the events of this night would come back to haunt him later – but for the moment he couldn’t care less.

XxX

Starkiller wished he would’ve gone with Juno. Not only was the company much nicer but the Shadow was nice and cold. Instead he had to walk through the freaking desert, sweating like a waterfall.

The Lars couple had come back from their tour an hour after the Shadow took off. At one point, so Starkiller learned, the Lars had possessed nine vaporators. Five of those had been lost in the season before their capture. The remaining four were gone now as well, they hadn’t been able to even find some savable metal. The desert or the Jawas had taken it all. Their farm had also been raided of all their droids used for harvesting or repairing. Even their speeder was gone, which was the worst part as far as Starkiller was concerned because it meant he had to walk to the next town by foot. He really should’ve had the mind to have Juno drop him off before but well… He had been quite distracted.

Two hours into the desert, Starkiller saw a transport in the distance. Relieved he made his way towards the ugly vehicle that looked just like one giant slab of metal rolling through the desert. When he came closer he discovered that it was driven by some small creatures that he had already encountered once on Raxus Prime – Jawa scavengers. Starkiller remembered how funny their squeals of pain sounded and he smirked. Juno had been bugging him about recovering. Time for some aggressive negotiations.

The Jawas, as it turned out, only spoke Huttese. They reacted not well to Starkiller searching their sand crawler but readily granted him entry after he relieved two of them of their heads. Starkiller had no idea what a vaporator looked like and the Jawas didn’t understand him but he discovered three mechanical droids that he ordered them to fix using hand gestures (and lighting). Driving the sand crawler he delivered the droids to the farm before hijacking the vehicle for a drive to Anchorhead. He was vaguely amused how helpful the small creatures suddenly were. He would’ve thought they’d run away from him but they didn’t. He supposed without the sand crawler as a means of transportation, they too would soon die in the sun. After all they couldn’t rely on the Force to strengthen themselves. Starkiller liked to believe that he would’ve made it from the farm to the town alone, the distance was doable in two days… But it was far more comfortable this way.

In Anchorhead, the next bad surprise for Starkiller was that nobody accepted Imperial credits. What kind of backwater planet was this?!  
The young Sith stood in a droid (translate: junk) shop, arguing with a sweaty little man with watery eyes but he would accept nothing but local currency for his goods. When Starkiller got angry, the fool just shouted at him in that uncivilized language and stormed off. Starkiller stayed behind, eyeing the droids on display and seriously considered just robbing the damn shop. It was then that he noticed a head peaking out of the door the owner had slammed shut. A lanky teenager, maybe fourteen years old, that was wearing nothing but some ragged trousers sat down behind the counter. He was probably working for the shop owner and here to prevent exactly what Starkiller contemplated doing. Poor sod.

Starkiller ran his fingers through his short hair and immediately felt disgusted when his hand came back all sweaty. Oh, he couldn’t wait to get off this blasted planet!

A quiet voice murmured something and Starkiller looked at the boy who had addressed him in that language he didn’t understand. But he was holding out a small bottle of water for him and that gesture was clear enough.

“Thanks”, Starkiller muttered and drank the whole water in one go. His throat was indeed parched. He left the bottle on the counter and decided he would rob another shop.

The rest of the day was spent trying to find people who spoke Basic and gathering information. As much as he would enjoy it, he didn’t want to risk going on a random killing spree and robbing several shops of their droids to drop them off at the farm. Chances were someone would trace him back and the Lars would get killed by an angry mob before he even left the planet. It was better to just rob one rich person of his or her local currency and buy the droids. Preferably a criminal person, of which the planet surely had no lack of.

It was early evening when Starkiller walked through the streets and coincidence had it that he passed the very first shop he had entered that day. Loud noise drew his attention and he walked down a narrow alley that seemed to lead to a backyard belonging to said shop. In the backyard he could see four people standing around a figure cowering on the ground. The one shouting was the shop owner. He was holding a whip in one hand and Starkiller’s eyes widened as he saw him raise it and lash out at the cowering figure that he now recognized to be the boy who had given him the water. There was a sharp hiss and the boy cried out before a large bloody gash appeared on his already flayed bare back. The other three people, two women and one older man, none of them dressed any better than the boy, were watching the cruelty with fear in their eyes.  
Starkiller felt a cold, sharp anger rise within him. He had endured punishment worse than what was done to this boy now at the hand of his Master. More painful, more humiliating, more… creative. Still at its core it was the same and for a moment he saw himself in that boy. The shop owner didn’t feel anything for him, the boy was a tool to be used. Just like Starkiller, he did not fight back and the Sith wondered why, it wasn’t like he was up against a powerful Sith Lord, it wasn’t like he was a tool to be used and… owned… And that was when he realized it, the boy was a slave. Starkiller had heard that on some planets in the Outer Rim, slavery was not considered a crime and was even common practice but for some reason he had not expected to see it here.

Starkiller’s anger rose to unknown heights. He couldn’t help but see himself in that boy. When he’d been treated like that by Vader, he had never hated him for it, he had accepted his punishment and thought it was his own fault but now, seeing this torture, he was sure the slaves couldn’t have possibly done anything to deserve it because nobody deserved to be treated like this, like an object, forced to his knees and humiliated in front of what was probably his family. And if the slave didn’t deserve being treated like that, then did that mean what Starkiller had endured during his youth was wrong as well? Did that mean he was supposed to hate Vader the way he hated that shop owner?

Starkiller strode forward, shouting: “What’s going on here? Why are you whipping this boy?”

He glared down at the disgusting human. A small part of him hoped that he was wrong, maybe the boy did deserve what was being done to him. Maybe he had tried to kill his owner or something.

“That’s none of your business, leave!”, the shop owner called back angrily.

“I said”, Starkiller repeated darkly, stepping between the owner and the slave, “what has he done?”

The man still looked angry but slowly a nasty smile was forming on his lips. “Well if you have to know, he wasted precious water… on the likes of you!”

Starkiller stared at him incomprehensibly. That was it? The slave was being punished for giving him that small bottle of water?

A part of him tried to find sense in that statement. Tatooine was a desert planet so naturally, water would be very expensive. That was proven by the fact that the Lars were able to make a living by sampling it from the air. Of course the slave wouldn’t be allowed to give water to a customer, especially one who his owner had already decided he wouldn’t serve. Naturally, he would have to be punished for that. Starkiller too had been disciplined if he showed kindness to strangers, both by Vader and by Sidious because a Sith could not allow himself to be soft like that. Mercy was a weakness. The shop owner was a businessman, it was all about money and kindness had no place in his job just as it didn’t have a place in Starkiller’s. It was only right of him to train his employees – or slaves – to follow those rules.

But the more Starkiller thought about it, reciting his training and his own lectures, the angrier he grew. It was one thing if his Masters treated him like this. But to see it being done to someone else was different. He couldn’t say how or why but he was just so furious at the unfairness of it all.

Starkiller raised his hand. Knowing that he was supposed to be undercover, he didn’t use the Force and instead lifted the shop owner up by wrapping his bare hands around his throat.

“You will leave that boy alone!, he growled hatefully. The dark side was responding to his subconscious call, wanting to be unleashed. He suppressed it if just barely but his eyes were still turning sickly yellow.

The stupid human did not understand what danger he was in. “You don’t tell me what to do!”, he called out. “Slaves, get this idiot away from me!”

The slaves didn’t move, torn between their fear of their owner and hatred for him.

“You will release these people and never hurt them again”, Starkiller insisted further.

“Fuck you!”, the human cursed. He was fiddling with something in his hand. The Force gave one elated cry that Starkiller could not interpret and the next thing he knew there was a wet splash and his back got drenched by something warm and wet. Slowly Starkiller turned around, still holding the shop owner in the air. Where the slave had sat on the ground before there was nothing left but a pair of naked feet standing in a huge pool of blood and gore.

Momentarily shocked, Starkiller dropped his victim. He felt the tension in the air, the… expectation of a fight filling the Force. Starkiller had never believed in the theory that the Force had a conscience and personality of its own but if it did, he was sure it would feel elated right now at the blood being spilled, at the life lost and at the massacre that Starkiller was about to commit. The dark side was happy that the boy was dead, happy at the implications it brought. It made Starkiller feel betrayed and even more furious.

Before he even fully realized what he was doing – namely exactly what the Force wanted him to – Starkiller caught all of the shop owner’s larger bones in his Force grip before moving them all outwards, causing the human to explode in a manner quite similar to the slave, showering the entire backyard and the three remaining slaves with his blood and body parts.

Starkiller was breathing heavily, not from exhaustion but from the effort it took him to not give himself over completely to the dark side and kill the other slaves as well who were by now cowering in a corner of the backyard, staring at him in fear. At last he addressed the only man of the group.

“You there! How did he do that to the boy?”, he demanded to know.

“H-He used the remote, S-Sir.”

“What remote? What are you talking about?”

“We… We slaves all carry a transmitter somewhere in our b-body”, the man said. “As our owner, he had the remote to detonate it.”

“He killed that boy… over a measly bottle of water?!”

Now the man had tears in his eyes. “It wasn’t the first time Tony disobeyed him”, he admitted. “But I think he was more angry… at you…”

Starkiller felt as if he’d been slapped. So it was his fault? His fault that the boy – Tony – was dead just because he’d tried to step in? Just because he’d tried to return the small kindness shown to him?  
Starkiller felt disgusted and dirty and not only because he was covered in blood from head to toe. He just wanted to leave this place and so he turned around to do just that.

“Wait!”, one of the female slaves called out to him. “What’s… What’s going to happen to us now?”

“I don’t know”, he said flatly, “and I don’t care. You’re free.” 

“We aren’t free”, the man protested, “until the transmitters are removed. Somebody else could use them and take ownership of us.”

“Then destroy the remote”, Starkiller replied annoyed. Where they stupid or something?

“It doesn’t work like that. Slaves aren’t being sold by handing over the remote but the transmitter frequency code. They can be set off by anyone who knows the code and with the death of Rassul, our owner, the next one to claim us would be the person who sold us to him”, the older woman explained.

“Then what do you suggest I do?”, he asked, still angry.

The second woman, a younger female around his age stepped closer to him, clasping her hands in front of her in a begging gesture. “You could take ownership of us. Per Hutt law you can take over Rassul’s shop and everything he owns as long as you can defend it against others. You just have to take the remote for yourself, That will put us under your protection.” Starkiller looked down at what remained of the shop owner, Rassul. There was a small metallic object lying in a pool of blood, covered in what might be brain matter. He would not pick that up!

“I refuse”, he said resolutely.

“But we can be of use for you!”, the girl insisted and came even closer, grabbing his arm and ignoring how she now got blood on her skimpy brown top as well. “You were searching for some droids or spare parts, weren’t you? We can help you go through the shop and find what you need. Kenjo is good at repairing things.” Behind her, the man nodded with a hopeful look. “Sally can cook really well and I too…”, now the girl was laying a hand on his chest, looking up at his face covered in blood with human tissue stuck in his hair as if he was the most attractive male she’d ever seen, “…will show my gratefulness.”

Starkiller thought back at the gruesome display of power and violence they had witnessed him unleashing. Now they wanted him to be their new Master? Wow, they must really be desperate.

“As long as they’re not too close to vital organs, I can have the transmitters surgically removed”, Starkiller allowed.

The girl still clinging to him made big eyes. “R-Really?”

“Yeah. I have a ship fully equipped with a medical bay and droid. It’s off planet now but will be back soon enough.” Why was he doing this? This was a bad idea.

The girl gave a squeal and threw her arms around him before kissing him straight on the mouth. Starkiller was feeling quite taken aback and it took him a few moments to gather himself. When he did he carefully pushed the girl away, who didn’t seem to mind and instead ran over to hug the other two slaves, kissing them both on their cheeks. Geez, that was quite the forward girl, wasn’t it? Starkiller wondered what purpose she had served as a sla… Oh. Right. Well, he supposed in that case she wouldn’t know any better.


	39. Chapter 39

Starkiller still didn't understand exactly how he ended up owning three slaves, at least until the Rogue Shadow returned from her mission but apparently they were now his responsibility. He learned that the man, Kenjo, was Tony’s father. The females, Sally and Arja, were unrelated to any of them. They also hadn’t been with Rassul for long. Apparently Rassul had a working relationship with Jabba the Hutt, the undisputed ruler over Tatooine and crime boss. Apart from giving a discount to his underlings, Rassul also took part in the distribution of slaves. On his own he wouldn’t have been able to support four slaves. Jabba often got dozens of new slaves from raids that his underlings did on local farms and cities or other planets. Those slaves would be sent to various distributors in other towns and sold to other people from there. The money would go back to Jabba. Rassul could keep a small fee for himself and of course got to enjoy the services of the new slaves as long as they stayed with him. Sally had a daughter who was still being kept at Jabba's if she hadn't been sold already. A case like Kenjo and Tony of family members staying together was rare.

The more Starkiller learned about the organized slave trade in the Outer Rim, the more disgusted he felt with the Hutts. He even felt ashamed a bit thinking about how the mighty Empire could easily end this practice if it weren’t for the fact that they honestly didn’t give a shit. Well, the Emperor didn’t and Vader was too busy plotting the takeover to bother with it either. If you then considered that the Empire often forced people to labor as punishment for crime committed by someone else who just so happened to belong to the same group and it really shouldn’t surprise him that this sort of practice was still undergoing. But for some reason, it did. In his mind the Empire had always been perfect. Yes it was strict and unforgiving but that was what made it so powerful. Starkiller had been proud to fight for the Empire and its citizens and he still was, only… He felt like the Empire needed to expand more, to include even the lesser planets that didn’t have a strategically important position or were rich in minerals or oil or other stuff the Empire needed. They were so powerful after all, why couldn’t they use that power to protect people even on planets not of great use?

Of course it wasn't entirely the same. There was a difference between forcing a people that were notorious for producing terrorists and criminals to work on an Imperial project and keeping slaves for your own personal enjoyment and servitude. The work they did was no different than the hardships free people had to endure on less civilized planets where the Imperial presence wasn't as strong. The slaves on Tatooine though were broken through violence and humiliation... Again, just as Starkiller had been during his training.

Starkiller took a sonic shower to wash off the blood. Sally got most of the smell out of his clothes but the formally white shirt stayed tainted red and brown. After that he took Kenjo and went with him through the shop, searching for the droids he needed and clearing the safe of all the money. Rassul also owned a hovertruck and Starkiller sent Kenjo off with the droids to the Lars farm, where he was to stay and help install them. They got several repairing and harvesting droids and even one for protocol that could help with communication between droids and humans, however unfortunately Rassul didn't have any vaporators.   
In the meantime the girls cleaned up the backyard and buried what remained of Tony. Starkiller didn’t think it right to have Kenjo help with that.

Starkiller himself left the shop as soon as he could, ordering the girls to collect the most valuable droids left and sell them to Rassul’s rivals. He didn’t want to spend any more time with them than he had to, seeing as the anger was still shimmering in him and he didn’t want to lash out accidentally. 

That was how late in the evening, Starkiller found himself in a bar, trying in vain to forget the hellish day that laid behind him. He was never one for alcohol but having gone through interrogation training, which included drug testing, he knew his limits and anyway, that glass was mainly standing in front of him so he could stare at it, seeking truth and the sense of life at the bottom of it. For once that made him into a completely normal customer in the bar.

As it had happened a couple of times during the evening already, another guy dropped down in the seat next to him and Starkiller scoffed. The man looked pretty ragged and the thing following behind him was even worse. What was that creature anyway? Looked like a mix between a bear and a monkey.  
Starkiller took a gulp of his Correlian brandy. Right, a Wookie. That's what they were called.

Starkiller turned out the senseless shatter of the human male and the answering cries of the monkey-thing. He wasn't even sure if it was an actual conversation or if the human was just making up whatever words the Wookie spewed in order to pretend to be smart. However he didn't pay them any mind until a certain name called to his attention.

"I know I'm late, you don't have to remind me! But I'm not gonna just give the Falcon to Jabba, I just won it!"

The Wookie gave a cry.

"I'll think of something."

Starkiller turned his icy stare to the man sitting next to him. 

"You are working for Jabba the Hutt?", he asked.

The human male turned to him annoyed. "And who the fuck are you?"

Starkiller leaned forward, just a little bit. By the way the man wrinkled his nose he could tell that he noticed the lingering smell and... yes, now his eyes widened and he stared at Starkiller's brownish red, formerly white shirt with a mix of disgust, fear and fascination.

"I asked, are you working for Jabba?"

"Hey, look, I dunno what you want from me but you better keep your distance. Chewbacca here is very protective of me." 

The Wookie gave an affirmative cry but Starkiller showed himself to be unimpressed and continued staring, waiting for an answer.

"I'm not working for him, alright? I just owe him money. A lot of money. That slug is a fucking loan shark but he's the only one in this sector who still gives me some." Starkiller could tell that he was getting nervous because the words began stumbling out of his mouth faster and faster. "I already had a good deal of what I owed him when Lando came up with that bet. Stuff happened and now I have no money but a brand new freighter and Chewie wants me to just hand it over as payment but that's stupid, I just need one successful run and I know with that baby I can make it."

Starkiller leaned back a bit, allowing the guy to breathe freely again.

"So you have a ship", he said slowly. "You are a smuggler."

"Wha - no, of course not! Why, I would never break the law like that!"

"Such a shame. I might've had a job for you."

The man perked up at that. "Oh, is... Is that so?" He averted his eyes, poorly pretending to be disinterested. "And what kind of job... might that be?"

"I need twenty vaporators, the kind that can work in this desert."

"Twenty?", the pilot echoed. "That's a huge order. You trying to open up a farm or something?"

"Or something."

"Right. Geez, when you first said you had a job in that creepy dark voice I thought you were talking about drugs or weapons or stuff - but you only need a few old vaporators?"

"You may need to venture into Imperial territory for this as I can only offer real credits to buy them."

"Ah, and there's the catch", the pilot said, nodding to himself although really, it wasn't too much of a catch. He passed through Imperial territory frequently. "Got into some trouble with the Imps, have you?"

"Let's just say I can't leave the planet at the moment", Starkiller answered. The scoundrel could think whatever he wanted of him.

"Alright but are you going to pay me in credits as well? Cause I would much prefer raw goods. How about gold or diamonds? That's always nice."

"I have another proposition", Starkiller replied. "If you do this run for me, I will clear your debt with Jabba."

The pilot gaped at him. "You serious?"

Starkiller nodded and raised one of many fake identity chip cards of his. "You can use this card to pay for the vaporators. If you use it for anything else I will know, track your movements and remove your head. As soon as you come back here you will give me back the card and I will check the payments. I will clear your debt and you may confirm this. Then, you bring the vaporators to their designated place."

A wide grin formed on the pilot's face and he snatched the card out of Starkiller's hand. "Well, you've got yourself a deal, Sir. By the way, my name is Han. Han Solo. That's my first mate, Chewbacca." He stuck out his hand for Starkiller to shake but the young Sith didn't move to reciprocate.

"Well", Han said, awkwardly pulling his hand away, "it was nice doing business with you. I'll be back in a few days then. Can I meet you at this bar again?"

Starkiller merely nodded and faster than he could blink, Han and his pet Wookie had left the bar.

The young Sith continued to sip at his brandy for a bit. When he paid with what little money he'd found at Rassul's, the barkeeper leaned over to him.

"Hey Sir, 'is not anything to me but you just got royally screwed over. That guy is a known face around here, he owes Jabba a huge load of money, far more than a single smuggling run would bring him. You should've at least let him buy the machines himself. The way you look, you'll end up broke from that alone. How are you gonna settle that debt with Jabba?"

Starkiller remained unconcerned and took another swing of his brandy.

"Simple", he said at last before slamming the glass back down on the counter. "I'm going to kill Jabba."

XxX

Luke woke up from someone shaking his shoulder.

"Five more minutes, Auntie...", he muttered and turned the other way. His head was hurting like hell.

"Luke dammit, wake up! We're under attack!"

"What!?"

Awake at once Luke tried to sit up, only to get tangled up in the sheets and fall out of his bed. How in the name of the Force was it that he did only now notice the infernally loud ringing of the alarms? 

Luke shook his head, confused. Where was he? What happened? Last thing he knew he had finally found Leia in the crowd and they were about to go to the Festival. Right, that was Marvin who was tugging at his arm, desperate to get him to stand up. Why were his knees so wobbly?

"What... What happened?", he managed to get out. By the Force, his head hurt as if a stampede of banthas was passing through!

"I dunno - there was an explosion, the entrance collapsed - you have to help me to clear the way!"

Luke followed the trooper shakily. His vision was blurred and he had to support himself on the wall. At last though he saw what Marvin meant - a large part of the ceiling leading to what he now recognized as the trooper barracks had collapsed, making it impossible to get into the corridor beyond. The corridor that was the only way out. Three other troopers were already busy trying to remove the debris, two of which where still in night clothes. Luke was vaguely aware that most of the troopers would be at the Festival so the barracks were almost empty. But... how had Luke gotten here anyway?

"Luke, come on! We have to get out of here!", Marvin urged him.

Luke pulled himself together and, ignoring the protest of the trooper, pushed those working at the debris away. He raised his hands and concentrated on the Force... but it didn't answer. His head was simply hurting too much, he couldn't concentrate!

Luke rubbed his temple. The troopers were alarmed and working hastily but Luke was so tired... He somehow couldn't find the same amount of panic in him as the others. He just wanted to go back to sleep.  
With a sigh Luke grabbed a boulder and helped the troopers to clear the way by hand. The sooner they got this issue cleared, the sooner he could go to bed.

As soon as they dug a hole big enough for a man to crawl through, Marvin was on the other side with Luke following more slowly. The trooper hurried into a nearby office and checked the terminal.

"Oh, this looks bad", he muttered.

"Whassup?", Luke slurred, holding his head.

"A number of explosions went off", Marvin said and pulled up a map of the base. "Here, here and here. The hangar bay, weapon storage and..."

"What?", Luke asked, not liking that silence.

"The command center. The rooms of the higher ups are over there."

"So?"

"Luke, if I hadn't brought you with me to the barracks...!"

"So, I'm lucky? Wait... why have you brought me here anyway?"

Marvin gave a dry laugh. "Questioning my thought process when I'm this drunk isn't a good idea. But no - what I meant is that this may be a random terrorist act or it may be a specific attack on your life."

"I root for the former. It's too early for assassinations", Luke replied and gave a yawn.

"I don't think they'll take your opinion into consideration." He pointed at a spot on the map. "That's the next escape route. Let's get out of here."

"Shouldn't we, I don't know, investigate or see if anybody needs help or something?"

"Luke, I'm not going to be the one explaining to your father why his son got blown up by terrorists."

"I can take a few terrorists!"

"You can't take anything on with a hangover like that!"

Right, hangover. He knew there was something up with his head. The pain was a pretty good indicator but it was so hard to think...

"Gimme a sec", Luke muttered and put his hands to his temples. He tried very hard to remember his lessons with his father about Force healing. Vader was by no means an expert in the subject. Healing was a technique the light side was uniquely suited for. Sith could heal themselves to a certain extent by drawing on the pain of their fallen foes but with the light side Luke was able to replenish his health and energy indefinitely. Theoretically. If only his head wouldn't hurt so much. Luke didn't have much practice healing himself. His father had him practice on many prisoners though and the difference was relatively small. Part of that training had included cleansing the mind of an interrogation victim of the effects of drugs. It was that technique that Luke now tried to apply to himself and though it took him a few minutes of Marvin growing increasingly annoyed, he managed to at least lower the pain in his head to a manageable level.

"Right. Terrorist attack. Of course this has to happen while I'm here", Luke muttered. 

"Luke, we have to get out of here!"

"No", the teenager decided, still tired but more focused now. "We have to see what's going on and if anybody needs our help."

"But-"

Luke was already turning around the corner, away from the escape route and Marvin cursed.

The two found their way deeper into the base and the destruction around them increased. Now that he was able to concentrate a bit better, Luke was able to remove most of the debris lying in their way with the Force so they made their way through pretty fast. Or they would have if Luke wouldn't stop at every second room where they found a trooper or Officer in pain with burns or bruises from the falling debris. The first few times Marvin stared in wonder as Luke laid his hands on the wounds, closed his eyes and right in front of him the bleeding stopped and torn muscles mended themselves. He never healed the wounds completely, be it because it would waste too much time or be too exhausting but he was providing first aid that would ensure the people would survive. Yet through it all Marvin couldn't help but think that Luke had a specific goal in his mind as he moved through the destroyed base with purpose.

"Luke, where are we going?"

"There is someone here. A presence... I think I felt it before, when searching for Leia. Whoever is responsible for the explosion is still here."

"And we're walking towards that person?!"

"Well, I am pretending to be an Imperial agent tasked with ensuring the peace during the Festival."

"Yes, exactly! You're pretending!"

Luke smiled mischievously. "I'm very good at pretending."

At last they reached a section of the base where the roof had collapsed. Their corridor opened into what looked like a battlefield with debris and steel beams lying around. In the middle of what must have been one of the three craters that had been the explosion's origin stood a woman. She didn't fit into the picture at all and for a moment Marvin simply stared at her.

The woman had black hair that whipped around her face in the wind. In the distance the sun was just beginning to rise, which caused her to be little more than a shadow but Marvin could see that she was wearing light armor instead of civilian clothing or a uniform. From her silhouette Marvin noticed that she was not unattractive but when the first rays of sunshine met her face it was cold and hard and her brown eyes were filled with an amount of hatred like Marvin had rarely ever seen in a single person. The woman raised both her arms and Marvin readied his blaster and wanted to shout a warning but Luke didn't seem to need it. He already had his lightsaber out. His jovial expression had been replaced with worry but also determination.  
A massive piece of concrete, formerly part of a ceiling, rose into the air between them and with a gesture of the woman, came flying in their direction. Luke switched off his lightsaber and reached out with both hands on his own. At first it seemed as if he wanted to catch the missile, which was crazy but the piece of debris stopped a few feet in front of them - and was thrown backwards. A loud crash could be heard and a cloud of dust rose into the air. 

"Shit just got real", Marvin muttered. "She's a Jedi, isn't she?" Marvin swerved around, trying to find the target. 

"Well, she's not one of ours so..."

In that moment she emerged again from the right, a blaster in her hand, firing red bolts in quick succession at them.

Luke switched on his lightsaber and now Marvin was glad for the long boring years of shooting at the boy because he spun around his blade so fast it appeared like a purple shield that deflected every single shot. Emerging from the cover Luke provided, Marvin began to shoot at the terrorist himself. The woman drew back, ducking behind a pile of junk.

"I don't want to hurt you!", Luke called out. "If you turn yourself over, there doesn't have to be any more fighting."

His answer was a boulder as large as Marvin's torso rushing towards Luke. He lunged to the side, causing the boulder to crash into the corridor behind them.

"That was stupid", Marvin muttered.

"What? I'm trying to be diplomatic."

"And you think Imperial custody is preferable to a quick death in a fight? For a terrorist? Not even I would fall for that, kiddo."

Luke sighed. "I came here to celebrate. Not to kill people."

"Then you shouldn't have headed to where you knew the center of danger was!"

Their banter was interrupted as the woman lifted several large rocks in quick succession, throwing them at Luke and Marvin. They dodged what they could and Luke caught one large one that would've crushed him with the Force but Marvin was hit by a smaller one and was thrown backwards by the impact.

"Marvin!", Luke called out before turning back to the Jedi, shouting: "Stop it! You're making everything worse!" 

He saw Marvin coming to his feet again and so he began running towards the Jedi, intent on ending the fight. The Jedi backed away from him, shooting her blaster as she did but Luke swiped away the beams with his lightsaber as if they were nothing. When he was close enough Luke lunged at the woman, his lightsaber coming down at her. The Jedi jumped back and moved a square piece of debris in front of her, using it as a shield to protect herself from the lethal weapon.

"Why are you doing this?", Luke asked over the noise of his laser weapon burring into the stone. "You're destroying the peace that you have sworn to protect!"

"Peace!", the woman spat, her first words since the duel had stared. "There can be no peace! No mercy for the likes of Vader!"

With a powerful Force push both Luke and the stone were pushed away. Luke landed on his back and groaned when something sharp underneath him dug into his back. The woman stepped forward, blaster pointed at Luke's head. He looked up into her hate-filled dark eyes and couldn't help but think that they looked vaguely familiar.

Before the Jedi could pull the trigger, Luke raised his hand and caught her in a Force grip. He flung her to the side, which gave him time to get back on his feet. The Jedi met a pillar with a sickening crash and when she slid down there was blood left on the stone.

Marvin approached and kicked away the blaster that had fallen out of her hand. He raised his own weapon, intent on giving her the last shot. The Jedi's eyes had slid shut, her face was a grimace of pain. When the trooper was about to pull the trigger, Luke felt a shiver in the Force. He called out for his friend but it was too late. The Jedi's eyes snapped open and with a movement of her hand she summoned a boulder from behind Marvin that came rushing at him, colliding with his legs and dropping him on the ground. The boulder rose, preparing to crush the trooper but Luke reached out for it himself, flinging it away. Before the Jedi could react, Luke was upon her and thrust his lightsaber forward. It buried into her shoulder, eliciting a scream of pain from her. Luke kept the hilt of the saber in the air with the Force and left the woman there, pinned to the pillar while he went to look after Marvin.

He turned the trooper around who was groaning in pain. Both of his legs where the boulder had hit him were a bloody mess. Luke flinched back as he saw all the blood; he had never treated a wound that bad. Still with only minor hesitation he put his hands on his friend’s wound, drawing upon the Force to help him. His head was still hurting a lot; his work was far less perfect than normal. He managed to stop the bleeding and mend some of the flesh but the broken bones he could do little about. At one point there was actually something sharp and white coming out of Marvin's knee.

The trooper was shaking in pain and let out a single, tortured scream when Luke put his hands on him.

"I'm sorry, Marvin, I'm so sorry", Luke muttered. He felt tears well up in him. This was all his fault! He'd been so careless, drinking so much and not taking the fight seriously. Now his friend was hurt because of him.

"Just... shoot the damn bitch.... and get me some fucking drugs!", Marvin moaned.

"I'm sorry", Luke whispered again and put a hand on Marvin's head. He poured some calming Force energy into him and the trooper's eyelids dropped. He was unconscious after a second.

Luke rose to his feet again, another kind of pain wrenching in his stomach. He turned back to the Jedi, who was still glaring at him hatefully.

"Why did you do that?", he asked, tears streaming down his face. "What have we ever done to you!?"

"Troopers like him raided my home... And Vader, your father, killed my family. Don't you dare look at me as if I'm the monster! The galaxy would be so much better off without you!", the woman hissed angrily.  
Luke crouched in front of his defeated foe. His eyes wandered over her. He didn't know what he was searching for but looking at her was hurting him. There was something familiar about this hatred in her eyes. That's right... Starkiller had looked at him the same way on Nar Shaddaa. Though Luke was angry at what she'd done to Marvin, he was also sad for her. She had lost a lot it seemed.

"I'm sorry for your family", Luke whispered. "But taking your anger out on others is wrong. You're a Jedi, aren't you? You're supposed to be better than that."

The Jedi laughed hollowly. "My order is gone! Vader killed them all, just like he killed my husband.... and..." She let out a sob and almost swallowed the next words. "...and my son. He was just a baby! He knew nothing of the galaxy and yet that monster ripped his life away! I want... I need him to suffer like I did." She gave a sneer and with the Force called her blaster back into her hand. "Nothing personal, kid." She pulled the trigger.

Luke was stunned. He'd known of all the crimes his father had committed. He knew he'd killed children, Jedi children. He knew he regretted that but that didn't give those children their life back. This woman had all right to hate his father. He felt with her, cried for her loss and pitied her fate - but he couldn't give his life for her hatred.

Luke dodged to the side a second too late. The laser beam grazed his cheek, leaving a burned mark but Luke was already moving, spinning around and delivering a kick to the head of the Jedi. Her head flew around, her wound further widening when the saber stuck in it was jostled and she finally lost consciousness.

Luke retrieved his lightsaber, allowing the body of the Jedi to slide to the ground. For a moment he stood over her, his weapon raised. Marvin was right. A quick death was preferable to being questioned by Imperial interrogators. But... Luke couldn't bring himself to kill her. He just couldn't.

The teenager gave a sigh. "I'm sorry", he muttered again and turned around. He had to get Marvin medical attention fast. He would send someone else to retrieve the woman and treat her as well. Maybe they would agree for him to keep her as his own prisoner. After all he had defeated her and the Major was still under the impression that he was an Imperial Secret Agent. Though what he would do with her... he had no idea.

XxX

Mallie woke up in a white cell. She was lying on a cold slab of metal, her wrists and ankles bound to it by metal shackles. There was a cold patch of what was probably bacta on her shoulder wound numbing the pain. She recognized at once that she was in Imperial custody and fought against her shackles in a brief moment of panic but of course it was no use.

She sank back on the stretcher, suddenly exhausted. A lone tear fought her way down her cheek. She had failed. She had failed to avenge her family. She had sullied the name of the Jedi by giving in to her anger and it had all been for nothing. Now she would be questioned, probably tortured and if she wasn't strong enough her friends would be in danger as well.

No! She refused to let that happen. The boy had believed her act as a Jedi immediately and she had given him enough reason to believe she had acted on her own. Funny thing, that. She had acted alone. She was a Jedi.

After learning that it wasn't Vader visiting but his son, Ming Wing had talked the rest of the cell into aborting the mission after all. Torald and Arnod had gone to remove the explosives but Mallie had followed them, knocked them out and left them with some other drunks on the Festival where they wouldn't draw attention. Then she had gone to pull through with the plan on her own.

Her friends had no idea that Mallie could, in fact, use the Force. She had left the Jedi order a long time ago to be with her family, even before Order 66 had been issued but she had been a fully trained Knight once and she knew how to fight with the Force. It hadn't always been easy to hide this and when Katdella had suggested using it to pretend to be a Jedi, she had been worried for a moment but her friends had truly been clueless and Mallie was able to steer the conversation so she would be the one playing the bait. She was pretending to be a civilian who pretended to be a Jedi while actually being a Jedi. Sometimes her fate was twisted cruelly.

"You're finally awake", she heard a voice somewhere behind her. Mallie tried to twist her head but her position on the stretcher wouldn't allow it. There were footsteps and a person stepped into her view, dragging a chair with him.

It was Vader's spawn. Mallie's lips curled in distaste and hatred as the teenager took a seat next to her. He looked tired, she noted. Not the carefree tiredness of a morning after a great party but a weary, sad tiredness that came from mulling over something depressing for too long.

"I'm sorry about... all that", the boy said, motioning to her chains. "Standard protocol, you see. I would've given you more time to rest but I can't. Had to wake you with the Force."

Mallie looked away for a moment, barely able to hide her repulsion. Than she looked back at her captor and motioned with one of her chained hands for him to come closer. He did and she reared forward, spitting into his face.

"I don't give a fuck about your concern!", she screeched and pulled hard on her chains, trying to pour all her hatred into the venomous words.

Skywalker drew back, shock and for some reason hurt in his eyes. He wiped the spit off his cheek and asked her annoyed:

"What the hell is your problem? You're just making things worse for yourself."

"Oh yeah?", she scoffed. "How could it possibly get worse?"

"Oh, let's see", Skywalker mused sarcastically. "Right now you're being charged with the murder of 23 Imperials. You're a homicidal maniac who used her latent Force powers as well as an arsenal of weapons and explosives to bring down an Imperial base. If you confess, your punishment will be execution." His scowl deepened a bit. "Of course, once the investigation about the incident is complete, things will look a bit different. Any member of the Inquisitors can confirm that the Force cannot be used in combat to such extent without training. An investigation of the base will uncover whatever devices you used to blow it and probably prove that it was not a spur of the moment but a long planned operation. This would suggest you aren't working alone. You'd be charged with terrorism instead and possibly high treason if it turns out you're a Jedi. The punishment for that is still execution but you'd have to go through interrogation first, thereby endangering everyone who's ever helped you."

Skywalker got closer to her, leaning over her but wisely didn't get close to her face again. "My testimony and your confession might be enough to close the case as one of a random killing spree and you might get your punishment before a proper investigation can be launched. But if you piss me off any further, I can up the game for you just as well. Your crime could rise from a random terrorist attack on a second-priority-planet to an attempted assassination of my person. I don't think I have to tell you how that would make a certain Sith Lord extremely angry. You wouldn't even get a formal execution, you would just vanish and your friends would forever wonder what happened to you until they have the Inquisition knocking at their doors themselves. You'll be a priority prisoner. You'll be made to spill all your secrets within an hour and for the next couple of weeks or months you'll serve as a practice dummy for every apprentice torturer from here to the Outer Rim. That's how it could get worse."

Luke leaned back again, watching as the realization sank into the woman. He didn't often threaten people but that didn't mean he wasn't good at it. He had been taught by the best after all. Everything he'd said was the complete truth. He knew it, he'd seen it happen all before - and she knew it as well.

Luke could tell that the prospect of pain did not frighten her, though he wondered why. He found pain very unpleasant and often wondered why prisoners tended to disregard it so fast. Nine out of ten prisoners who'd been acting so tough had been screaming out their soul within the first ten minutes of torture. Vader had never made Luke watch the act itself but he'd had to wait next door, hearing everything and then come in after it was done to practice his healing on the ripped flesh of the victims. He'd hated those lessons more than anything.

"What do you want?", the Jedi finally bit out.

"I want to hear your story. I want you to tell me about your family."

She stared at him. "Why?"

"Because right now I'm feeling like making things worse for you", Luke replied annoyed. "You killed people. People that were unarmed, unaware, and many of them asleep. That's disgraceful. You hurt a very good friend of mine. They were only barely able to save his legs but he'll forever have a limp and can bid his career goodbye. I know you were probably a Jedi once. But I've met Jedi before. You're unlike any of them. There's so much darkness in you, so much hatred - I don't know if there's enough goodness left in you to be worth the effort. Right now I'm feeling like leaving you to my father's mercy but I know that later on, I might regret it. I'm not usually set on vengeance. So I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself." What he didn't tell her was that every time he thought about abandoning her, he felt a warning shiver in the Force. There was something important about this woman, something more than just being a Jedi and if he disregarded it, something precious may be lost.

The Jedi stayed silent but less in a stubborn and more in a contemplative way.

"We kinda don't have that much time", Luke said. "Father is going to be here in less than an hour."

"What?" For the first time he saw a flicker of fear in her eyes.

"Yeah, turns out Marvin did send a message to him after all, shortly before we left for the Festival. His ship should be in hyperspace still and he probably doesn't know about the attack yet but I can already feel him approaching."

"I..." She licked her suddenly dry lips.

"Let's start with your name", Luke offered.

"It's... It's Mallie", she whispered. "And you're right... I am a Jedi. Or at least, I was one." 

Mallie blinked away her tears but she tried telling herself that the information she was giving away wouldn't hurt anybody. Not anymore. On the contrary, it was important that the Imperials believed the attack to be related to the Jedi or even better, personally motivated so they wouldn't link it with the Wookies.

"I was a Jedi Knight during the Republic but I left the order. They kept my robes and my lightsaber, everything. I was sent away without a single coin and was left to fend for myself."

Luke didn't understand. "What happened?"

Mallie laughed humorlessly. "I got pregnant, that's what happened. Jedi are not allowed to marry or have children. Their code forbids them from forming attachment. Love leads to jealously and jealously leads to hatred, hatred is the essence of the dark side... They were not required to live in celibate but they did have an image to uphold. So they gave me a choice. I could either leave the order or once it was born, give away my child. It would be tested for Force potential and if it had any it would be sent to be raised by order members in charge of the AgriCorps until it was ready to begin Jedi training. If the child was not Force-sensitive, it would be given to a foster family. It would never know my name or the name of its father and I would never get to see my little boy again." There were tears running down her face now but none of her emotions could be heard in her voice.   
"Of course I refused. I could never abandon by baby."

"What about his father?", Luke wanted to know. "Couldn't he have taken care of him?" He was surprised that Jedi were not allowed to marry - he'd never heard of that rule. His father had been married after all. Then again, maybe he wasn't the best example. 

"No.... his father was a Jedi as well. We hid our love the best we could but when our son came I decided I was sick of all the hiding. I begged him to come with me. I thought for sure after we married in secret that he would. But the Clone Wars were still going at that time. I had a baby to take care of and during the war it was so hard to find work, more so for a dishonorably dismissed Jedi. So my husband decided to stay with the order. In contrast to the order, the Navy paid very well so he could support us and he came to visit us here as often as he could."

"You lived on Kashyyyk?", Skywalker asked and Mallie could've bitten her tongue. She tried to calm herself - that was decades ago, he had no reason to believe she had stayed on the planet any longer after... everything happened.

"Yes, we helped out the Wookies during the war and they were friendly towards us."

Luke nodded. "What happened then?" He had assumed that Mallie's baby was one of the children his father had killed in the Jedi temple on the day of Order 66. He knew that his father was not in the habit of killing children and it had pained him that he had to do it even at that time. The thought that he'd been so ruthless afterwards when it wasn't even necessary made Luke sick.

"The day the Jedi order was wiped out my husband and I were at home. We didn't hear about it until later in the news, though we both felt it in the Force. It was so terrible. We knew they would be out for us as well and so, to protect our family and our child, we hid away in a small village not too far from here." That was a lie - her husband had wanted to search for the other Jedi the moment they felt their deaths but a friendly Wookie had told them about what was happening. Apparently the Grand Master himself had barely escaped an attempt on his life on a front on the other side of the planet. They had even communicated with old Master Yoda briefly over a secure channel and he'd advised them to go into hiding.

"For a couple of years, everything was silent. Neither of us had any living relatives to speak of but we created a reputation of our own. House of Marek became well-liked with the Wookies. They kept silent about our Jedi status and we never used our powers in the open. Our little baby began to grow into a child and we were both so proud of him. And then... Then Vader came", Mallie spat.

"The Wookie rebellion", Luke guessed. He had a bad feeling about this.

"He wasn't here for the rebellion! At that time barely anyone knew his name. He only came with the purpose of destroying my family. He didn't care that Kento and I had been living peacefully for the past three years.   
We were never part of any conspiracy. It was pure coincidence that I wasn't at home that day. When I returned... I found a trail of our dead friends and my home was in flames. The Empire had set fire to the forest. I was barely able to drag my husband's body out of our home. The upper floor, where my little boy was sleeping, was completely destroyed. I searched for hours in the burning wreckage but I couldn't even find his body. I couldn't even bury my little baby."

Mallie was openly crying now and Luke couldn't help but feel for her. It was obvious that Vader had been on one of his many Jedi hunts when he attacked their home. That such a young child had to die in the process was incredibly sad but Luke found a little comfort in the knowledge that neither his father nor the following troops had likely known of the small boy hiding in the upper floor. After all, Jedi weren't allowed to have children. Who would suspect such a thing?

But even as Luke mourned the tragedy that had befallen this woman, he felt the Force nudge at him again. There was something in her story he was missing, something obvious. House of Marek... He thought he'd heard that name before. But where was it?

"I... I came back here a few days ago", Mallie lied, still under tears. "I wanted to visit their graves. I wanted to be close to them again, to my beloved Kento and my little Galen. I swear, that is all there is to it. I didn't plan for anything, I didn't work with anyone. I just... couldn't stand the thought that this monster had a family while mine was gone."

There it was. Galen Marek - Luke knew that name. He'd heard it only once or twice before but he knew it.

Vader hadn't murdered Mallie's child. He'd taken it with him.

Mallie Marek was Starkiller's mother.


	40. Chapter 40

Starkiller stood in front of the main gates of Jabba's palace, regarding the security lasers pointed at him from overhead with disdain. Then he knocked at the door.

A small window next to the gates opened and a pale face could be seen peaking at him. He was greeted with words that he didn't understand but that sounded very rude.

"You will open the gate for me", Starkiller commanded.

The being on the other side - Starkiller could only see a fraction of its face and swollen skin but he doubted it was human - gave a scoff and something that sounded like an insult and tried to shut the window. However Starkiller held out his hand, catching the metal in a Force grip and kept it open that way.

"You will open the gate for me", he repeated.

The being at last decided to speak his language; however it still didn't show himself cooperative.

"I don't know your face, so you're not getting in here!" He tried to close the window again but it wouldn't shut. Starkiller was still staring at him intently and the being was getting a little nervous.

"What'ya doing? Who do you think you are, some kind of Jedi? Are ya trying a mind trick on me?"

Starkiller scoffed. "I don't use mind tricks. I only use force." With that he attacked the being's mind viciously, keeping eye contact as he ripped through his defenses. The being cried out in pain and fell on his knees, whimpering and screaming in pain as Starkiller shook the very foundations of his mind.

The young Sith let go of him for just a bit. He could feel the guards fear and anger rising and caught him thinking about how he had to hurry to sound an alarm and call for backup.

At once Starkiller continued his assault, sending pain like sharp knives through the being's skull. He kept the torture up for a minute or so until he lessened it to a point where the guard was capable of thinking again. By now he was lying on the ground, sobbing pathetically.

You know I will kill you, Starkiller let his voice sound in the being's mind. Since it had fallen to the ground and was not directly in front of the window anymore, it probably wouldn't have been able to hear his real voice. 

I will kill everyone in this so-called palace. But if you open the door for me, I promise there will be no more pain for you.

The guard tried to resist one last time, sobbing as he crawled away from the gates but Starkiller wouldn't allow it. He didn't need the eye contact anymore, he was already deep inside his victim’s head and he continued to wreck havoc in it, disregarding every rule he'd ever learned about careful information extraction. He didn't need anything from this being other than his submission.

The guard screamed again, his howling ending in a strangled sob. At last there was a click and the gate swung open to admit the Sith in. He stepped through and threw a glance at the guard. He wondered if he was a Twi'lek or at least related to them and regarded the ugly, bloated head tentacle wrapped around his neck. He didn't bother to draw his lightsaber for this scum but simply raised his hand and gripped his collarbones with the Force. He had learned from his mistake the day before when he ripped apart a person. It was a mess and so this time, he simply pushed the bones together, effectively breaking the being's neck.

Now he could hear footsteps and a moment later a group of what looked like armored pig-men were rounding the corner, being lured here by the screams.

Starkiller flexed his hands, lighting coursing between his finger tips.

"Who of you wants to tell me where I can find Jabba?"

XxX

Darth Vader doubted that he had ever been this furious before. Oh, he knew rage, he knew hatred but the anger he felt now towards his son was not born out of any crime committed against Vader. He was angry because his son had been incredibly irresponsible, stupid and disobedient and by the stars, he was absolutely sick with worry and fear at the thought what could've happened to him.

Vader had already ordered the fleet to set a course for Kashyyyk, having found through hours of very painful light side meditation that this was where his son was hiding when the message from the Stormtrooper had reached him.

In all honesty, if Luke had abandoned him because he at last decided he didn't want to have anything to do with Vader or the Sith, he would've understood that. It would've pained him greatly but he'd gotten to know Luke over the years well enough to know that this was simply not a life he could ever enjoy and the fact that Luke's strong compassion often clashed with the Empire's politics didn't help any. Vader might've even contemplated letting him go if it wasn't for the fact that the galaxy out there was such a dangerous place and he couldn't let his son venture out all by himself. He was only sixteen!

If Luke had decided to abandon the military, maybe found a school or academy on some planet where he wanted to learn normal stuff and be with normal people or if he wanted to enter a training program for professional racers like the ones he knew the boy had researched from time to time, he might have even supported him and might have only reprimanded him briefly for leaving without telling him.

If he had left for Tatooine, that would've been more complicated since Vader absolutely did not want this precious bond he had forged between himself and his son to break and finding out about the Lars might've done that. That's why he sent Starkiller to make sure the farmers could never be used against him in that way, not now and not ever. If Luke decided to stay with them and become a farmer himself, that would be extremely disappointing but it was something he could live with as long as he didn't sever all contact and would come to visit sometimes. 

Vader had thought long and hard about all these scenarios during his meditation and he was honestly surprised by himself how ready he was to let Luke go, if that was the only way that he could keep him... if that made any sense. He knew a couple of years ago, he would've rather taken another bath on Mustafar than let his son flee from his grasp after finally finding him. But Luke was growing up and as much as Vader hated to admit it... He couldn't lock him up forever. Force knew he'd tried.

No, it wasn't that he was totally against the idea of letting Luke go. The problem was that Luke was a total imbecile, he was reckless and silly and childish and he couldn't take care of himself. He was growing up but he wasn't there yet and he still needed Vader.

Because Luke had not left out of political reasons or to pursue a new carrier or even to rejoin his relatives. He had left in order to get himself drunk at a stupid party with a couple of strangers and ended up as a victim of a freaking rebel attack. Vader had honestly thought he'd raised his son better than that. Padme would turn in her grave... No, actually she would laugh and point out how Vader had been just like that at this age. Vader sighed. Oh, how he missed her laugh.

Vader felt his anger slowly evaporate and he had to slow his furious march through the corridors of the Imperial base that was still undergoing repairs as he felt his breathing grow labored. The meditation had exhausted him. His joints were aching and the urge to cough was barely tolerable. He looked around at the troopers that were at work everywhere shoveling debris. The thought that he might've almost lost his son in a stupid random rebel attack on a stupid random planet was sending a cold stab of fear through his heart. Unlike usual though the fear did not feed the dark side in him. He was too tired to call for its support. Instead he just felt a sudden dizziness overcome him and he knew if they weren't made of metal, his legs might've given in. The great Darth Vader, sent to his knees at the thought of loosing that one, precious boy. Oh, Sidious would have a field day.

Vader pulled himself together and rounded the corner, finally reaching the detention center where according to the local Commander, both the rebel and his son were waiting. His mind was all set on making sure Luke was alright. He would get his royal tirade later but right now... He just wanted to hold his boy in his arms.  
There was the cell the Commander had named him. Just as Vader was approaching, the door opened and Luke stepped out, closing it behind him before he looked up at Vader. He looked very tired.

"Father...", he began but before he could get out another word, Vader was already on him and wrapped his arms around him, pulling the wiry teenager against his chest plate and probably pressing all the air out of his lungs judging from the sounds he was making.

Uh, father... you're kinda choking me, Luke spoke in his mind. He pedaled his feet a bit because Vader had actually lifted him up a bit so he was hanging in the air.

Vader let out a breath and set Luke down very slowly. He wished so much he could smell his hair or feel his warmth, just to assure himself that Luke was alive and well.

You deserved that, he decided at last and wiped some non-existing dust from Luke's shoulder. He felt awkward after his unusual display of affection, Luke was no small child anymore but Force... He'd needed that.

Luke gave him a lopsided grin. "Does that mean I'm not in trouble after all?"

"You're in one shithole of trouble", Vader denied.

The grin became a little brighter. "That's the first time you've ever hugged me though. Maybe I should get in trouble more often?"

"Don't you dare!", Vader called out, feeling distinctly horrified.

Luke laughed and Vader finally calmed down a bit, feeling his fear and worry slowly subside.

Luke became serious again. "Father, I need to talk to you."

"You are still grounded for the next couple of months. Actually, make that years."

"I know. And I'm sorry. Really, I am. But that's not important right now. I... I spoke to the person who set off the explosions..."

Luke began to pull him into an adjoining interrogation room and Vader reluctantly let him. Now that he concentrated he could feel that the person next door was strong the in the Force. When he brushed the person's mind - a female he could tell - it flinched back from his touch as if burned and a wave of hatred hit him. A trained Force-user then, probably a Jedi. A fallen Jedi from the feel of it. At once Vader felt his fear for his son return, the thought that Luke had been alone with that woman did not sit right with him at all. A random rebel attack was one thing but a Jedi rearing her head? The matter had just become personal. The Jedi were supposed to be wiped out. If there were any left it was Vader's fault. He had failed to protect his son and that made his stomach lurch painfully.

"That Jedi over there", Luke started, trying to catch his attention again. "She was specifically targeting me." Vader felt his breath hitch and his unease reach new heights. On the Devastator, Luke had been well shielded. There had been assassins sent after him before. Vader had many enemies that would like to get at him through his son. But all of those attempts had been smothered before Luke could even notice. This had been the closest anyone had ever come to harming him aside from whatever horror Starkiller had exposed him to. Still he couldn't allow himself to show his panic and instead put a hand on Luke's shoulder, trying to calm the boy as much as himself.

"I will take care of it."

Vader wanted to turn away but Luke held him back.

"Wait, that's not everything! She... She wanted to kill me because I'm your son. She wanted revenge."

It was as he'd thought. Vader's throat felt very dry. His past sins were finally catching up to him.

"I'm sorry, son. I will make sure it does not happen again."

He wanted to leave but one more time Luke held him back, even going so far as grasping his hand.

"There's more! Father, she... She wanted revenge because she thinks you killed her son." Luke gave him a meaningful look that Vader couldn't decipher. His son already knew that he had killed children... They agreed that it was a despicable thing to do, one that belonged in the past and should stay there.

"So...?", he asked slowly, not seeing the point.

"So?", Luke echoed. "Her name is Mallie Marek. That ring a bell?"

Vader looked at him blankly.

Luke rolled his eyes. The next words he spoke to his mind directly, not deeming the information fit to be said aloud even though they were alone.

Father, she's S.K.'s mother.

That was somewhat surprising. Vader's research after taking in the child had shown up his mother as deceased so he hadn't ever bothered digging too deep into her past. She'd been a Jedi on his list once but of low priority during to her having long since left the order and when she'd died her name had simply been crossed out and been forgotten.

I see, Vader merely answered, wondering why his son had felt the need to tell him. It would've come up in the interrogation anyway.

A third time he turned to leave and a third time Luke held him back. Now he was slowly growing annoyed.

"What is it?", he growled.

"Well? What are you gonna do?", Luke wanted to know.

Vader let him glimpse a few imaginative ways of causing pain to this woman. He was in dire need of reconnecting with the dark side and this woman would pay for daring to attack his son.

Luke looked horrified though. "You can't do that!", he objected.

Can't I?

She's S.K.'s mother!, Luke repeated.

So?

He wouldn't want that.

He doesn't know. Even if he did, I doubt he would care. She's a Jedi after all.

Now Luke didn't just look horrified, he looked hurt, as if Vader had betrayed him or something. The Sith Lord quickly thought back to what he'd said but there was nothing wrong about it - was there?

Luke took a deep breath. He could feel that his father didn't understand why his words had shaken him so much and he felt angry and disappointed at that but he also knew that he had gotten himself into a lot of trouble and sulking would do nothing to get him back into his good graces.

You know, he said, projecting his words directly into his father's mind, there are people who think me crazy or brainwashed for caring about you since you're a Sith as well. You know I don't want to become like you and I don't even like most of what you're doing but I still love you because you're my father. Why would you think S.K. any different? Why couldn't he care for his Jedi mother? It doesn't matter which side of a stupid religion or political faction you're on, it's family. 

Did you just... call the Sith order a stupid religion!?

"Father!", Luke whined, this time aloud.

But Vader couldn't help it, he felt offended. To be compared to this Jedi! Their situations were completely different. Luke had been brought up in a loving environment, it was natural for him to seek attachment to his family. Starkiller was different. Any kindness or ability to love had been beaten out of him from a young age. Maybe under Luke's influence he might've tried to search them out if his parents had been loyal Imperial citizens but as it was, he should hate his Jedi parents just as much as any other enemy. That was proven by the fact that even though Sidious had used his family name against him, Starkiller had quickly set aside his hatred for Vader for killing them as soon as he'd heard that they had been Jedi.

"What do you expect me to do, Luke? She killed a lot of people. Jedi or not, she has to be punished for her crimes."

"Yeah, but..." ...prisoners vanish all the time in Imperial custody. Nobody would question what you do to her.

Exactly and I'm going to make good use of that, Vader replied, his mind once again filled with various interrogation methods.

Father, Luke tried again, S.K. is... not well. I can see it in his eyes. Whatever the Emperor did to him... I don't know, sometimes he looks so haunted. As if he's constantly in pain. Maybe his mother can give him back something he's missing. Something the Sith have taken from him.

"Luke, do you even realize what you're asking? Even if it does work..." ...the implications could be catastrophic. If Starkiller stood by the Jedi, if he decided to help them out and turn against the Empire...

Luke's eyes widened. "But that's not what I mean! I mean..." He looked to the side in the direction where he could feel Mallie's presence. She does feel rather dark. I don't think she's as brainwashed as the other Jedi and once she learns that you didn't kill S.K. but raised him yourself, maybe she'll be more open to reasoning.

Vader disagreed. If she learns that I have raised her son, she will only hate me more.

How would you know?

I know because I didn't care for your aunt and uncle one bit until I learned they were keeping you from me. I wanted to murder them for that. The mere thought that you may call another your father was maddening to me.

Luke looked at him with those bright blue eyes, so trusting. But you didn't. You didn't hurt them you helped them because I was more important to you, isn't that right?

Vader felt like a very, very bad person. Right, he answered. So funny that he mentioned it...

See, than maybe Mrs. Marek can do the same.

You forget that I also killed her husband, Vader reminded him. That was like asking him to work together with Kenobi for Luke's sake. Actually, that was a bad example. Vader felt very uncomfortable making that comparison. He refused to think about what his obvious decision would have to be in such a case.

Luke huffed. Look, if it doesn't work you can still go back to killing her later, can't you?

Now that was the first valid argument his son had made today.

"I will... consider it", Vader allowed at last.

Luke nodded, looking relieved.

"Now though", Vader growled, "don't think I haven't noticed what you've been trying to do."

"Huh?"

"You tried to distract me from your reckless and shameful behavior. Running away. Getting drunk. What by the name of the Force where you thinking?!"

At once Luke's shoulders slumped and he turned into exactly the shamefaced, rebellious youth returning with his tail between his legs that he was in Vader's eyes. As his father began to raise his voice, Luke knew that he had a long tirade ahead of him. He had never been more glad for soundproof interrogation cell walls.

XxX

Starkiller stood in the middle of a wide hall. The ground around him was littered with bodies. All kinds of species were represented. There were heavily armored bounty hunters and more of the ugly pig-guards. Most of the non-warrior sycophants had fled at the first sight of trouble. This fortunately did not include the disgusting being known as Jabba the Hutt but the reason for that was not bravery. No, it was simply impossible for the incredibly fat slug to move away fast enough. Oh, he had tried to flee by pressing a button on his throne that had activated some kind of elevator but Starkiller had simply sent a stream of lighting down the shaft before he could leave it. The smell of burned flesh was now rising from the hole.

Starkiller had taken care to kill everyone who opposed him as well as those fleeing who wore visible weapons. Those cowering in a corner he mostly ignored, figuring that they were probably slaves. Now that he stood in the main hall, empty of all life aside from him, he regarded the bodies around him. He felt like he should... do something. Set a sign. Make an example. Maybe he could retrieve Jabba's body and hang it from the rafters or something? But for that he would have to jump down the elevator shaft, probably ending right onto the slug's body. Nah… he had sullied his boots enough today.

Starkiller's gaze fell on the wall behind Jabba's favorite resting place. Maybe he could leave a sign. Written in blood. Something like a trademark. He knew that it wouldn't help the slaves any if there was one crazy lunatic killing one Hutt in a system controlled by an entire clan of slugs. But if he could make sure they understood that this was a calculated target, that a new power was claiming Tatooine, it could offer some protection for the slaves he'd free to say they belonged to him.

Of course Starkiller had no intention of actually claiming Tatooine. It didn't sit well with him how the people here were treated but he didn't have the time to do something about it. But just saying that they were under his protection might protect the slaves he freed from Rassul.

Starkiller searched one of the corpses for an old fashioned vibroblade and gutted the man. He ripped a rag from his clothes and dipped it into the growing pool of blood. Now he just had to decide on a symbol. Something to do with his name? A star maybe? Nah, that would look stupid.

Starkiller's hand loomed by the wall. At last he began to paint. When he was done the wall was adorned by a symbol made out of a crescent moon with a tricorn in the middle. The rising phoenix, the starbird of the Marek family crest. He'd found the symbol a couple of years ago when he'd searched for information about his family in the Imperial database. The Marek name had been tainted by the Jedi traitors and Starkiller cared little about it but he could give it a new meaning. A meaning of freedom.

Once done with his message, Starkiller left for the lower levels of the palace. This was where prisoners and slaves were being kept and with some luck, it was where he would find Sally's daughter. He hadn't promised her to search for this girl and really, the only reason he came here was for some good bloodshed but now that he was here, he could just as well take a look.

As it turned out, the dungeons were brimming with captives. Starkiller let out those that were only being held down by bars. However, the slaves he commanded to get together separately. Be it that he offered a very menacing sight, blood soaked as he was, be it that they were used to obeying or thought he was their new owner and could make them explode if he wanted but he could tell most of them obeyed. There were a few who were fleeing with the others that he suspected were slaves but he honestly didn't care. It was their loss after all.

Still Starkiller ended up with over fifty people, ranging from old men to children that were looking up at him for guidance. Starkiller had very little experience leading troops but he had led a commando or two and he knew how to emanate confidence and give commands. He organized the looting of the palace until everyone had clothes fitted for the desert, weapons for those that knew how to handle them as well as enough food and water to sustain themselves for a couple of days. He made sure to get all the vehicles together he could find and gave one to a group of slaves who claimed to have relatives or friends in a nearby town that could help them. At last only 37 remained that had nowhere to go. It was far more than he had originally expected and he was already growing annoyed with having to take care of them but at last he sent them to the only place where they would be safe for the time being: the Lars homestead. Somewhere amongst them, he hoped, Sally's daughter would be.

Starkiller watched the procession as they ventured into the desert. Then he hopped onto the last remaining speeder and made his way back to the town. He had a smuggler to meet.


	41. Chapter 41

Mallie was not afraid of death. She would even go so far as to say she was prepared to die. But feeling that dark, powerful presence approach her cell filled her with so much fear and anger she could barely breathe. He was here, at last. He was here and she was helpless, unable to take the revenge she craved for. It was so humiliating, she wished Skywalker had killed her.

And yet, the unimaginable happened. Instead of entering her cell to torture her body and soul, the presence... turned away. Just like that it left and Mallie had to swallow her tears. She was relieved and yet felt ashamed for feeling so. Maybe she hadn't been as prepared as she'd thought.

Time passed. She couldn't say how much but it was at least an hour. Then the door opened again and Skywalker returned. He dropped a bag at the door, stepped over to her and began to work on her chains.

"W-What are you doing?", she asked.

"I'm releasing you", Skywalker answered just as the metal bands fell from her wrists. She brought her hands together, rubbing the sore skin and stared at him with wide eyes.

"Why?"

Skywalker didn't answer immediately. "There's an Imperial uniform in the bag. I suggest you put it on and keep your head down."

"Nobody knows you're doing this? What have you told Vader? I know he was here!", Mallie exclaimed and jumped from the stretcher once her ankles were free as well.

"I made a deal so he'd give me more time to interrogate you on my own. Now if you're caught it's my head on the line as well so you must act inconspicuous, do you understand?" He pushed the bag into her arms and Mallie opened it to reveal a gray uniform. The standard issue blaster was lacking, no surprise there.

"You haven't answered my question", she said. "Why are you doing this? I... I tried to kill you."

Skywalker didn't look all that sure of his decision himself but he met her eyes nonetheless. "I can get you out of the base and from there you can vanish to wherever you came from... Or you can come with me back to Death Squadron and hide under that uniform a little longer."

"Why the hell would I want to do that?", she asked disgusted.

"Because your son, Galen Marek, isn't dead. If you come with me, I can take you to him."

All color vanished from Mallies face.

"Y-You're lying. That... That can't be true! What kind of sick little freak are you to say something like this!?" Mallie reached out to hit Skywalker but he caught her hand before her wild swing could connect with his face.

"Your son is alive", he repeated. "I can take you to him."

"Lies!", the Jedi screeched, hysterical tears running down her face. She fought against Skywalker again. "All lies! You're a liar! Vader killed my baby!"

"No he didn't. That's what I'm trying to tell you, Mrs. Marek. He didn't kill your son. He... took him with him."

"That's nonsense! Why would he do something like that?"

Skywalker hesitated again and maybe it was this pause that made the following words more believable, because it was something he didn't really want to tell her.

"Because... Because he needed an apprentice."

As much as it poisoned her heart, her hatred had always rooted Mallie in reality, had brought her back on track time and time again and made her keep a level head during combat. The loss of her family had shaken her up but she was not broken. She was still strong, still fighting.

Hearing those words from Vader's spawn though, she felt her hatred flee to make room for horror. She felt the last strands of her sanity snap as the beautiful memory of her little baby boy was twisted into something she abhorred. She tried in vain to fight the images her sub-consciousness produced: her little boy, his sweet smile twisted into a cruel grin as he shot lighting for his little hands and tortured the small animals that he used to play with in the forest. She imagined him playing with his father's lightsaber, but as it switched on the blade was red and he began slaughtering his little Wookie friends. She imagined her Galen looking up at Vader, calling him Master and her stomach churned.

"I-It's a lie", she tried again, horrified. "He-He wouldn't need... He has you for that, you are his apprentice! It doesn't make any sense!"

Skywalker smiled wryly. "Dunno if you've noticed but I suck at dark side stuff. Besides, S.K. - I mean Galen was there before me. I only joined the Empire a few years ago."

Skywalker bent down to pick up the bag that she'd dropped and offered it to her again.

"So, what will it be? Do you want to see Galen again? Even though he's a Sith now?"

Mallie looked at the gray uniform, than back to Skywalker. In one last desperate attempt she listened to the Force, hoping to find any dishonesty in the teenager with its help. She looked at the uniform, hoping for that tell-tale whispered warning, a sign that she was heading into a trap. Instead she found a sense of... opportunity... and hope.

Mallie couldn't stop herself, she sunk to her knees, burying her face in her hands as she cried more tears than she'd ever shed since loosing her family.

Skywalker watched her helplessly for a few seconds. At last he dropped to one knee next to her, awkwardly patting her shoulder.

"Hey... it's alright, Mrs. Marek. Galen isn't such a bad guy. I'm sure he could warm up to you... I know it's not what you expected... but at least you'd have part of your family back, right? That's good news!"

"You're telling my Vader twisted by baby into an evil demon and that's supposed to be good news!?"

"Well... Would you prefer it if he had killed him?"

That... was a good question. Mallie knew the answer should be yes. That had been taught to her in the order her entire life. Better dead than a slave to the dark side. That was why Jedi would not go easy on the Sith, even if they formerly belonged to their own. Killing them was doing them and everyone a favor. That was what the Jedi had taught her.... But it wasn't as if the Jedi were always right, was it? The Jedi had also taught her that love was wrong and forbidden when she knew it was the most beautiful thing in the galaxy. They had demanded she give up her Galen and yet she had stubbornly fought for him, even if it meant she got thrown out. If the Jedi couldn't separate her from her child... what chance did the Sith have?

"Can you... Can you help me to save him?", she asked hopefully. She knew it was selfish to ask this of the teenager, the one who had already done so much for her even though she tried to kill him but she didn't care about being selfish anymore. "Can you help me to get him away from Vader?"

Skywalker hesitated again. "Mrs. Marek... That's gonna be really hard. S.K. is really cold and angry and sad most of the time and I really hope you can help him get better. But I don't think separating him from Vader is the right way to go about it. He doesn't want to leave, you know?"

"But the Sith always betray each other!", Mallie protested. "Surely he must hate Vader? We could get rid of him together and without his influence, I can help him see the light again!"

Skywalker flinched back and a moment too late the Jedi remembered who she was talking to.

"Even if that were right", he ground out, "I most certainly won't help you murder my father and believe me, you will need my help if you want S.K. to listen to a single word you have to say." He held out the bag one last time. "So? You in or out?"

He was obviously fed up with her and Mallie was still suspicious why he would do all of that for her. But a decision had to be made now.

The former Jedi hesitated for barely second before she snatched the uniform from Skywalker's hands. She would get her son back, no matter the cost.

XxX

Owen heard the tell-tale rattle of a speeder and felt like crying.

"No, no, no, no! Not another one!", he exclaimed.

"Owen, dear...", Beru tried to calm him but the farmer shook her off and walked up the stairs to chase away the newcomer.

"We are full!", he shouted as soon as he opened the door. "There's no more room, you'll have to find another place!"

That's when the speeder pulled up next to the entrance of the farm and he recognized the Imp who'd brought all this trouble upon his family.

"You!", he shouted, pointing a finger at him. "By the stars, what were you thinking?"

Starkiller merely raised an eyebrow at him. "Excuse me?"

"First that family, alright but now these dozens and dozens of people? Killing Jabba the freaking Hutt? And then sending all those people to us!" He motioned towards the basin where a few mothers sat with their children playing in the shadow of the walls.

"They've built their camps in our caves and act as if it's their home and it's all your fault!"

Starkiller scowled, looking down at the farmer. He looked quite pissed off all of a sudden and Owen couldn't help the shudder that ran down his spine.

"The caves are not yet operational as long as the vaporators aren't installed, therefore they're put to better use as shelter for freed ones. They brought their own food and water too and can serve as laborers to help build up your farm. I fail to see where the problem is."

Some of the freed slaves in the basin raised their heads and Starkiller almost groaned. Great, now they had an audience.

Owen gasped indignantly. "Where the problem is!? Oh, they may have brought some provisions alright but in two, maybe three days they'll be hungry and we can't support them. Besides, you think there won't be any repercussions from killing Jabba? You'll have his whole clan at your throat in no time!"

This time when Starkiller spoke the suppressed anger could be heard in his voice, which made Owen step back in fear.

"These people have been mistreated and abused for no reason for years, even decades! Are you really going to turn them away? You have watched for years what's going on in these cities, doing absolutely nothing. I won't apologize for not standing by when innocents are made into slaves!"

"Why not?", Owen asked boldly. "It's what the Empire has been doing for years."

"Well, I'm not the Empire! I am a Sith and I'm going to use the Force to damn well break some chains!"

Starkiller hopped from the speeder and headed for the entrance. "I organized a few vaporators to be delivered here in a few days. Once they're operational, providing the freed ones with water won't be a problem."

"Wait", Owen made, hurrying after him, "you don't plan on letting them stay long-term, do you?"

"Those capable of returning somewhere safe or willing to try their own luck will leave in two weeks when we can get their transmitters removed. The rest... This is a farm. Why not employ some farmers?"

"You already sent us enough droids to do the manual work!"

"Not if you expand. You will need more water to satisfy the workers as well as start growing more crops to feed them."

"You say that as if it's so easy! It's not! Besides, the Hutts will send people to make an example of us, we'll all get slaughtered!"

"Add some guards to the list then." Starkiller showed himself unconcerned. "You have lived your life in insignificance long enough. It's time you start doing something for your home world. This farm could become a cause worth risking your life for."

"But-"

"I will stay here for another twelve days. It is enough time to negotiate with the local Imperial Outpost and have them send the necessary protection over."

Starkiller would hear no more protests over the matter. He went down to the caves to see the freed slaves himself. Upon seeing him, many of them scrambled to their feet and showered him with thanks. Some of them had a downright fanatical gleam in their eyes. They tried to touch him, shake his hands and some young girls even tried to kiss him. Annoyed, he shook them off and raised his voice:

"Stop your groveling at once! You are not slaves anymore. You are freed ones and your transmitters will be removed as soon as the equipment is available. Any of you that wish to leave can do so but for those that choose to stay, I have a job for you. You will help in rebuilding this old farm. Some of you may find proper employment here but mostly I want it to serve as a temporary home and meeting point for those yet to come."

"You are going to free more slaves?", someone asked astonished.

"Indeed." He did have twelve days to kill and he was sure there were many more slaves in the cities, owned by people just as bad as Rassul. 

A young man stood up, determination glowing in his eyes. "How can we help you?"

That did surprise him. "You want to help?"

"I don't know much about farming but I'm not too bad with a blaster. I would love to fight by your side, Sir!"

"Me too!", another man exclaimed.

"We will follow you!", a third, older man exclaimed. Other voices spoke up until there was a group of six people willing to risk their lives freeing more people.

Starkiller stared at them in hidden astonishment for a few seconds. Slowly a plan began to form in his mind and he smiled thinly.  
"Very well. All of you, search through the weapons we looted from the palace and pick the one that fits you best. Then I want you to organize patrols and look-out shifts around the farm. If I come back or send someone friendly, they will wave to you. Anyone who doesn't greet you thus from afar, shoot them. I will gather further support from outside later on. We will strike once our forces are strong enough."

The former slaves cheered. The people who'd looked so hopeless and broken when he first approached them were now glowing with a zeal for action, eager to take the chance offered to them. For the first time in an awful long time they had hope again and Starkiller was the one to have given it to them. It felt... good.

An older woman carrying a small girl that hugged her neck approached him, showing him a toothy smile and bowing to him lightly.

"Please Sir... We don't even know why you're doing this... or who you are."

Starkiller was startled and his confidence was shaken for a moment. Which name could he tell her? Vader had commanded him to stay undercover and though it was unlikely news from Tatooine would make it very far, it was better if the Emperor did not connect the name Starkiller or even Galen Marek to this place. The same went for any of the fake identities he had adopted in service of the Emperor.

"My name of no importance", he said at last, stiffly. "I'm the one who freed you, that is all you have to know."

The old lady nodded. "Yes, you freed us. You broke the chains of slavery that were holding us." She smiled again and Starkiller remembered seeing her in the basin before. Her choice of words made him scowl, she must have heard him talking with Owen. She petted the little girl. "See, sweetie, we don't have to fear anymore. The Chainbreaker will lead us into a new age."

"The Chainbreaker", another girl muttered and from there the name was carried forth.

"The Chainbreaker!"

"The Chainbreaker saved us!"

"We'll never be slaves again!"

"Thank you, Chainbreaker!"

"Thank you!"

Starkiller was startled when now the adults ushered their children forward, who laughed and hugged his legs. He patted the head of a small golden haired boy awkwardly, who smiled up at him brightly.

Oh, what had he done? He had a bad feeling about this.

At last Starkiller managed to shake off his admirers. After the long trek through the desert yesterday and the fight in the palace today, he was exhausted and looking forward to a good nights sleep. The bed that had previously been his, apparently Luke's before that, was now occupied by a young boy that had been heavily wounded in the cross fire of Starkiller's rampage. Therefore the Sith was forced pick a spot amongst the former slaves and settle down for the night. He didn't mind the lack of blankets, it wasn't very cold after all but it was impossible for him to find rest with so many people around. At last he took to exploring the caves some more. Those that had been used by the Lars were poorly illuminated and stabilized but the natural caves were far larger and he eventually found a smaller cave that could be reached only by climbing up and through a round opening around five feet over the ground. The cave was oval shaped and had a relatively smooth bottom that would be fine to sleep on. He had to duck a bit to not bump his head into the ceiling but that was alright. The entrance was easy to watch, which soothed his battle trained instincts. 

Starkiller had just settled down for the night when he heard steps from the opening. He waited for them to pass but instead a pair of tanned hands were placed on the stone, followed by a face peaking at him through the hole. It was Arya, the young girl that had been amongst the group of slaves he freed first.

"What is it now?", Starkiller asked, exhausted.

"I, uhm... I just wanted to thank you for everything you did for us."

"Alright."

"May I... come in please?"

He sighed, he so didn't need that right now. "Fine."

Arya climbed up and crawled through the opening towards him, which gave Starkiller a very good view of her cleavage.

"Sally cried for two hours", Arya said with a smile, approaching him still on all fours. "She was so happy because her daughter was amongst the freed ones."

"Then why did she cry?", Starkiller asked confused.

"They were tears of joy!", Arya explained. She batted her eyelashes at him. Now she was sitting right next to Starkiller, who hadn't bothered standing up to greet her seeing as the ceiling was so low.

"I am very happy as well... If you would like me to... I would love to show you just how happy I am." She leaned towards him, drawing one soft finger across his jawline. He would only have to lean forward just a little bit to catch her lips.

Starkiller knew exactly what she meant but he didn't feel entirely comfortable with it.

"I told you, Arya, as I told the others. You aren't slaves anymore. You don't have to thank me this way."

"I..." She leaned back, a hurt look flashing over her face. "I know... It's just, I know of no other way to repay you." She gently took his hand, placing it on her left breast. "Please. I would feel so much better if I gave you back something for the incredible gift of freedom you've given me."

Starkiller licked his lips, feeling her soft skin under the thin top she wore. Her supple breast pressing against his palm.

"Alright", he whispered. Arya smiled brightly at him and he could feel her happiness through the Force. He was not taking advantage of her. She wanted this, right? She was happy. She wanted to share that happiness with him. Nothing wrong about that.

One hour later Starkiller laid in the cave with Arya in his arm, feeling tired but happy and very much satisfied. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes, enjoying the afterglow of their activities before Arya freed herself of the arm he'd put around her. She gave him one last searing kiss. Starkiller came back to his senses slowly. No longer as distracted, he listened to the strangely mischievous whisper of the Force and noticed for the first time that there was a presence - multiple presences! - nearby at the entrance of the cave.   
Arya got up, taking her time to gather her clothes and Starkiller groaned, seeking to cover himself. That was the last thing he needed, that someone had head their moans and cries of pleasure. Arya had not been very quiet.

"Maybe you shouldn't leave just yet", he tried. If she stepped out now, everyone would know it was her who had lied by him this night.

"Oh, I'm not sure I would get any rest if I stayed any longer", she answered in a purr, winking at him. "Besides, I know others are waiting."

Wait, she wanted everyone to know? Was he a trophy now to be talked about with her friends?

Soon the meaning of her words became obvious though after Arya left the cave and Starkiller looked through the opening, which revealed three more young women in skimpy clothes, looking and smiling at him seductively.

By the Stars... What had he gotten himself into?

XxX

One week had passed since Mallie had narrowly escaped execution. She still couldn't believe everything that happened in this short time.

First Skywalker had helped her to disguise herself. She'd pretended to be part of the cleanup crew that took care of the victims of her attack that were wounded. A part of her had scoffed at it, thinking Skywalker wanted her to feel guilty as she treated the burned flesh of many troopers but she just had to restrain herself from ending their misery. 

Though Skywalker had promised to take her to see her supposedly still alive son, he had to return with Vader first to avoid suspicion. As such she was left on Kashyyyk. It was another test, she was convinced. He wanted to see if she would go through with it, if she would really follow him, believe his outrageous story. And she had half a mind not to. She could just return to her friends. They might have to flee the planet now that the Empire had them on its radar but that wouldn't be the first time. Except her friends were probably still angry that she had gone against their wishes.

Excuses, she knew. What it really came down to was whether or not she could withstand the temptation. She didn't want to believe that her baby was alive. She didn't want to hope, only to discover that she'd been fooled and it was just an elaborate scheme to get information out of her or worse, get her to join the enemy. And even if it was true, it would mean her son was now a murderer and she didn't know if she could live with that. She had killed too, of course, but she fought for what was right, for justice. The Sith only fought for their own gain.

For two days Mallie didn't sleep or eat. When she closed her eyes she was haunted by nightmares and her stomach couldn't hold anything more substantial than soup. She couldn't go on like this. The faint promise in the distance, of her beautiful son being alive and well and she could see him, it was driving her crazy.  
On the third day she gathered her things, took the Imperial Shuttle Skywalker had given her the codes for and took off to the coordinates programmed in the navi computer.

There was no ambush when she arrived. There was some fuss about a missing ID when she docked to the hangar of one of the massive Star Destroyers of Death Squadron but it was cleared up quickly. She was now Melina Kedosha from Estaria, assigned to the maintenance crew of the Tyrant. This meant she had one of the lowest jobs possible; she was responsible of taking care of the cleaning droids. Not for the entire ship of course, just her sector. She could see the necessity of staying under Vader's radar but seriously, this was degrading.

Skywalker had come to see her exactly once to inform her that he wouldn't make good on his promise anytime soon because apparently her son wasn't even with the Squadron. He'd been sent on a mission and it might be some time still before he was back. She asked where he was, she would happily leave to find him on her own but Skywalker claimed he didn't know. Apparently his father was still angry with him for leaving without telling anyone and refused to answer his questions.

Mallie thought that was very convenient. If the Empire planned to have her work for them while dangling the distant promise of seeing her son in front of her, then they were on the wrong track!

There was only one problem with that theory... Mallie doubted the Empire would go to such lengths to get her to comply and then only have her work on cleaning the sanitary droids.

Mallie was also always conscious of the fact that she was hiding right under her husband's murderer's nose. From what she learned, Darth Vader did not often walk the corridors of the Tyrant, his flagship being the Devastator. He communicated with the bridge via holo projector but Mallie could still feel his dark presence even miles away on the other ship. She wasn't as powerful as he in the Force but she still often feared that he might sense her too and every day that passed her belief grew stronger that her disguise wouldn't be worth a single credit when he came looking for her. Her plan had been to get on the ship, grab her son and make a run for it. This waiting game was frustrating and scary.

Sometimes she thought that Vader had long since found out about her presence. Sometimes she felt as if the troopers were watching her, as if security cameras turned to follow her movements. She tried to explain it away. There weren't many female workers on military starships, it might be completely normal for the mostly male crew to give her a second glance once in a while. Of course that did absolutely nothing to reassure her. Other times she thought that Skywalker and Vader were working together the entire time and she was just a toy for them. They would surly come to cut her down the minute she tried to escape. But why? That's what she didn't understand, why let her go, why risk her running away at all when they already had had her in a holding cell? Why think up this story about her son?

Maybe it was her desperately hurting heart that whispered this but she couldn't help the thought that there had to be at least some truth to this story. She did not doubt that their goal was to convert her, to turn her into an evil servant of the Empire just like them and they wanted to use her son for this. But even knowing this was probably their plan, Mallie found she didn't care... As longs as her son was alive, she didn't care.  
And so she stayed, going about her new job one day after the other, waiting. Always waiting.


	42. Chapter 42

Juno Eclipse was sure that she had landed at the wrong coordinates. The last time she had set off from Tatooine, the Lars farm had been nothing but a hill of sand. Starkiller had excavated the entrance to the caves and the courtyard but the place had transformed radically. 

First of all there was a sandstone wall, around five meters tall and at least two wide, that surrounded a huge area in which she could make out not one but five large basins, filled with fledgling crops. Decorating the walls were large, blood red symbols of a crown or bird, she couldn't say. Armed men were on watch in the shadow of five towers made of wood and junk metal inside of the area. She even saw a fenced area with a small flock of what looked like big hairy cows. She could see droids but also several humans and non-humans tending to the crops. And that was only on the outside, she knew the desert farms were largely situated in underground caves. 

When she approached with the Rogue Shadow, her sensors detected an energy shield that blocked her from getting too close to the farm. She spotted a domed structure in the middle of the area. They had a freaking shield generator!

Eclipse spotted a rusty freighter that parked a bit outside of the shields. That's where she headed as well and sure enough, she was soon greeted and invited to enter the area.

The person greeting her was not Starkiller himself. It wasn't even a human but a pale green Twi'lek girl who introduced herself as Oola. She was wearing a bulgy overall and pants that were a bit too big for her, being only held together with a belt. From what Juno knew of their culture, Twi'leks tended to be more outgoing and she must be very hot in this kind of clothing in the middle of a desert. She wondered why she would insist on wearing it.

"I had enough eyes rest on my body for a life time", the Twi'lek answered when she voiced the question. She raised her head high and gazed at Juno challenging, as if expecting her to make a derogatory comment.

"Why are you working on a farm then?", she wanted to know, not taking the bait. "It doesn't seem like a place for a woman."

"I'm one of the Freed Ones", was her answer, as if that was obvious.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand", Juno admitted. "I have been away for some time. What do you mean by that?"

"Well", the Oola said, now a bit more friendly, "we all used to be slaves, you see. The Hutts ruled this planet for ages and slavery was common in all towns. But then the Chainbreaker came."

"The Chainbreaker?", she echoed disbelieving. 

"Yes." She nodded with a proud smile. "He defeated Jabba the Hutt and all his mercenaries. He did it all alone! He freed us all and then brought us to this farm. We've built it up into a true Homestead. Others came to help our cause. We're trading the droids and treasures from Jabba's palace for food and water until we can harvest our own crops. There's a smuggler - he's a scoundrel, absolutely disgusting - who brought us new means to make our own water. There are so many of us still chained down but soon, the Freed Ones will take over the entire planet. There will be no more slavery. The Chainbreaker will set us all free." 

"And does this... 'Chainbreaker' have a name?", Juno asked carefully. She felt as if she was talking to a cult member.

"The names of our past are not important. We don't know who he is or even where he came from", the girl admitted, "but we know he's a gift from the stars. You're here to bring new supplies, aren't you? Then you'll be seeing him soon."

Juno did not protest but she did make sure her blaster was securely strapped to her hip when she followed the Twi'lek through the strong metallic gates.

XxX

Starkiller thought he knew what it meant to be responsible. Doing missions under Lord Vader, he had learned that failure was not an option. He had trained hard to become powerful and fought on even when his body was exhausted. When he was told to leave no witnesses, he hunted down every last person, even though it was bothersome and time consuming and sometimes appeared unfair when said witnesses were obviously innocents. He'd done it because he knew that his existence had to be kept a secret from the Emperor and going against orders would have dire circumstances.

When the secret had come out, not through his carelessness but through his Master's, he had learned lessons of another kind. When he messed up, the punishment Vader put him through was mostly physical in nature but the Emperor preferred torture of the mental or emotional kind. Like ordering him to become friends with someone only to later tell him to kill that person. Rummaging through his mind, focusing on his adoration for Lord Vader and ridiculing him for it, shattering his loyalty with despicable words and truths he'd never wanted to know.

With Darth Sidious too, there was no failure. Starkiller had worked with the Inquisitors, had hunted down Jedi. He'd met up with Stormtroopers and been briefed by Generals and Moffs and other high ranking military but in the end he had always preferred to go off alone. When he was given a squad of troopers he had told them to stay behind him and act as backup only or he had sent them out to scout but the fighting was left to him.

Luke thought he learned so much more than him; that he knew how to lead people but the truth was, he didn't. When they hunted down Kota together, it had been the first time he had ever done a mission with a partner. The responsibility of watching over Luke was the highest he'd ever had and even that was not real, since he'd seen it as part of the mission considering his goal had been to kill Luke in the end.

Starkiller didn't know how to lead people. He'd never done it before. He might have ordered people around who were told to listen to him but that wasn't the same.

Now suddenly there were five dozen people who only looked at him for guidance, not because they had to but because they wanted to. They trusted him. He had freed them and now they were his responsibility.  
Truly, if it wasn't for Owen Lars’ constant bickering, he wouldn't have known what to do. The farmer was either a pessimist or just didn't like him because he always came up with worst case scenarios. Starkiller's own paranoid nature did the rest and it was only the fact that he didn't actually care all that much about this bunch of strangers that kept him from freaking out. Yes, he felt sympathy for their hard life but he knew he wouldn't think about them twice before cutting them down if his Master - either of them - demanded it of him. It had all just started as a fancy idea to kill some time on this stupid mission anyway. It had gotten out of hand since then.

There was so much to consider. During the first week they had lost five Freed Ones to an attack of what the locals called sand people. Starkiller had killed them all and taken their mounts, the banthas, as feedstock but he was only one man and couldn't protect them all. As he'd promised, he'd gone to the Imperial Outpost and convinced the Commander to send protection for the homestead but even that had not been enough. The troopers were cooking in their armor during the day and they still provided little protection against the weapons of the sand people. That's why Starkiller had ordered to build the wall and had the smuggler that already brought the vaporators procure a shield generator as well. It came just in time to deflect the assault of a small starfighter sent by the Hutts to destroy the farm.

Things were slowly getting better though. The help of the troopers was a godsend. Apparently Tatooine was considered a dead-end for any career and the troopers were quite discontent with their boring jobs. The possibility to wage a miniature war against the Hutt Cartel excited them. Starkiller had to admit that he could not give them this order officially but the Commander, a trooper named Elvoy, had just waved him off.

"Everyone knows the Empire has no real power here. The whole Outer Rim is divided into just a dozen sectors so we're one unimportant planet amongst billions. I give reports like once a year and never get an answer so really, nobody cares what we're doing here. I know my squad isn't strong enough to take on the Hutt Cartel but if you're building an army of slaves, who knows, maybe we have a chance."

The troopers guarding the wall had adopted the local tan clothing after Starkiller told them how ridiculous it was to stick to a protocol nobody cared about if it only served to make them uncomfortable. They had begun to teach some of the Freed Ones how to shoot and when you walked through the area now, you couldn't even tell Imperial from Local.

But providing them with food, shelter and work was only half of what the slaves needed. Starkiller had learned this during the time he spent with them. What they really needed was hope and confidence. He felt quite uncomfortable with the hero-worship that had developed around him. He was so used to staying in the shadows. But these people needed the kind of hope that only a legend could give them. So he let them call him by this ridiculous name they had made up for him, he let them paint his symbol on the walls and their clothing.

The confidence was a bit harder to teach them, seeing as they were so used to being stepped on. He didn't select a group of the best shots to raid the next town with him because he needed the backup but because he needed the Freed Ones to learn that they didn't need to be afraid anymore and that it was alright to fight back and to be there for each other. Together they had freed around fifty more slaves from the three surrounding towns in the area. The homestead was starting to be quite full, even though they had expanded a great deal. Starkiller had sent out scouts to contact other local farms and recruit them to his cause of freeing Tatooine. He tried to find people in his group that were not so broken and could continue to lead the movement when he had to go.

It was difficult work, filled with all kinds of social interactions that he was unused to dealing with but every time a child or a young family came to him to thank him, he felt it was worth it.  
The ladies were a nice bonus too.

Starkiller was in the command center, located underneath one of the watch towers and discussed with Elvoy and Owen where they could gain a steady supply of energy from to supply the shield generator when there was a knock at the door and Oola, a female Twi'lek formerly enslaved by Jabba, entered the room. She bowed to Starkiller with a smile and said:

"Chainbreaker, a new supplier has arrived with a spaceship."

Starkiller nodded. He had already felt her presence approach.

"We can finish this another time", he told the men, then turned back to Oola. "Send her in, please."

If the Twi'lek wondered how he knew she was talking about a woman, she didn't show it. Elvoy and Owen cleared the room and Juno stepped in.

Starkiller allowed himself a moment of simply looking at her. His life had been hectic these past two weeks. He'd met many new people and even dared to say he'd made some friends but it was still somewhat unreal. None of them knew who he was. Elvoy knew he worked with the Empire but didn't know in what form. Actually, Starkiller thought the Commander might even think he lied about being affiliated with it just to get his support. Juno was different. She knew more about him than any of the Freed Ones and just seeing her caused his body to relax. He'd known something was lacking. It wasn't the cold, sterile world of spaceships though, it wasn't his rigorous training. It was the atmosphere, the feeling of being on missions, being on the hunt for the Empire and she, as his pilot, was a big art of that. He'd missed her.

"Hello Juno", he said quietly, for once not feeling awkward but rather just happy to see her.

Juno smiled a bit and made a vague gesture to the outside. "You've done a lot to this place."

He shrugged. "Stuff happened."

She shook her head. "What are you doing here?"

"Lord Vader told me to help this couple rebuild their life... But there are so many more people here who need help. I'm not good at building stuff up but I'm very good at destroying things. So I went to do what I can do best in order to get me some people who did the building for me. The people you see outside are mostly slaves that I freed. It's good that you're here, now we can use the Shadow's med bay to get their slave transmitters removed."

"You freed those slaves? All of them?", Juno asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"And what about their owners?"

"Killed them. Those that weren't willing to give them up, anyway." Or those whose slaves demanded their deaths for the abuse they had to suffer at their hands.

"But... Isn't Tatooine part of a larger crime cartel? What will happen to these people when you leave?"

"They will learn how to defend themselves. I've gotten help from the Outpost to teach them how. As soon as the community grows large enough, the Hutt's won't bother to reclaim the slaves."

"Of course they will! They can't lose face like that, they will have to make an example."

"That's why I told everyone to spread my name - the one they've given me, anyway. The Hutts are cowards and they won't want to waste their resources. They will concentrate their efforts on me."

Juno put her hands to her hips. "Is that supposed to reassure me?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you think I can't take care of myself?"

"Of... Of course not. It's just that these people seem to adore you and you know very well that you have to leave them behind."

"I can come back between missions", Starkiller said, even though he knew that would be difficult.

"I wish you would've chosen a less complicated hobby. Like fishing... or something."

The words were only muttered but Starkiller heard them anyway, though he didn't understand. Where was he supposed to fish in a desert? And what for?

"Anyway, I have completed the mission you gave me", Juno proclaimed.

"Mission?"

The pilot glared at him. "You haven't forgotten, have you?"

"Right. No, of course, the mission. Have you found Kota?" Dammit, he really hadn't thought about that. He'd been eager for the Shadow to return so he could see Juno again and fulfill his promise of removing the transmitters.

Juno grew serious. "I tracked Kota down and followed him to Bespin. He's in Cloud City."

"You tracked him there? I hope you didn't get too close to him."

"There was no danger of him sensing me", she scoffed. "He's... Well, he's a wreck. He was still recovering from his wounds when I first found him. Apparently he's now blind and he's drinking so much alcohol I doubt he can tell the Force from all the other voices in his head."

Well, that was a surprise. Starkiller had never thought well of the Jedi but that was just pathetic.

"There's more though", Juno continued. "On his own I doubt he would've made it off the planet at all. Someone helped him." She looked at him so serious and Starkiller forced himself to focus. She obviously thought this was very important information.

"Who was it?"

"Senator Bail Organa. I saw him helping him out of a bar myself, disguised as a customer. He didn't look as if he was just helping out a random drunk. They knew each other."

That was indeed big news. Starkiller was not very well-versed in politics but even he could tell that a senator conspiring with a Jedi was a big deal. It was also an incredibly foolish risk of the man to take. The Emperor had eradicated entire populations for less severe offenses. Senators were supposed to represent and protect their people, not put them in danger by helping known traitors that obviously weren't of much use anymore anyway.

"Thank you for your help. I will take care of Kota as soon as I can."

"Lord Vader has to learn about this", Juno said. "I know you want to keep this whole thing under wraps, but this isn't just about the Jedi anymore. We have a traitor in the senate! We have to report that."

Starkiller rubbed his temples, feeling tired. So many decisions to make...

"I will tell him. I promise, I will. I just have to wait for the right moment. You have to keep silent for a little longer."

Juno did not look pleased but fortunately, she chose not to argue.

"Now I need your help in organizing the treatment of the Freed Ones. We have 65 people to perform an operation on."

"Very well", she said and together they left the command center.

"Starkiller?", she said quietly when they were back under the sun.

"Yeah?"

"What you did for these people... I think it's wonderful. You're a great person."

Somehow these words made him feel warmer inside than twelve half-naked girls proclaiming their eternal love for him.

XxX

Starkiller leaned back to avoid the glowing blade rushing at his neck. He twirled his lightsaber around, thrusting it forward and into the small opening in his enemy's defense. He managed to graze the Jedi's hip but the old man didn't even twitch. He parried Starkiller's next attack and for a moment they were stuck in a saber lock. The Jedi was strong but Starkiller drew on the Force and had no trouble keeping up. At last he combined a Force push with a frontal attack and the Jedi let out a groan as he flew backwards, colliding with the wall behind him. Starkiller dashed forwards quickly and let a short stream of lighting flow from his fingertips to the Jedi, who writhed in pain. It stunned him long enough for Starkiller to overcome the distance between them. With one sweep he brought his lightsaber down on his enemy and the red blade met the old man's chest with a shower of bright sparks.

Starkiller stepped back and sheathed his weapon. PROXY's appearance flickered as the power to his holographic projector was cut off. He had to be more careful, the Sith reminded himself. That last blow had almost bisected the droid. He could've just as easily stopped his blade before it hit anything vital. Then he wouldn't have to wait several minutes for PROXY's emergency power cells to activate. Oh, well. It was worth it to see Rahm Kota's face contort in pain, even if it was just a simulation.

At last the droid came back to life.

"Ow, that hurt", PROXY claimed and rubbed his broken chest plate.

Starkiller merely rolled his eyes. Part of the holodroid's infiltration program included the imitation of human sensations, though it always sounded a bit ridiculous to Starkiller.

"Shut up and get back into position. I'm not finished with you yet", the Sith said, twirling his lightsaber in one hand. "Same module."

"But Master, you defeated me in this form five times in a row. I calculate my chances to beat you at the sixth to be only 0.72%. My chances to get permanently broken are 24.78%!" He looked down at his main power core that was still sending out sparks. "Correction, it is more around 78%!"

"Fine!", Starkiller spat out, "then go and repair yourself. We'll continue once you exchanged that core."  
In that moment Juno's voice sounded over the comm, echoing in the mostly empty training chamber of the Rogue Shadow. 

"We are exiting hyperspace and will dock on board the Devastator in roughly fifteen minutes."

Starkiller growled and had to forcefully restrain himself from assaulting PROXY again.

He felt... restless. Maybe the time at the homestead had softened him. Doing something so obviously good like freeing slaves while still letting the dark side flow through him as he slaughtered their owners had made him feel... free. Ecstatic while he shed the blood of his enemies but content and satisfied in a way he seldom felt after a battle when he returned to the homestead and received the many thanks of the Freed Ones. The party they celebrated after Starkiller organized the removal of their transmitters had lasted the whole night and was probably still going on. They didn't know who he was. They didn't know who he was working for and honestly, he didn't think they cared. At times it was as if he wasn't a real person to them but rather a living legend from old stories, a good spirit sent to save them. A gift from the stars, they called him. He would by lying if he said it didn't stroke his ego but it was more than that.

For his whole life Starkiller had lived in the shadows. He had hid himself, from the Emperor, from his enemies, from his targets. He didn't want to hide anymore. He knew his power and he wanted to unleash it. He remembered Nar Shaddaa and Raxus Prime, how he had just waltzed through the enemy forces, killing everything in his path. That's how he wanted to fight. In the open. Maybe it was his very personal hatred for Darth Sidious and his manipulations but he was sick of being an assassin. He wanted to be a true Sith, not having to hide his overwhelming power from anyone. In just two weeks he had freed more than a hundred slaves and started a movement that would free even more. If given more time he was sure he could've conquered the entire planet. He was ready. 

When he had departed for the desert planet, Lord Vader had told him they weren't far from challenging the Emperor at last. He had promised that he was already working on a plan but somehow, Starkiller felt there was a disappointment waiting for him. Luke hadn't come to Tatooine after all, which meant that Vader had most likely been busy searching for him and had little time to further their plans.

Luke, it always came down to him, ruining everything. But maybe it was for the best. If Starkiller was sent out again to search for Luke, that would provide the perfect opportunity to go to Bespin and take care of his other little problem.

The ship entered the hangar bay of the Star Destroyer. Now in range, Starkiller received a message on his commlink. He expected it to be from Lord Vader who would demand his report - but the message was from Luke.

"So much for that plan", Starkiller muttered. Kota would have to wait.

For a moment the Sith contemplated if he should give his report first or go and see Luke. He would so like to give the brat a piece of his mind. Oh well. It wasn't as if anything terribly important had happened on Tatooine.

"I'm being called away. Can you write up a report for Lord Vader and send it out?", he asked Juno.

"Me?" She smiled incredulously. "What am I supposed to report? I wasn't even with you for most of the mission."

"Just tell him that the Lars have settled down, the situation is under control and we didn't encounter Luke, obviously, since he's on this ship. I can go and give the details later." If Vader asked for them. Which he probably wouldn't.

"The situation is under control...?", Juno muttered. "That's what you call setting off a rebellion?"

"Maybe you shouldn't mention anything about that", Starkiller relented. "I'll see you later."

The young Sith made his way through the ship to where he knew Luke's quarters to be. The door was curiously enough guarded by two Stormtroopers. Not only that but he spotted a new camera installed on the other side of the corridor. He recognized the setup as one used for captured Jedi. A second team would be watching the two Stormtroopers over a holo vid so if the Jedi tried to mind trick them, an alarm would be sounded.

Huh. It seemed Vader was quite pissed with his little wonder boy. That was... very much amusing.

The troopers seemed to recognize and even expect him for they simply greeted him with a curt "Sir" and let him pass. He opened the door without knocking and found the sixteen-year-old in his pajamas, lounging in a chair with a bag of potato ships in his hand. His attention was focused on not one but a total of five holo displays covering his desk that seemed to show some kind of security footage.

Luke had turned his chair in his direction as soon as he opened the door and Starkiller almost laughed at the look of relief on his face.

"Thank the Force you’re here!", Luke exclaimed. "Jeez, where have you been this whole time?"

"I could ask you the same question", he replied, closing the door behind him.

"I've been here", Luke stressed, gesturing at his room. "For two whole freaking weeks! You remember when father grounded me so I wasn't allowed to leave the ship? Well, now I can't even leave my own room. I'm practically a prisoner."

"So I've noticed", he said, thinking about the guards in front of the door. "You should've known better than to run away."

"I didn't run away", Luke defended himself. "I just went to a party."

"A party", Starkiller echoed. 

"Yes. And it was awesome! You should try it sometime. I think I also got my first kiss but I'm not sure. I don't remember much of that night..."

Starkiller couldn't help himself, he had to laugh at Luke's confused, thoughtful expression. He tried to imagine Luke partying, probably drinking from the sounds of it and it was so... typical. Which was ridiculous because he knew Luke had never had the chance to do something like this before but it just sounded like something he would do.

Luke stared at him in shock.

"What?", he asked, still chuckling.

"You... you laughed!"

"So?"

"You never laugh! Like, ever!"

"It was funny", Starkiller defended himself.

"But you never laugh", Luke stressed.

Starkiller rolled his eyes. He had been restless and nervous before during the flight, taking it out on PROXY but now hearing the kind of insignificant problems Luke had to deal with, it was... kind of cute. No matter what terrible things Starkiller had to do in his line of work, he always told himself he did it to protect the good people of the Empire. Lately, seeing how much crime was still tolerated outside of the Empire's boundaries as well as inside, he had started to doubt his upbringing. But Luke was the very embodiment of all the people he was raised to protect and he felt glad that all Luke had to deal with was wondering whether or not he'd had his first kiss.

"I had a good, long vacation and I'm in a good mood", Starkiller claimed. "I guess the same can't be said about you. What did you do to anger Lord Vader to the point he would imprison you? Surely it couldn't just be the fear of you being corrupted by evil, beautiful girls?"

"Of course not. He doesn't know about that and if you tell him, I swear I'm gonna kill you."

The threat made the whole situation only more amusing. Contrary to Starkiller, Luke never really meant it when he said such things.

"Then what else happened?"

"Well... I might have borrowed Black One..."

Starkiller blinked in shock.

"...pretended to be an Imperial secret agent..."

That... was...

"....and dragged Marvin off to go to a Festival with me."

...hilarious!

Starkiller laughed again and decided to sit down on the floor because geez, Luke was right, he'd never laughed so much in his entire life before.

"Oh, it's great that at least you think it's funny", Luke said, sounding vaguely sarcastic. "Father was royally pissed at me. I'm lucky if I get out when I'm thirty. Though that might have less to do with me getting drunk and more with getting caught in a rebel Jedi attack while my Force senses were dampened..."

Starkiller was still laughing. "Hahaha... wait, what?"

The humor left the room, slammed the door behind it and left them in an awkward silence.

"What do you mean you got caught in a rebel Jedi attack!?"

Luke scratched the back of head, trying to look innocent. "Yeah, well, that's what it all came down to in the end. It's complicated."

Starkiller leaped to his feet at once. "Oh, please tell me the Jedi was captured and is still alive."

"Uh... actually, yes. Why?"

Something furious was glowing in Starkiller's eyes. Stupid, stupid, stupid! He shouldn't have stayed away that long! He knew that Luke was an idiot, of course he would get himself into danger. He should've set out to find him sooner or... or taken less time on Prime to catch him before he left or something! 

"Because nobody gets away with trying to kill you", Starkiller growled. And, because Luke was looking at him strangely, he added: "That's my job, remember?"

"Aww, S.K., I didn't know you cared", Luke drawled with a grin, trying to bring the humor back in but it was refusing quite adamantly, kicking and screaming.

Starkiller was no longer amused. "Luke, this is serious. There are still too many Jedi out there and if they have chosen you as a target, you are in serious danger. Lord Vader is right to keep you here, it might be the only place you're safe."

"I already got that lecture, just around twenty times. I don't need you to add to it. Besides, it wasn't a Jedi attack in that sense but more like a personal vendetta."

"What did you do to piss him off?", Starkiller asked, vaguely impressed.

"Her", Luke corrected and turned his chair back to the holo displays. "And it wasn't about me."

For the first time now Starkiller paid attention to the holos. Several just showed empty corridors or rooms but in one he could see a woman working on some droids. She was old (from his point of view), maybe in her early forties and was wearing a plain Imperial uniform.

"Wait, don't tell me that is her", Starkiller exclaimed. "What the hell is she doing outside a cell?" Especially considering how Luke himself was locked up. Something was very wrong about this picture!

"Do you recognize her?", Luke wanted to know.

Starkiller scoffed. "Jedi that meet me usually don't live to tell the tale." Except for Kota. Oh yeah, and that damn Kenobi. But he would get them both, one day.

"I'm serious, S.K. Come here, take a look. You've seen her before."

Luke made room for him and Starkiller did him the favor and gazed at the holos. This whole thing was ridiculous, he decided. He couldn't even recognize many details on the security feed. 

At last he shook his head. "I don't know her. She certainly never escaped me. Now would you be so kind as to tell me why she's not behind bars?"

Luke took back his seat and sighed. He sounded disappointed, though he couldn't imagine why that would be.

"She's not locked up because I asked father to keep her under loose watch for the time being. At least until you returned. Me having to watch her is actually part of my punishment. It's boring as hell. And useless, since I'm pretty sure there are over a dozen troopers watching her as well."

"Why would he agree to such a stupid thing? Why would you ask for it?" This was making less and less sense. In fact, it made no sense at all!

"It is a... suspicion I have. I couldn't just leave her to be tortured or killed because I think... I think she's your mother, S.K."

Starkiller stared at Luke uncomprehending. He was sure that he must be joking. 

"What?!"

"I know - I know you think she's dead, that's what the database says, that's what everyone believed. But her story sounds awfully familiar and it checks out with what father later told me about how he found you. Her name is Mallie Marek. She had a son named Galen that she thinks was killed by Vader. That can't be a coincidence. I know we might want to test just to be sure but... what do you think?"

Starkiller felt himself suddenly unable to take his eyes of the holo display. This was supposed to be his mother? She was... a stranger. No worse, she was a Jedi. She had tried to kill Luke.

The young Sith felt terribly cold inside. His face was an expressionless mask as he listened to Luke's rambling. A mother... What was that even supposed to be other than a female that had at one point squeezed him out of herself? Starkiller had a vague idea about the concept of fathers, it being a position he had often wished his Master would fill. Father, that was a word that meant strictness and pride and obedience and safety and adoration and punishment. He'd been able to add a warmer, more comfortable note to this concept after watching Vader interact with Luke but he had little to no idea what a mother was. What it meant.   
He tried... Just for a second, he gave in to a sudden urge and tried to remember. The feeling of warm arms wrapped around him. A smile like sunshine. A cocoon of happiness and laughter and Come here, Galen. Take my hand.

Starkiller snapped out of it, stepping away from the displays with barely concealed disgust.

"She should be locked up", he insisted again. His hands were shaking. "Why isn't she locked up!? She tried to kill you, Luke, why is she... why is she not locked up!?"

Luke gaped at him. "She... She's your mother, S.K. Your family. You know what they'd do to her in the detention center. Surely you don't want that?"

"She is not family!", Starkiller almost shouted. "I don't have a family!"

"Yes you do. You have me, your brother. You have father. And now... apparently, you also have a mother."

"Don't be absurd!", Starkiller exclaimed, trying to get his raging emotions under control. He didn't even know what he was supposed to feel. "She's a Jedi. She's the enemy. She tried to kill you."

"That's no longer an issue", Luke tried. "She wanted to kill me to get back at father since she thought that he killed her son. Since that is obviously not true, she doesn't have a reason to hurt me anymore. Why, I even think she's sorry."

"Sorry", Starkiller echoed incredulously. "Oh of course, if she's sorry then everything's alright!"

Luke looked a bit put out. "Do you know what I'd give to learn my mother was still alive? You should be happy. Look, if anybody has reason to be angry at her it's me. I don't understand why everyone else is making such a fuss about it."

"Oh, I don't know, maybe that is because we care about you!" Starkiller pointed at the holo display. "She should be locked up in an interrogation cell. She should be tortured until the skin peels off her flesh and she gives away the names of all her filthy Jedi friends! Then she should be executed in the most painful way imaginable and you know what? I volunteer for that job!" With those words Starkiller whirled around and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Luke turned back to the displays and sighed.

"Well... That could've gone better."


	43. Chapter 43

Darth Vader's meditation was painfully interrupted by the blaring of an alarm.

His concentration was broken at once and he lost his connection to the Force. The pain returned to his muscles and he felt so old, so tired.

There had been a time when 'meditation' meant closing his eyes and letting the dark side flow through him, filling him up and empowering him in his potent rage. But as time passed he had to return to his hyperbaric chamber more and more often. He had to spend several minutes to remind himself of the position he wanted to reach, of his goal of killing Sidious and becoming Emperor himself, the power he would wield and how nobody would control him anymore. He took off his mask and helmet to feel the air on his skin, to remind himself of what he had lost and who had forced him to live like this. He focused his anger, hatred and craving for power and gave himself to the Force.

Today, he could spend hours in his hyperbaric chamber with little success. He could manage to forget about the pain his old wounds were causing him but he rarely felt empowered by the dark side anymore. He was just so tired. Power didn't seem to matter anymore when it wouldn't help him to protect his family. What good would being Emperor do if it meant he could spend even less time with his son when he was all wrapped up in royal duties? He couldn't even find any desire in him to kill Sidious - that was Starkiller's life long goal and he knew he couldn't take that from him, even if he were physically capable. Which he was obviously not.

Yes, the dark side had made him powerful but it had also sapped all life from him. It had caused him to burn out too fast. He could still fall back on it when it was necessary but the irony was that the more people he killed with this power during his younger years, the faster he rose in the ranks. At first he had merely hunted down Jedi. Then he had trained the Inquisitors to hunt down Jedi. Then he had led armies and fleets to root out fledgling rebellions. There was less killing that he did himself and more ordering others to do it. Eventually people accepted the Empire and moved on. Today, there was barely any opposition for him to crush. Was it really a wonder then that his connection to the dark side was waning? How did the Emperor keep it up without any bloodshed around him at all?

Darth Vader's pale face disappeared behind the mask as it lowered down. A few moments later he could open the chamber, his joints arching as he left it. He was not concerned about the alarm that warned him of an intruder in his personal office. There had been a time when such a thing would've thrown him into a rage. He longed for those days when everything was so much simpler but at the same time he felt no desire to go back to them.

Starkiller looked furious. A squad of troopers had gathered at the entrance where the young Sith had forced the metal doors open. They seemed unsure whether to fire or not and maybe a bit afraid of the black clad man, blood red lightsaber out and hands shaking in rage. The dark side had a tight grip on him, probably going to his head as well judging from the sickly yellow of his iris.

Just a normal day on the Devastator.

"Leave", Vader commanded the troopers. Their relief was palpable through the Force.

"I'd prefer it if you refrained from damaging my property", Vader said coldly, noticing a few slash marks on the walls and a nearby console.

"Why do you allow Luke to keep that thing alive?", Starkiller demanded to know, his rage still potent. He pointed in the direction of the door, flaring his lightsaber as he did so. Good thing Vader didn't stand too closely to him.

"That thing?", he repeated.

"The woman!", Starkiller clarified.

Vader felt momentarily stumped. He'd known Starkiller could not possibly find any empathy towards his Jedi mother but to call her a thing? 

Carefully the Sith Lord reached out to their fragile bond, testing and prodding. The young man didn't even notice, so immersed in emotions that were clearly visible and yet some that weren't.

Yes, he was angry. He was feeling protective, probably of Luke who the Jedi had tried to kill. But there was also fear. There was conflict and guilt, which ironically gave birth to even more rage and hatred.

Vader sighed. Luke had been right after all. Starkiller wouldn't mind it if the Jedi died, would probably do it himself if tasked with it. But he would regret it. If he threw away the chance to get to know his birth mother now he would regret it one day. He might never admit to it, he might bury the pain in his heart but it would always be there.

But what to do about it? The Jedi tried to kill Luke. Vader could not forgive that. He could not risk the safety of one child for the mental health of another.

Oh Padme... why have you left me?

He could really use her help right now.

The worst part was that it might not even matter. Starkiller was obviously opposed to the idea of having his mother anywhere but at the end of his saber. How could he make him understand? It was one thing for a loved one to oppose you for your views or deeds, to betray you when she should've been the first to be standing at your side. It was another for her to fight for her twisted, wrong beliefs because her head was filled with grief and she never even knew the one she was fighting for was waiting for her on the other side. The Jedi woman had come to them willingly to meet her son, even though Luke had explained to her who Starkiller was.

"An investigation has been launched to root out the Jedi's accomplices. So far it seems her regular contacts have fled the planet. The search will continue but it is unlikely that she would know where they went so questioning her is of second priority", Vader said at last.

"Then why wasn't she executed?", Starkiller insisted. 

"I intend to put her to other uses", Vader replied. He would never get Starkiller to swallow his hostility without giving him a good reason. One that would appeal to a Sith.

"You can't seriously consider turning her!? Don't bother with it, if you don't tell me to kill her, the Emperor will."

"The Emperor does not have to learn of this."

"Master!"

"Starkiller", Vader returned with the same vehemence. A bit quieter he continued: "You know that my powers are waning. Yet Luke's training is still far from complete. This woman could be brought to our side, not through the promise of power or revenge but through your influence. She could continue to teach Luke when I am no more without filling his head with too much Jedi nonsense."

It was an excuse. In terms of combat, there was little Vader could teach his son about the light side anymore. He may still lack in the responsibility and patience department but he sure as hell wouldn't allow a Jedi to teach him those things. It was not a very good excuse either, seeing as Luke had already defeated the Jedi knight (without getting hurt and while recovering from a hangover). But mentioning his retreating health as well as making this about Luke when Starkiller was still of the firm belief that Vader valued the boy more than him made it a believable story in his eyes.

He could see it in the way Starkiller flinched back that he was hurt. He was telling him to build a bond with a person he despised and pretend to be someone he was not, all to help a boy who in his mind was stealing the attention that should belong to him. It was a very hurtful thing to say but that was just what Starkiller was expecting from him. Undoubtedly he would hate it but he also would comply because Vader had formulated it as a last wish.

Vader could see the loathing in his eyes. Starkiller was fully aware that he was being manipulated. Vader counted on him being still so used to following his orders that he would not question them.

Starkiller balled his fists, still shaking with anger but he lowered his head in defeat and turned off his lightsaber.

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

Vader regarded him sadly for a moment. One day, you will thank me, he thought.

"Go and talk to her. Luke has her under the impression that she is hiding on the Tyrant and that I am unaware of her presence. You can simply say that you have been sent by Luke. If she gets the impression that you are risking my wrath by conspiring with her, it will make her trust you sooner. It may take a while to convince her that the Empire is not pure evil. Do not suggest her working with Luke or anyone else until you are sure of her allegiance. Of course you will also keep her away from Luke until she can be trusted."

"And if she is stubborn?"

"Then you may decide her fate. If you believe her too dangerous, kill her."

Starkiller let out a frustrated huff. "I don't have time to coax her to our side slowly. We don't have the time. You said you had a plan to take down the Emperor."

"You cannot simply march into the palace and murder him on his throne", Vader replied annoyed. "Nobody must suspect we have a hand in it."

"Who cares? Once the Emperor is dead, do you really think anyone would dare arrest either of us for treason? Even if they did, I'd just kill all witnesses."

"You forget that Darth Sidious is a Master of the dark side, of manipulation and far-seeing. He can sense upcoming danger and will take measures against it."

"That means no matter what we do, he will always know beforehand."

"He does of course suspect that I am up to something and he also knows you are eager to try your hand but we are not his only enemies. We have to concentrate his focus on a third threat so that when he senses danger come, he will not think it is you. First we have to get him away from Imperial Center. He has too many resources on the planet to adapt to every situation. We have to get him out in space, on a station or a ship."

"The only occasions where he would come personally would be to witness a major victory."

"Exactly. A planetary conflict would hardly be enough for this. Orchestrating smething of a grander scale will be time-consuming. I will need your help for it but it may still be months in the future. Until then you will continue your training under me and fulfill this mission." 

Starkiller didn't like it. Vader could see that he didn't like it at all. However in the end he nodded his consent, finally clipping his lightsaber back to his belt.

One day..., Vader repeated in his thoughts as he watched Starkiller's retreating back. He could feel his revulsion, his anger. After Nar Shaddaa, for a moment it had seemed as if they could just go back to how things were. But Starkiller wasn't a child anymore and he was growing more and more independent. Soon he would shake off the Emperor's manipulations and hate Vader all on his own. Vader just hoped he wouldn't be there to see the day. He didn't think he could stand it.

XxX

Leia was exhausted. It had been a very long day for her and all she really wanted to do was get a good night of rest. It was a rare luxury for her these days as she'd started to have nightmares but this dream was different. Peaceful. She was underwater, swimming close to the bottom of a lake or ocean. Colorful fish and octopuses passed her and she was simply enjoying the moment, not thinking about anything. She let herself be taken away by the current. That's when he appeared.  
Luke was riding a dolphin, looking a bit confused as he usually did when he entered one of her stranger dreams. The current Leia was in was strong though and the dolphin struggled to keep up. He was shouting something towards her but only bubbles escaped his mouth. Leia didn't want to know what he had to say.  
The current picked up its speed and Leia rushed forward. The dolphin tried to enter the current with its rider.

"Leia, wait for me!", she could hear his faint voice.

She didn't want to look back. She didn't want to talk to him or see him at all. When Luke got the hint his mount slowed down and he became smaller in the distance. She could feel his hurt and confusion. But there was something else. He was troubled and in worry and that had nothing to do with her rejection. A pang of regret hit Leia. She hated seeing him so sad.

With a sigh she willed the current to slow down until she was just floating in the open water.

Luke perked up and drove his dolphin towards her, sliding down from it at the last moment when he reached her.

"Leia! It's so good to see you again. I missed you."

She had missed him too. Leia had been the one to close off her mind and ignore his attempts to reach her these past two weeks but it hadn't been easy. He'd become a very good friend after all.

"What do you want, Luke?", she asked colder than intended.

"I just wanted to talk with you. What's wrong? Is it a bad time? I know you've been busy."

"What do you know?", she let out with a sudden pang of fear.

"It's just because you've been blocking me. Is everything alright?"

Of course. She had blocked him before in the past when she simply had too much around her head to talk in length with him. She always woke up a bit exhausted the next morning afterwards.

"I'm fine, thanks. What did you want to talk about?"

Luke settled on a mossy rock, watching her curiously. "Just trouble at home. But it seems I’m not the only one. Are you sure you are alright?"

"Yes damnit!", Leia spat and at once regretted it when Luke flinched back.

There was an awkward silence and the girl finally sighed.

"Father found out that I met you at the festival. He was... displeased."

"Why?"

"Why - you - because!"

"I don't understand", Luke said. "Your father doesn't like me?" He made a face like a kicked puppy and Leia felt the urge to hug him.

"It's not... that...", she tried although really, it was that. "He's just... uncomfortable... with the methods your family applies..."

"You mean he doesn't like my father."

Her shoulders slumped a bit. She hated having to be careful of what she said around Luke. 

"It's nothing personal. Just... You can see why, can't you?"

Luke looked annoyed. "Look, I know my father has done some bad things. Despicable things, even. I know people who have reason to hate him for very personal reasons. But to have such hostility without even knowing him and not just that but to be the same way with me is just stupid."

"He thinks you're a bad influence on me", Leia whispered.

"How am I a bad influence on you? You were the one who invited me to the Festival."

"You were the one who wanted to get drunk!", Leia argued.

"Oh believe me, I learned that lesson. I am never drinking again", Luke promised vehemently.

Strangely though, that seemed to hurt Leia instead of reassuring her.

"W-Why is that?", she whispered at last. "Is it because of... you know..."

"What?"

"The kiss", she stressed, still whispering as if talking about something forbidden. Her face was flushed pink.

"Oh", Luke said, blushing himself. "Uh, no. I mean, I don't think that we would've, you know, if we weren't drunk but... No, it's just that the next day a Jedi tried to kill me and I was so hungover I wasn't able to save Marvin, who got caught up in the fight."

Leia made big eyes. "A Jedi tried to kill you!? But why?" That didn't fit with anything she'd heard about Jedi. Luke was just a boy! He couldn't be much older than her. As far as she knew, he'd never done any wrong, not really and she thought she knew him fairly well.

"Apparently she thought she could get back at my father if she did it", Luke muttered, looking down sadly.

"That's horrible!" It really was. Leia was convinced that Vader was a terrible person but you didn't take revenge on someone by assaulting their child. She would've never thought a Jedi of all people would fall so low.

"Is... Is Marvin alright?" She only remembered the trooper vaguely but she knew that he'd been surprisingly fun.

"Yes. Well, no. He was wounded pretty badly. Got discharged cause he can't fulfill the physical requirement of the Stormtrooper Corps anymore. It's just a limp but walking a lot hurts him and, well..."

"Oh", Leia said, feeling suddenly very stupid for being so mean to Luke and blocking him all the time. Luke was her friend and she'd let him down when he needed her. "What's going to happen to him now?"

"Well, he got lucky cause he's got me as a friend!" Luke grinned. "I got him an honor award for saving me from the Jedi. He gets to pick a planet for his early retirement and a nice bonus on top of it. The way I know him he'll probably spend it all on women and gambling and end up back on Tatooine in no time."

Leia could tell that his smile was fake but she didn't press.

"I see. So that's what has been bothering you the whole time..."

"Well, the whole issue got a bit more complicated. It's not me I'm concerned about, you know?"

"What do you mean? It couldn't be... Are you concerned about the Jedi?" As ridiculous as it sounded, she wouldn't put it past him.

"It's a long story."

"Tell it to me", she offered, feeling as if she had to make up for ignoring him before.

But Luke shook his head. "I shouldn't."

"You're the one who started it. Now I'm curious. What's going on?"

Luke looked contemplating, then suddenly grinned at her mischievously. "I'll tell you if you tell me first why you've been blocking me."

Leia felt her blush return. "I... I told you, it's just because of my father..."

"Do you think my father would be thrilled if he found out I talked to you this way? But he doesn't know and has no way of learning of it so really, what's the problem? What changed?"

Leia was silent but Luke pressed on. 

"If this is about the... you know... We were drunk. If you didn't like it, fine, let's never talk about it again. I'm not... expecting anything. It's not like we have the means to spend any real time together anyway..."

This conversation was becoming increasingly awkward and Leia decided that she had to stop it before they both embarrassed themselves.

"It's not about that", she stressed. She couldn't tell him. She mustn't. But well, she didn't think he was supposed to have told her about the Jedi either. She'd heard the news of course of the so-called terrorist attack on Kashyyyk but she hadn't known there was a Jedi involved let alone that Luke was the target. Luke had trusted her with that information and was even willing to give her more but only if she returned the favor.

If Leia told Luke the reason she'd blocked him, the reason why she'd been so busy, he could easily use that against her family. Of course they hadn't done anything illegal but she was sure if she told the truth her father would be compromised and if Luke told anyone that could lead to an investigation, which was the last thing the Organa family needed right now. 

On the other hand, Luke's words let her assume that the Jedi assassin hadn't simply been killed. If she got more information on the issue she could tell her father, who could alert the right people and who knows, maybe they could send someone to rescue the captured Jedi. They could prevent the Empire from getting important information and gain a powerful ally.

Luke was looking at her expectantly and Leia felt her shoulders slump. She was a terrible person, wasn't she? Luke wasn't offering an exchange of information. He wanted to tell her what bothered his heart and wanted to know her worries in return because he was just a good friend. Sure, she could use his naïveté and make up some lie but she'd feel terrible about it. She was a good girl. She was certainly better than the Empire who would use such underhanded tactics.

"I... Well, like I told you, my father wasn't happy with me when I returned. I've never seen him more angry... or scared. He saw it fit to teach me a lesson."

"He hasn't hurt you, has he?", Luke whispered.

"What? No, of course not! He's not..." He's not Vader, she wanted to say but stopped herself at the last moment. "No, I mean a lesson of a different kind.." Then she launched into her story. Occasionally she had to stop to keep herself from sobbing, reliving the terrible memories but she carried on.

"Father and I, we went on a tour together. Just us. We even wore civilian clothes and stuff so nobody would recognize us. He took me to a couple of planets and showed me things. We started on Kashyyyk. Near the place where the festival was there was a... labor camp. It was raided three days after the festival by a group of rebels. Father and I met with a Wookie family that had been freed and father asked them to tell me what was going on in the camp. The Wookies working there were bringing wood out of the forest, cutting it up and things like that. Only there weren't just big strong males, there were old ones and even children and they were all forced to lift those heavy trunks. There were troopers watching them and whipping their backs when they moved too slowly. If the adults tried to fight back, their children would have to do twice their usual workload. Wookies don't get many children you have to know and they're very protective of their young ones. It was terrible. The mother I talked with had lost her only daughter. She became sick because the hygiene conditions in the camp were atrocious and the Imps refused to give her medicine. She was dragged away so she wouldn't infect the other laborers. And then there was the slaughterhouse. It was actually called that, some trooper thought it funny to put that in writing over the door with graffiti. Whenever there was a Wookie fighting back because of the whippings or to protect their young, they would drag him to that building, he would have to stand at a wall and they'd shot him. The building was where all the corpses were stored and once a week they would be carted away. The Wookies were treated like animals. They have their own culture and are very prideful. They also live longer than humans so most are used to the freedom the Republic offered them. It was clear from the beginning that they would have a hard time to adapt to the Empire but of course there could be no consideration.

“After Kashyyyk was Callus. The planet is not inhabitable anymore since Vader and his squad bombed it three years ago. We had to go down there in full protective suits. Father and me walked through the empty ruins of the cities. It was all very modern, very civilized just like Alderaan. But everything was dead. There are people and sometimes even planets going against the Empire everywhere. They may be unorganized and have little chance on their own but Callus didn't even rebel. They just traded with those that did. I know that is a crime but you should've seen that city. It was a graveyard. You could still make out the corpses from where the ash covering them had preserved them. I saw a couple sitting at a cafe, still facing each other. Civilians who hadn't even noticed there was a fleet assembling on the other side of the planet. I couldn't stop imagining how they would look up as the ships rounded the planet, darkening the sun before the bombs dropped.

“We went to Naboo.. On the way there my father showed me holos of what the planet used to be like. It's a beautiful world but not just because of the nature. The capital, Theed, was so bright and elegant, it was like a dream. Then we arrived there and all the beautiful mosaics and panels were covered with banners with the Imperial sign. Father said people used to play music in the streets, now you only heard Imperial radio frequency. In the smaller towns it was even worse, everything was white and gray. It was afternoon, a weekend and I barely saw families or children outside. Naboo has a very large Imperial presence, not nearly as much as Alderaan. They say it's for protection since it's the Emperor's home planet. Nobody seemed to mind it but Luke... Even the civilians who never fought back, who never said a wrong word, they lost so much. So much culture and art was lost when everything just became... Imperial standard. The nobles wore the same fashion on Naboo as on Alderaan or on Imperial Center. All major manufactures are Imperial owned as are all holo channels and... The Empire is just everywhere. It says the planetary governments stayed untouched when the Empire took over but if they want to change anything, regardless for what reason or in what area, they always have to get Imperial approval first. So much diversity has been lost with the races that are being suppressed, I didn't even know how dull the galaxy had become. And nobody is doing anything because people are afraid. They're afraid of the Stormtroopers, afraid of the military, the navy and afraid of Darth Vader. At one point the people of the galaxy exchanged freedom for safety. But they still have to live in fear."  
Leia took a deep breath. Luke had been mostly silent during her story and he still looked contemplating.

"You must not tell anyone about what I told you", she stressed. 

"What do you mean?"

"Just promise me."

Luke nodded mutely. Leia stared at him intently and decided at last that he understood.

Of course nothing her father or her had done was in any way criminal. But it was obvious her father was against the Empire's politics and it was easy to imagine he'd help other rebelling planets. That was Leia's greatest fear, that they could all end up like Callus.

What she hadn't told Luke was that her father had taken her to meet some people. Generals from the Clone Wars, politicians from other planets. Even Jedi. People who were all secretly fighting against the Empire, trying to organize the little scattered resistance that sparked up all over the galaxy. She'd been introduced to an old man with a white beard who had, at Bail's urging, given her a first hand account of Order 66 and the terrible things his order had been subjected too. He'd talked about how her mother had been a fierce defender of democracy and how she'd weep for the freedom the galaxy lost if she were still alive. She'd barely realized that he was talking about her real mother when father had changed the subject with a sharp glance. But the Jedi had come back to her later and talked about the Force, this mysterious energy that she knew Luke used to talk to her. He'd told her great tales about the Republic and the Jedi and even offered to teach her. Maybe she would've considered the offer if it weren't for the second Jedi they met later, one that had barely escaped an Imperial attack a few weeks prior and that had decided to get wasted in a local bar. It had been such a great contrast to the wise old man she met before. Leia had realized that the Jedi were just like every other group, very diverse. Maybe that was why the Empire didn't like them.

Leia pulled herself out of her musings.

"Well", she said, "that was my week. How was yours?"

"Not quite as eventful, that's for sure", Luke said but his usual humor was lacking. She could tell he was still thinking about her story. Good, maybe it would make him realize how bad the Empire really was.

"Do you remember that dragon that crashed our dream a while back?"

Leia scowled. "You said it might be a representation of your brother." He still hadn't told her anything about that person.

"Right. So he was away for a while but he came back to live with father and me. Now it turned out that Jedi that was captured on Kashyyyk was actually his mother, who everyone thought was dead."

"Your... Your mother is a Jedi?", she exclaimed truly shocked.

"She's not my mother. My mother died at my birth. S.K. is sort of adopted, you know?"

"So your adopted brother's mother is a Jedi... And I take it he didn't know that before?"

"He did but like I said, we all thought she was dead. I was the first to find out her name so I did everything I could to save her from execution but when S.K. learned about it he was furious."

"Why did you try to save her?"

"What do you mean why?"

"Well, your father is a very well known Jedi hunter and this woman tried to kill you, didn't she? Why did you save her?"

"It was just... the right thing to do." Luke shrugged. "I never got to know my mother but I know if I had the chance to get to know her, I would take it immediately, Jedi or not. I don't understand why S.K. would pass up such a chance. I know he wants nothing more than a family."

"Maybe he's angry because he thinks she's abandoned him", Leia guessed.

"But she thought he was dead as well."

"Sometimes when it's about their parents, people just don't think rationally. It could be a subconscious thing. Did he have a hard life?"

"Oh", Luke made, "you have no idea."

Leia nodded, she'd thought so. Luke was widely known as Vader's son thorough the media. If this S.K. person was not, it could only mean he was the black sheep, the one kept in the shadows. Leia didn't even want to think about what that monster could do to a child that never saw the light, one that was completely at his mercy.

"I don't think there's much you can do then. He'll never accept his Jedi mother, not as long..." Not as long as he was under Vader's control.

"Why do you think that?"

Leia was silent for a moment. She wondered if this was something she was not supposed to tell him. Then again, it hardly mattered compared to what she had already revealed.

"Well, you know... I'm adopted too. The Organas are not my real family. My birth parents are dead but if I suddenly found out my mother was still alive, I'd be angry too. I mean, I have a good life and everything but still... She's my mother, she should've cared about me, don't you think?"

"Well... if she just gave you away, yeah, I suppose so", Luke agreed. "But I grew up with my aunt and uncle believing my father to be dead and I wasn't angry at him when I found out he was alive because I knew he never ever knew I existed."

"Well, I guess everybody reacts differently to something like that."

Luke nodded. Then suddenly he started chuckling and Leia glanced at him confused. "What is it?"

"Nothing. It's just that you say you would've reacted the same way my brother did, with anger. I think you'd make a good Sith."

"What's a Sith?"

"The opposite of a Jedi. You know, like how my father is a Sith."

Leia paled. "I am nothing like Vader!"

"I know. That's why it is so funny."

"Luke Skywalker! Don't you dare ever say something like that again!"

"And you're bossy too. Yep, definitely Sith", Luke continued to tease.

Leia balled her hands to fist. On some level she knew that Luke had no intention of insulting her. In fact he probably thought it was a compliment. However, she couldn't help but be extremely offended and maybe a little scared as well. Because... What if he was right?

The girl suppressed the urge to hit Luke or throw him out of her dream, knowing she would only prove him right if she did. But it was very, very hard. After all, Leia Organa had always had a fierce temper.


	44. Chapter 44

Mallie was anxious and nervous. Her daily routine had been interrupted when a trooper had approached her during her lunch break and told her to come to this meeting room. He didn't answer her question of why, just that he'd been sent to deliver the message and no questions.

So now here she was in an empty, sterile looking room, sitting on one of half a dozen chairs at a round table. The occasional star map or Imperial sigil decorated the walls and a holo projector sat at the far end of the room, otherwise it was empty.

At least, she thought, it was unlikely her cover had been blown and she was to be executed. They would've brought her into the detention center for that or just shot her on the spot.

The Jedi tried to calm herself. She closed her eyes and tried releasing her emotions into the Force. However she was interrupted when the door swung open.

A young man, just barely no teenager any longer, entered the room. He must be shaving his black hair semi-regularly it was that short and his brows seemed to form a permanent scowl. He wore a dark flight suit with a light gray shirt underneath. At his hip sat a lightsaber.

Mallie jumped to her feet, watching the man with suspicion. Maybe he had been sent to kill her after all?

"Sit down", he snarled, giving her a glare was almost painful in its intensity. He pulled a chair forward for himself opposite of her but waited until she followed his command before he seated himself.

He took a small rectangular device from his belt and put it on the table. Removing a cap he revealed two thin needles connected with the devise which had a small digital display. Mallie vaguely recognized it from holodramas. It was a device used by local police to check for DNA matches. You needed two blood samples for it to work.

"Pierce your thumb with one of them", he demanded, holding out the device.

Mallie pursed her lips. "What for?"

"What do you think it's for?", he returned, his voice sounding like a whiplash. Mallie wondered what she'd ever done to piss him off like that.

She looked down at the sampler. Did they want to test her midichlorian level or something? She didn't think those things were built for it but it could be modified. What for though? If they suspected her of being a Jedi, this would certainly not be the normal procedure.

At last Mallie used one of the needles to pierce her skin and take her blood sample. The man took the device from her and to her surprise, pierced his own thumb on the other needle. He pressed a button, waiting a few seconds for the result. At last a blinking green light showed it was finished. Mallie could not see what the display said from her position and the young man's face was blank, betraying no emotion. Except the hand holding the small black box was trembling ever so slightly.

At last he threw the sampler away from him, letting it slide over the table. He brought his hands to his neck, elbows supported in the table and head bowed. Unable to control his expression any longer, he did not want her to see his face. Curious but still watching him carefully, Mallie reached for the sampler.  
She stared at the display for a few seconds, trying to make sense of it. They DNA was a 49.98% match. That meant...

Now Mallie’s hands were shaking as well and the sampler fell out of her limb fingers.

"G-Galen?", she gasped.

Her son jumped to his feet abruptly, backing away only to start pacing through the room.

"Do not... Do not call me that", he hissed, not looking at her.

The Jedi stared at him, torn between wonder, excitement.... and fear. He would be eighteen by now. Still, she remembered her son as a child and on some subconscious level she must have thought he'd still be small and cute.  
She didn't recognize him.

Mallie felt a lonely tear run down her cheek and hurriedly wiped it away. She had to pull herself together. This was what she'd came for!

"I'm... I'm so glad I can finally meet you. I almost didn't dare to hope... Force, you've grown up so much."   
She stood up, not knowing if she should approach him. He was still pacing and she wanted to take his hands, to look at his face, see if she could recognize any of her husband's features in it. She knew he had her hair and his father's dark brown eyes, so warm and loving.

Galen had stopped, head raised to stare at the ceiling and she got the feeling he was counting to ten. At last he turned to look at her and she flinched back when she saw the sheer, unadulterated hatred in his eyes that were more black than brown and cold like the space between the stars.

"Let me make one thing clear", he growled, "I'm here as a favor for a good friend, one that you tried to kill. I think keeping you here is a terrible idea considering you're a Jedi, a terrorist and a murderer and if you try anything, I don't care that you're my biological mother, I will make you pay. Do you understand?"

Mallie's eyes had grown wider with every word. She felt something burning inside of her, like acid that was corroding her heart. Her son hated her.

"I understand", she whispered. Her son hated her.

"Good." Galen grabbed a chair and again waited for her to sit before he did the same. "Now talk." He hated her.

"W-What?"

"You wanted to meet me, here I am. Talk." He had his arms crossed in front of his chest, looking at her with such disdain as if he was the scolding parent and she the child. He hated her.

Mallie didn't know what to say. Oh, she had had time to prepare, she had thought many times about how she would talk her poor brainwashed son into fleeing with her. But she had always imagined Galen to be hurt and broken, eager for the love she offered. This was... this was wrong. He hated her.

Mallie felt a sudden surge of anger for Vader. He had done this to her boy. He'd turned him against her, made him so cold. The Skywalker boy had warned her about it but she hadn't been willing to believe, to understand. But she couldn't accept that her son shall be lost to her.

Mallie reached forward, laying her arm on the table, palm up. She looked at him pleadingly, whispering: "Please..."  
For a moment she was sure he would refuse. He looked ready to jump out of his chair again. It actually surprised her when he unfolded his arms and slowly, ever so slowly as if expecting a trap, laid his hand in hers.  
Mallie closed her eyes, feeling his cold skin on hers as she trapped his hand between hers. A tremble went through her entire body and it was as if all doubt, all worries were swiped away in that moment. This was her son. Her little Galen was alive. He was not dead, buried under a burning roof like in her nightmares, he was sitting right in front of her. A wave of relief washed over her and she squeezed his hand lightly. It twitched as if wanting to pull away but stayed where it was. He may hate her... but he had still come. It wasn't too late.  
Mallie opened her eyes again to find Galen staring at her, more confused and curious than angry. He had Kento's nose and chin but her cheekbones. His hand was rough with all the callus that came from regular lightsaber wielding and his skin was a bit lighter under the sleeve. He must've been somewhere with strong solar radiation recently.

It was only now that Mallie noticed she could barely feel him in the Force. As a child, he used to have such a bright presence. It had worried the young parents a bit, seeing as they heard of the Empire kidnapping Force-sensitive children all around the galaxy.

Had Vader done anything to smother his potential? Maybe so he wouldn't become too powerful? Mallie reached out for him a bit more. There was a second when she caught something like a tendril of energy, feeling cold and hard and condensed but it was gone quickly and Galen's hand slipped out of hers.

His potential wasn't smothered, she realized. It was refined and hidden. All the time he'd been testing her through the Force, observing her emotions. This confusion he'd expressed at her relief... Could it be that he hadn't known how much she loved him? How long she'd wished for nothing more than such a miracle to happen?

He'd called her a terrorist and a murderer. Didn't he know that she fought for the rebellion for him? Was his attempt to read her mind a clever interrogation technique or... or was he just a boy after all that wanted to know what his mother thought about him? Did he feel bad for whatever Vader had made him do? Did he think she wouldn't want him? She was right here! That was what she came for.

"I'm sorry, Galen", she whispered, stupid tears trying to spill again.

"What for?", he snapped.

Mallie took a deep breath. She didn't know why he hated her but she had to get this right, had to apologize for everything he might think she'd done to wrong him. Maybe then he would trust her a bit more, would realize that she too would forgive him anything he'd done. She just wanted her son back.

"I... I'm sorry for hurting your friend." Technically, she hadn't hurt the boy, he couldn't have carried more than a few scratches from that fight while she had to endure bacta treatment for almost a week afterwards.

"I'm sorry for killing those Imperials. It was... Well, the war never stopped for me but if you knew any of them... I'm sorry. A-And I'm sorry for never searching for you. I should've realized you weren't dead. I never found your b-body. If I'd known, I would've turned over the entire galaxy to find you! I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

Galen had his arms crossed, expression cold again. He was silent for a few seconds. Then he leaned over slightly and Mallie almost dared to hope when his mouth formed a sneer.

"No you're not", he whispered. "You aren't sorry. You're a Jedi, an enemy of the Empire. If you had the chance, you would do everything exactly the same. You are a soldier, of course you kill your opponents. Targeting Luke was actually a good strategy, I give you that. And you aren't sorry for leaving me behind either. I would've merely been a burden to you as you fought to destroy the peace of the Empire for your ridiculous fantasies of democracy. You were glad that you got rid of me. After my supposed death, you could finally join your rebel friends and go back to being the honorable Jedi you've always been."

Mallie stared at him in open shock. A cold shiver run down her spine seeing that black hatred directed at her.  
"How... How can you think that!? My family was everything I had, nothing was more important! Kento and I were hiding on Kashyyyk for years, never fighting back, not even to protect our friends when the Empire came because your safety was more important than anything. We both loved you more than our lives. I joined the rebellion only after I thought you dead, not for justice but to avenge you."

"Then why aren't you dead?", Galen asked, something like triumph in his voice. "When Lord Vader came to take me away, why weren't you there?"

The words felt like a slap to her face. 

"I-I'm sorry."

"Where were you?"

"Please don't...!"

"WHERE WERE YOU!?", Galen shouted, slamming his hands on the table.

"I was with the rebels... fighting the Empire", she admitted, not caring anymore about the tears running down her cheeks.

"There we go."

"It's not like you think!", she tried. "I was going to the town to buy supplies when I came upon a fight between a group of Wookies and Trandoshans. They were a plague on Kashyyyk, always kidnapping people. One of the Wookies was accusing the Trandoshans of having caught his youngling. They were trying to overwhelm him so I jumped in to help. And then..."

"And then?", Galen urged.

"I let them catch me. I let them bring me to that ship that they used to smuggle the Wookies. They were going to sell them into slavery. But they didn't know of my abilities. I managed to free myself and the slaves and we took over the ship. Then that corvette appeared. They ordered us to stand down and I thought it may be pirates. But it was a group of freedom fighters who had planned to ambush the slavers themselves. They took in the Wookies and fired on the ship til it exploded. They had plans to give the Wookies a new life and hide them but for that it was important that everyone thought they died in the explosion. So they made me swear not to tell anyone."

"And that's when you joined them", Galen assumed.

"Yes", she admitted. "I could start completely anew and nobody would know who I am or that I had a family. I still returned to Kashyyyk as often as my missions allowed it to see Kento and you but... that's why I wasn't there when..."

"You weren't there because your political ideals were more important to you than your family."

"That's not true! It was the first time I ever encountered any kind of organized rebellion against the Empire. They were so confident, I really thought we could take down the Empire in a year or two. I did it because I didn't want you to grow up in a galaxy so devoid of personal freedom. I wanted to make the galaxy a better place for my family."

"By joining a criminal organization? By starting a war, you wanted to make the galaxy better? Safer? You honestly thought you and your little rag-tag group of friends could take down the Empire all on your own? The Empire didn't form over night, you know? The Emperor had all the power years before it was declared such. The change had started before I was even born."

"I know that... I know that now, please Galen, I'm sorry."

"Yet you continued your useless fight for years afterwards."

Mallie shook her head. "No, everything became different after... After Kento's death. They wanted me to climb up the chain of command but I refused. I stayed on Kashyyyk, at home. I could never leave the graves for very long..."

"But you continued to work with the rebels."

"Only loosely. I gave them information when I found it and tried to help the Wookies were I could. I didn't go around killing people, Kachirho was the biggest operation we had in years." 

"Who did you talk to when you had information? Who was your contact?"

"What?" She looked at his eyes that were now neither angry nor accusing but... hungry. Did he really care how she had survived? Did he care whether or not she had abandoned him? Or did he just want to trick her into giving information about the rebellion? Had she just walked straight into his trap?

"The Empire is wrong", she said quietly. "You... You have to realize that. Whether their struggle is useless or not, it is the right thing to do."

"Right or wrong is a matter of perspective", he dismissed her. "Tell me what you know of your leaders."

"Why? So you can go and kill them?"

"Exactly."

She tried to reach for him again but this time it appeared he had no desire to touch her.

"Galen, please... You don't have to do this. You... You don't have to follow Vader's commands. We can leave together and never look back."

"No."

"Galen..."

"Don't call me that." Her son stood abruptly. "I believe this is enough for today."

"Wait, no! Please don't go", she begged, jumping to her feet. Suddenly there was still so much she wanted to tell him... so much she wanted to know.

"If you are ready to give me a name, you may come back here and I will meet you. Until then, there's nothing we have to speak about."

He left as abruptly as he'd come, slamming the door after him. Mallie stayed behind, confused and desperate and still with teary eyes. Her son hated her. He'd manipulated her, used her so she would betray her cause... And she had allowed it because she wanted so desperately for him to understand. Was there really no connection left between them? She was his mother! Surely that had to mean something even for... even for a Sith, if that was indeed what he was?

Mallie remembered that curious expression when she'd caught him using the Force to read her. For a moment he hadn't looked like a menacing soldier but like a young man.... who wondered what love was like.

She wanted to tell him. She felt so stupid for not doing it when she had the chance. She'd told him how Kento and her had loved him in past tense, when they had still been a family. But she still loved him. And she needed him to know that. But would she be willing to sell out her friends for that?

XxX

Starkiller was sitting in the canteen, poking at his lunch with out much enthusiasm. His session with his biological mother was replaying in his head. He hadn't gone in there with the intent of interrogating her. The conversation had... somehow escaped his control. His Master wanted him to gain the woman's trust, to pull her to their side but the moment he held the proof of their relation in his hand... the urge to rip out her throat had been overwhelming.

He couldn't even explain why he hated her. Sidious had converted many former Jedi to his ways, making them join the Inquisitors. Starkiller had worked with them before and even had observed the brain washing process a few times. It wasn't as if his general dislike of the Jedi blinded him so much that he would discard an opportunity offered to him.

It wasn't solely because she tried to kill Luke either. Sure, that made him angry. Luke had been his best friend at some point but that was still years ago and Starkiller had been back for barely a few weeks. He believed he was working towards repairing that bond but it was hard and it took time. He wouldn't cry a single tear over Luke's corpse. He would go to great lengths to rip apart his murderer, sure, but the loss wouldn't devastate him. Maybe it would even make him stronger.

If it wasn't that she was a Jedi and it wasn't that she tried to kill Luke, then why was it so hard to keep himself from killing her? He had more self control in the presence of the Emperor.

Maybe it wasn't the woman, he mused. Maybe it was more the idea of her. Just like she clung to the idea of his younger self with love, he clung to the idea of a mother with hatred. Even when she reached out for him, he pushed her away. Just like he pushed away Vader...

Starkiller threw away his spoon with disgust. Vader didn't care for him. He wasn't even considering what that woman was doing to him. He was just interested in Luke, like always. His plan was stupid anyways. Why should a mere blood relation suffice in getting the Jedi to switch sides? It was just blood.

It worked with Luke and Vader, a voice whispered in his head. 

But that was different. It was Luke. Luke was just... special. Everybody loved him. Not even Starkiller could bring himself to kill him, though he probably had more reason than most. Starkiller would never be able to fake such a relationship, especially with an individual he felt so much hatred for. But Lord Vader had given him the mission of pulling the Jedi to their side. Starkiller knew he was under no obligation to comply; he didn't owe that man anything... But it had seemed important to him.

The young Sith sighed and went to get himself a new spoon. Then he changed his mind and threw his remaining meal into the trash. He wasn't hungry any more.

If he could not convert the Jedi with faked compassion, he would just have to do it the old-fashioned way. Break her will. Psychological warfare. He had paid attention to Sidious' lessons. She knew he was Sith. There was no point trying to pretend he wasn't ruthless. Getting information about her rebel friends out of her was the most believable reason he could have for spending any time with her at all. She would not question his motives. He would force her to betray her friends, one after the other until she was totally dependent on him. Normally he would do so by hurting her until she couldn't stand the pain. He would stop when she gave him a name and he would be back the next day, repeating it. Then, when she had no more names to give and fully expected to die, he would offer her a way out. He would reshape her personality, make her a new person, one that was no longer Mallie Marek. One that was not his mother and that he could, maybe, stand to be around in order to fulfill his given objective of making her trust him. The information she gave herself wasn't even of any importance.

Of course, he wasn't allowed to physically torture her. That did present a problem. However, she had one weakness and that was that she loved Galen Marek.

Starkiller had not believed it at first but he did now. She had loved her son and still did, but what she loved was an innocent child. Starkiller was not Galen Marek. He'd carried the name for a time but the more he thought about it, the more it disgusted him. Galen Marek was a slave to the Emperor. Starkiller was close, so close to finally shedding those chains with the help of his Master. The name Galen was representative to a life of slavery for him. Undoubtedly that was exactly what Darth Sidious had aimed for when he kept calling him that.

Starkiller thought back to his mission on Tatooine. He had tried to break the association by turning the Marek family symbol into one of freedom. But Galen Marek stayed an alias of his past. The symbol represented his roots, his origin and upbringing but it was more of an accusing reminder to everyone who dared to take part in slavery. He hadn't for a second expected there could be anyone else alive linked to that symbol.

Starkiller's thoughts were interrupted when he spotted Juno entering the canteen. She too saw him and came over with a smile.

"Hello Starkiller. Would you like to sit with me for lunch?"

"Actually, I was about to go", he returned.

"Oh", she made, looking strangely disappointed. "I see. Well, see you later then."

She headed for the food counter. Starkiller glanced over to the exit, which suddenly looked a lot less appealing then five minutes ago.

A few moments later Juno returned with her tray and Starkiller simply followed her to one of the empty tables.

"I thought you wanted to go?"

"Changed my mind", he muttered, sitting down opposite of her. 

"Is PROXY back from maintenance yet?", he wanted to know.

"Not yet. You must've banged him up pretty badly", she answered with a smirk. "I've sent the report to Lord Vader like you asked. There was no answer but you said Luke was already back, didn't you?"

"Yes. It turned out he was merely visiting some stupid festival."

Juno nodded, as if that was completely normal. Maybe it was. "Did you have time yet to see the Lord?"

"Yes", Starkiller growled.

"And?"

"He gave me a new mission."

Juno blinked at him. "That is... pretty high profile. And risky. I mean, is that really wise? Without any kind of official investigation... If something goes wrong, the civilian uproar would be huge..."

Starkiller stared at her expressionless. "What are you talking about?"

Juno looked just as confused. "Well this is about... you-know-who, isn't it?"

"Who?"

Juno gave him a disbelieving looked, then turned her head to check if nobody watched them. She leaned over, whispering: "The senator!"

Oh, that's what it was about. The whole thing with Organa and Kota had completely slipped his mind.  
"No", Starkiller said, "I haven't gotten around to telling him about it yet."

"But... But Starkiller!", Juno hissed, looking scandalized. "How can you keep such information from high command?"

"I'm not!", he defended himself. "There are just more important matters going on right now."

"Like what?", she challenged incredulously.

"Like..." Now it was Starkiller looking around to check for eavesdroppers, though he did it more thoroughly by skimming the surface thoughts of any troopers present in the canteen. "They found my mother."

"Your mother?"

"Yes. She was presumed dead but recently got captured and now Lord Vader wants me of all people to... oversee her... integration."

"So your mother... is a criminal?", Juno asked hesitantly.

Starkiller looked down at his hands. He felt strangely ashamed, having to admit this.

"She's a Jedi."

"Oh", she made. "That... makes sense, I guess."

He looked up, suddenly angry. Was she suggesting that he had any similarities with a Jedi!? "How does that make sense!?"

"I-I just mean", she said, "that's where you got those powers from, isn't it?"

Starkiller calmed down a bit. "There are children all around the galaxy that are born Force-sensitive while their parents are not."

"So it's not hereditary? I just assumed..."

Of course, the only other Force-sensitive she knew was Luke, who was the son of Darth Vader.

"I don't actually know", Starkiller admitted. "Sith are not in the habit of forming families."

"But Jedi are?"

"I don't think so. There certainly wasn't any uproar from families when the Jedi were ended at the end of the Clone Wars."

"I'm sorry. I know so little of your... religion. Is it forbidden for you to have a family? Or a, you know..." She licked her lips nervously, "...a girlfriend?"

Starkiller stared at her. She couldn't be asking because she wanted to... or could she?

But her question threw him into a loop. Was he allowed to have a girlfriend? One could argue that since Vader was evidently allowed to keep his offspring, such matters did not concern the Sith. On the other hand, Luke was the reason Darth Sidious had lost faith in his apprentice and sent Starkiller to dispose of the unwelcome factor. The nature of the Sith was that if they loved, they loved with passion but it was also in their nature to have many enemies that had no qualms about using those loved ones to kill or weaken you.  
Taking a girlfriend while he had not one but two powerful Sith Lords in his back would be a very, very stupid idea.

"I am allowed to have a family... or a girlfriend. In fact, the Sith code encourages it." What was he doing?! He must stop saying such stupid things!

Dammit... she looked so pristine, so perfect. And that smile... It ignited an excitement in him that he usually only felt before battle.

She placed her chin in her palm, looking at him teasingly. "If so, why don't you have one?"

He felt challenged immediately.

"Who says I don't?", he answered, trying to appear nonchalant. For a moment, his thoughts wandered to the selection of girls on Tatooine. Technically, they were his girlfriends, weren't they? Was there a difference between girlfriend and lover? Was Juno insinuating that she just wanted to fuck him or did she like him? Or was he misreading her and she was just teasing him? Did he want her to insinuate anything? Oh yes. Yes he did.

"I don't believe you have a girlfriend", Juno decided. She was far better at appearing nonchalant. "No sane girl would make a move on you. You are too intimidating."

What might be an insult to anyone else was stroking Starkiller's male pride as a Sith and he grinned predatory. "Oh? If it's sanity you're concerned about, I'll let you know that I'm very good at chipping away at it."

"That's a very fancy way of saying it sends people into a screaming fit to see your face."

"I believe that is less about my face and more about my lightsaber", the young Sith replied, thinking of all those victims of his quivering in fear in front of his power.

For some reason, his comment made Juno blush heavily. She abandoned the playful banter after that in favor of finishing her meal, which Starkiller found rather sad. He'd been enjoying it.

"I understand that you are busy with what's going on with your mother. If you want to talk about it, I'll be there to listen to you", Juno said when she was done. "But you have to decide what to do on your other problem. We can't keep silent about it forever."

"I know", the young Sith replied. "But Bespin is far away and I can't leave right now. I will find a solution, I just need more time."

"Alright. I trust you to do the right thing."

Juno went to give back her tray and Starkiller waited for her, intent on walking her back to her quarters.

"Thank you, by the way", he muttered when they headed for the exit together. "For distracting me from... the mission."

"As I said, I'm here for you." She smiled warmly. "That's what friends are there for, right?"

Starkiller forgot to breathe for a moment but caught himself quickly. "Right."

So they had gone from mere colleagues to friends now, huh? Maybe someday... they could be more?


	45. Chapter 45

"My Master", Starkiller whispered, his head bowed low as he knelt on the holo pad. The Emperor's head was hovering in front of him ominously, the sickly yellow eyes half hidden under the hood.

"I am most displeased with your progress, Galen", the powerful Sith Lord said, sending a shiver down Starkiller's spine. It was as if he could feel the other's threatening presence even from half a galaxy away. "It has been a whole month already and you have yet to deliver me any results."

"I apologize, Master", Starkiller said between clenched teeth. "Vader is keeping his offspring close to his side, even more so since the attempt on his life."

By the time Starkiller had returned from Tatooine, the Emperor's spies had of course already learned of Luke's little adventure. Vader had gone to great lengths to ensure Sidious did not learn about the attacker being a Jedi or that she had been captured, freed, and lured back in. Officially it had been a random terrorist attack and the rebel responsible had been killed by that favorite trooper of Luke's.

Starkiller had tried to explain to the Emperor that Vader obviously did not trust him, as proven by the fact that he'd been sent to a far away mission so he couldn't search for Luke himself when he vanished. Of course Sidious had asked what that mission had been and he'd made up something about hunting down collaborators of Rahm Kota. The next few days he'd worked with Juno to fake proof of this.

He didn't know for how long he'd be able to hold off Sidious before he became too suspicious.

"You must separate the boy from his father. There has to be a time when he is unwatched."

"Master, the boy is being punished for his misbehavior. He is not allowed to leave his quarters and two trooper teams watch his door at all times. I would have to dispose of both to get inside and this would draw attention to my actions."

"The recent attempt on Skywalker's life might serve in your favor. It might be enough for you to leave no traces and Vader will have to assume an assassin sneaked in from the outside."

Starkiller scowled. "Considering I have been sent to find any moles or spies by you officially, Vader would still blame me for his death. If you will allow me to end him once his wrath falls on me, I will gladly kill the boy for you." 

"No... You are not ready to face Vader yet. Try to get access to the boy though. His recklessness might do the job for you if he can be convinced to rebel against his... overly protective father."

"As you wish, Master."

"Good. Now go - but remember, my patience is not endless."

The holo projector flickered out and Starkiller stood, sneering at the position Sidious head used to hang. The Emperor suspected something, he was certain. But did he know that Starkiller had pushed aside his dislike for Vader in favor of plotting against Sidious? Or did he still assume that he would merely try to go against orders in killing Vader first to take his place? Had he perhaps found out about the captured Jedi and her relation to him? If so, why was he still biding his time? What was his plan?

Starkiller decided he'd have to meditate on that. However, first...

The young Sith looked at his commlink that notified him on a message left for him two hours ago. He'd put it off a long time, even giving priority to the hated report he had to make but he couldn't wait any longer.

It had been one week since he'd last spoken to the woman. One week since he'd given her the ultimatum; that he would only talk to her again if she gave him a name of her rebel contact. Luke had asked time and time again why he wouldn't meet with his mother, why he wouldn't seize the chance to get to know her. Vader too had expressed his displeasure at the slow space his 'mission' was going and even refused to give him any information about how his plan against the Emperor was progressing. It was frustrating. It was maddening. But he was stubborn and he'd ignored their nagging, determined to meet the woman only on his terms.  
At last, he'd gotten a message that she wanted to see him again.

He didn't want to see her again. It was a waste of time anyway. The last week, Starkiller had gone back to focusing on his training. Vader had not forgotten about his promise. He taught Starkiller new lightsaber moves, helped him to improve the damage and rate at which he could shoot his lighting and Force push. The training was hard and fierce but when he sparred with Lord Vader, it was unlike any duel he had with Darth Sidious. There was no killing intent, no hatred or rage between them. At first Starkiller even had had trouble using the dark side like he normally did during a fight but he'd quickly discovered that the spar elicited other emotions from him, similar in strength but less sinister. Joy. Excitement. The determination to prove himself. Hatred was a powerful tool but at its core, the dark side was about passion. He didn't have to be miserable in order to be powerful.

Unfortunately all the training, as much as he enjoyed it, also hadn't left him time to search for Kota and he doubted he would be able to do it without anyone noticing his absence as long as the issue with the female Jedi wasn't resolved. He better go and finish it soon.

Starkiller took a shuttle to the Tyrant and headed for the same meeting room he had met the Jedi in first. When he entered, she was already waiting for him and looking as if she had been here for a while. Considering he'd taken around three hours to answer her call, that was probably the case.

She didn't look good. Dark circles under the eyes showed she got little sleep and she was showing obvious signs of nervousness in the way she was wringing her hands.

Starkiller had no sympathy for her. He dropped the datapad he'd been carrying on the table and took a seat on the opposite side of her. She wasn't looking at him, seemingly very interested in the table's surface.

For a moment there was only silence between them. Starkiller refused to take the first step and his staring seemed to unnerve her.

At last the Jedi spoke:

"I... I don't want things to be this way between us." She took a deep breath and finally looked up at him. "I'm trying to... to understand you. I want to. I want to know who you are and why you are... like that."

"The name of your contact", Starkiller said coldly. "Give it to me."

"Why must you be so cruel to me?"

"Cruel?", Starkiller echoed disbelieving. "I am not being cruel. I am being very, very lenient. You haven't seen my cruel side yet but you will if you continue to waste my time."

The Jedi lowered her head again. "If I give you the name... Will you leave Vader and come with me?"

"No."

"But-"

"If you give me the name, I will keep my silence about your presence here so my Master will not find out about you. I will continue to meet you when my time allows it."

That was clearly not what she wanted but she must see how her hopes had been far too high to begin with.

"Then will you speak to me about yourself? Will you open up to me?"

Starkiller regarded her with thinly veiled disgust. "I will... consider... giving you less significant details about my person." Unfortunately, that was what his Master would expect of him anyway if he was to gain her trust.  
The Jedi hesitated some more.

"Wedge Antilles", she said at last. "That's the name of the man my team was to contact in case of emergency."

Starkiller wasted no time to pick up his datapad and check the name. He found a matching person on a wanted list and showed the picture to the Jedi for confirmation. She just nodded miserably. 

Well, that wasn't quite as useful as he'd hoped. Antilles had run into problems with the Empire before and had a bounty on his head. The added information that he was a rebel connected to a bigger network would do little in helping to capture him. Though he would make sure to leave a note in the database that if he was ever captured, he would be interrogated for the names of his own contacts.

"Do you hate him?", the woman whispered.

"Who?", Starkiller asked absentmindedly while he was typing Antilles' death sentence.

"Vader."

"He's my Master."

"Your Sith Master", she stressed. "You can't tell me he hasn't treated you awfully."

Starkiller lowered the databad, staring coldly at the Jedi. 

"I am not discussing my Master or my training with you."

"You said-"

"I said I would consider giving you less important information. If you want to know this kind of thing you have to offer me more than a second-class pilot that's never done more than shoot down a few TIE's."

For a moment she looked betrayed but hid it quickly.

"Okay then... Do you... Do you have any friends? Connections outside of the Navy?"

Starkiller ground his teeth. He didn't want to talk to this person. He didn't want to reveal anything about himself. Why couldn't she talk about herself like last time?

"I am friends with Luke." That wasn't a secret, she already knew that.

"That's all?"

"I am not discussing my allies with you either", he snarled.

"Why not?"

"Because you would try to use them against me", he responded. Did she think he was stupid?

"I'm not - I would never do that!"

"Of course you would. You want me to leave with you, you would try to talk to my associates in order to try and get them to change my mind." Not that she would have any luck. The prospect of her trying to talk PROXY into betraying Vader was ridiculous. But he couldn't let her know that he possessed a capable battle droid or that Juno followed his command without question. She could use that to flee the Tyrant by pretending to have been sent by him. Or worse, take her hostage.

"I just wanted to know if you had a life outside of your order. If you sometimes took time off to enjoy yourself. I wanted to know if you're happy", the Jedi whispered.

"Were you?", Starkiller countered sharply. "When you were still with your order, did you just abandon duty to be with friends?"

"No", she admitted. "As a Jedi, I couldn't do that. But I wasn't happy in the order either. It was better after I left."

That's right, Starkiller remembered reading this in her file. She had left the Jedi order long before Order 66. She wasn't a Jedi, she was a former Jedi. Not that it made that big of a difference.

"The friends you had on Kashyyyk abandoned you. They must believe you to be captured yet no attempt has been made to free you."

"They didn't abandon me. I'm the one who endangered them all and then left on my own. Besides, they have no way of knowing where I am. But you didn't answer my question. Are you happy?"

"Yes."

"You don't look like it."

"I am not happy now since I have to endure your presence."

"Am I really that repulsive to you? Just because I, what, fought for what I believed in?"

Starkiller stood abruptly. "I think we're done here."

"What? No, Galen wait!"

But Starkiller had no intention of waiting. "I told you not to use that name", he growled.

"But why? You haven't explained it to me. If you tell me why you don't like your name I'll call you whatever you want."

The young Sith wavered for a moment.

"Starkiller", he said at last. "That's the name Lord Vader gave me. The only one who's ever called me Galen was the Emperor. He used it to mock me for my origins, for being the spawn of a Jedi." He hadn't known it at that time but to Sidious it must have been amusing, making the return of his birth name seem like a gift when in truth Vader had done him a favor years ago when he erased his past. Now every time someone called him Galen, he heard the Emperor's sickly sweet voice resound with it, like a shark eager for his next meal. The Emperor was only interested in his Force potential and his power but the hunger he regarded him with when he commanded him to kneel had an almost sexual note to it that made him cringe in disgust.

The former Jedi did not appear particularly fond of his chosen name but she nodded nonetheless.

"Okay... Starkiller. Uhm, that sounds weird. Is there a short version...?"

"You are not to shorten my name!", Starkiller protested. It was bad enough that Luke did it. Why did everyone have a problem with his name anyway? It was a great name!

"I don't know it just sounds like... like the name of a space station built to blow up planets or something", the woman said.

"No shortened version", Starkiller insisted with a deadpan. A space station built to blow up planets.... how ridiculous was that? Though it did sound like something the Emperor would invent, didn't it? ...nah. Not even the old Sith could be that crazy.

It would be another three years before Starkiller would be taught otherwise.

XxX

"What do you think about Wookies?"

"Excuse me?"

Luke and Vader were in a training hall, having just finished a lightsaber spar. Thought it had ended with the Sith skillfully disarming his son, Luke was sitting on a bench, helping himself to a bottle of water for refreshment and barely seemed winded. Vader on the other hand felt exhausted. He'd already fought Starkiller this morning and he didn't have the endurance he once had. Of course the full body life support suit hid all signs of tiredness from his son, which he was thankful for.

"Wookies, these big hairy inhabitants of Kashyyyk. What do you think of them?", Luke asked again. Or about Twi'leks. Or Trandoshans. Or any other non-human race, he added mentally.

"Not all races are the same, Luke. Wookies for example are physically strong and good with all kinds of weapons but their natural temper and lack of ability to speak basic makes them terrible diplomats."

"Yeah but..." Luke scowled, searching for the right words. Considering his son had appeared more distracted then usual during the duel, Vader was determined to find out what was bothering him.

Why are you suddenly asking this?, Vader wanted to know.

"It's just that humans seem to have a monopoly in all greater institutions of the Empire."

"Of course they do. The human race is the most wide spread one. There are around five times more humans than all other intelligent races put together."

"But that's not the only reason, is it? Otherwise there would be one non-human for every five humans on this ship. The crew of the Devastator is made out of humans only."

"The Imperial military rarely employs non-humans, true, though there are exceptions."

But why is that?

"You know why. We occasionally have to quench the resistance of non-human terrorist or pirate groups. It is an unnecessary risk to force a soldier to choose between his loyalty for the Empire and a natural loyalty towards his race. Most races originate from single planets so their solidarity is greater than with humans, who exist all over the galaxy."

So it's got nothing to do with unfounded hatred and racism? Luke looked skeptical.

"There are systems in place in institutions like the Imperial academy that require non-humans to go through extensive testing, both physical and psychological before they can even apply. Being subjected to racism is a part of this since they would naturally have to gain respect first before being accepted into a mainly human environment. It is rare for anyone to pass these tests or even be willing to through them. If there is a being truly convinced and determined to work for the Empire, we'd be fools to reject him."

"Okay but what about civilians? They're treated as second-class citizens for no reason."

"This happens as punishment if their home worlds act out against the Empire or breaks its laws."

Luke glared at him. "Father, I spent two hours just browsing non-human races, checking around a hundred of them and I couldn't find a single one that wasn't discredited for some reason or another." And a few of these supposed 'crimes' sounded like really flimsy excuses.

"Luke, what has brought this on? Why are you suddenly interested in the Empire's politics? I distinctly remember you sleeping through most of Praji's lessons", Vader returned now slightly annoyed.

"Please don't change the subject", Luke said, blushing red. I want to know why the Empire treats non-humans so badly.

Vader was silent for a whole minute. This felt like one of these moments where he felt totally unfit as a parent. These were the sort of things his mother should've explained to him. Padme was the senator, the diplomat. She had always been able to convince him of anything. She could've told him moons were made of cheese and he wouldn't have disagreed.

Whenever Luke asked such difficult questions, Vader didn't know what to say. When he was young he'd just fallen back on feeding him the usual Imperial propaganda but as he grew older, the excuses didn't satisfy him anymore. He wanted the truth, even though Vader did not think he was ready for it. But now, Luke was looking at him in that determined way and Vader knew he wouldn't accept an 'I'll tell you when you're old enough.'

Thus he explained, letting words that were not supposed to be spoken out loud resound in his son's head:

The Empire mainly rules through fear. It's the pillar the law stands on. Without fear of retribution, everyone would do whatever they liked. It is important that everyone knows that law is enforced everywhere, even at the highest ranks. This is how we control corruption.

In order to keep up this level of fear, regular examples have to be made. If you had done further research, you will notice that it is not only planets inhabited by non-humans that are getting punished as a whole. Punishing a race is simply a convenient way of making sure the entire population of a planet is included in the punishment. 

But there is a second objective to the obvious racism you can see everywhere. By focusing hatred on a minority, the human race moves closer together. This encourages humans to think of themselves as belonging to something greater, as belonging to the Empire. This galaxy is built on competition and a hunger for power, something so easy for the Emperor to control and use. An ordinary civilian bully harassing a non-human will feel power in the fact that nobody stops him. Soon he will want to extend his power, control more individuals. Many that join the Academy and later the Stormtrooper Corps started out like that. A soldier who is used to looking down on people will have an easier time to pull the trigger when the times comes.

The human race alone is big enough that the military can be made up of them only but by installing these tests the Empire ensures that particular competent non-humans still will not be wasted.

Before Vader had even finished his speech, he could tell that Luke greatly disapproved of this politic.

I thought the Empire was voted into existence when people got fed up with the incompetence of the Republic, the corruption of the bureaucrats and the Clone Wars. The Empire was supposed to bring order and safety for everyone. Yet non-humans are at the mercy of humans, they're not safe at all!

The Empire might be voted on, Vader agreed, but you forget that Darth Sidious is a Sith Lord. He manipulated the entire situation to his advantage. Much of the danger the Republic was afraid of was orchestrated by him in the first place solely so he could gain more power. He does not care about races or even keeping his people safe. He only cares about himself.

"That is... That is just wrong", Luke said aloud.

Well, the old senators do have only themselves to blame for being tricked in the first place, Vader replied. He had always admired or at least respected his Master's genius in this point. But it is hardly a secret that Sidious is doing more harm than good for the galaxy. That is why I plan to remove him after all.

And then?, Luke wanted to know and Vader had the feeling this was what he had intended to ask all along. When you're Emperor, how will you rule? Will you give back basics rights that have been taken from planets that have been... 'made an example of'?

Eventually, sure. 

Eventually?, Luke echoed.

Well, to be perfectly honest, Vader hadn't thought much of it. Of course I won't be able to do it immediately. If I were to show weakness shortly after becoming Emperor, enemies would rise from within and plunge the galaxy into civil war faster than you can blink. I would install a system to allow planets and races to gain pack their rights.

And if they have done nothing wrong to begin with?

This all depends on the cooperation of the local governments, Luke.

Would you allow them into the military?

Vader snorted. I will not allow for a token Gun-Gan to ruin important operations. However, I would probably lessen certain restrictions in order to fully use the potential of non-human candidates.

Luke thought about his answers for a moment.

Would you rule through fear?, he asked at last.

There is no other way to rule an Empire, son, Vader responded as gently as he could. If nobody fears authority, crime rates would skyrocket. Constant monitoring is important to ensure safety. That was the problem with the Republic to begin with, that you could get away with any crime if only your lawyer was good enough. You can't cheat an Inquisitor reading your mind.

Luke sighed. I see.

"The Empire is not perfect, Luke. It is still better than the Republic but there will always be room for improvement. It's strongest point is that such improvement can be implemented quickly under just a single firm hand."

Vader leaned to his son, placing his hands on his shoulders. "And now you will tell me why you suddenly decided you had to discuss this matter."

"I was just curious."

Have you spoken to the Jedi? To Starkiller's mother?

"What? No", Luke objected. "How could I, this is the first time you've allowed me out of my room in four weeks."

"Then what-"

"I just had a lot of time to think, you know, all on my own, with nothing to do but meditate", Luke snapped.

"Son, you cannot deny you deserved this punishment."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it", he muttered back.

Luke looked back up when his father stepped away.

"Say, father... Did S.K. ever ask you these questions?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he's been with you longer than me." Did you plan ahead with him when you made the plan to kill the Emperor? Or discuss what to do afterwards when he came back?

"Starkiller is even less interested in politics than you are."

"You know that for sure? He didn't take lessons in it like I did before. I dunno about you but he never talks to me about what the Emperor taught him." His goals might be totally different from yours.

Vader had to admit, that could be a huge problem. What Luke didn't know was that Vader did not think he would stay Emperor for long. He would probably be forced to give power back to the senate simply to prevent an eager Moff from taking over when he died. He did have the hope that one of his sons would take over, if not as Emperor than at least as an overseer over the senate, similar in his power monopoly as Sidious when he was ruling on emergency power as a Chancellor. But Starkiller might very well have inherited Sidious' ruthlessness in dealing with non-humans while Luke wouldn't be able to survive in the snake's den that was Imperial Center's politics for long without the support of his brother. Something as simple as a difference in opinion over a political matter could result in a drift between the two, doing what Sidious with all his manipulations hadn't managed and cause the brothers to fight each other. That was the last thing Vader wanted to happen.

And now he felt stupid for never thinking that far ahead. What kind of crappy father was he?

"You are right", Vader said, trying to ignore his son's disbelief. Was it really so rare of him to admit he'd been wrong?

"It would be best for me to have a talk with your brother about it."

Luke seemed to be content with that.

"Hey, now that you finally decided to let me out again, does that mean I can take a TIE for a quick round around the SD? I really wanna get some air... or whatever, you know what I mean."

"No", Vader answered, quickly crushing his son's hopes. "You will however pick up your training again. In fact, I want you to train together with Starkiller."

"Oh really?" Luke grinned but his expression quickly turned worried. "Do you think that would be alright? I mean, he uses the dark side and is more experienced. I don't want to slow down his progress."

"While your trip to Kashyyyk was incredibly foolish and irresponsible, you did beat a Jedi knight without getting hurt yourself. Besides, you won't be fighting against him, but working together with Starkiller. Teamwork is something both of you have little to no experience in. Because of your inability to use the dark side, you will find yourself having to rely on allies more often than not. Starkiller is able to face most opponents alone but has never learned how to adapt his fighting style around protecting someone. For a Sith, this is a great weakness. His individual power can rival that of a god but if he lets everyone else around him die, he'll never be a Master of anything."

The two stayed together a little longer till Luke had finished his water, just enjoying the moment. Luke was still contemplating the new information and Vader too was lost in thought. Before he met his end, he wanted to see the Emperor dead. He wanted to see his sons safe and each capable of defending himself. Just ensuring this was taking a lot of his time. Making sure the Empire didn't fall into civil war after the Emperor was assassinated was second priority to him, as was determining in which direction it should go after that. But at least one of his sons had to continue being a part of high command in order to make sure they wouldn't simply land on the galaxy's most wanted list for high treason. Starkiller was the obvious choice for this since Luke had never shown any desire to be a politician or part of the military as anything more than a simple TIE-pilot. Well, not until now at least. His Sith son at least had the hunger for more power in his blood, though he too knew nothing about how to rule a planet, much less an Empire.

It was too soon, Vader decided. The intervention of the Jedi woman had actually come at an convenient time, giving him an excuse to delay the promised coup. Starkiller needed more training and Vader needed to learn more about him and what Sidious filled his head with. 

The Sith Lord grimaced under his helmet. It was time for him to travel back to Rhinnal for what would be his ninths vital organ transplantation. Preferably before Luke and Starkiller teamed up to kill him in their upcoming training sessions. His blood pressure value was a nightmare and his lungs were killing him. He should probably have his kidneys checked as well, he didn't like the color of certain, eh, residues. Oh, how he longed back for those days when all he had to worry about was how to get the blood stains out of his cape.


	46. Chapter 46

Starkiller whirled around, aimed a kick for his opponents stomach and sent her flying. The Jedi gasped as she hit the wall and the young Sith wasted no time to summon her lightsaber to his hand.

Mallie raised her head weakly. "I thought this would be a lightsaber spar only."

Starkiller twirled around the two sabers playfully. "I never said that's what it would be. Get back up."

She did but made no move to attack him. "I'm afraid I've had enough for now."

He scowled at her. "Is your endurance this crappy?"

She glared at him. "I haven't touched a lightsaber in ten years and avoided all conflict for almost twice as long. I'm out of practice, that's all."

Starkiller was disappointed. He'd planned on having her team up with PROXY against him next.

It had been two weeks since she'd given him that first rebel name. He had met with her a total of five times since then. Sometimes she'd tell him tales of their time together on Kashyyyk. Sometimes she'd tell him about his biological father and their time as Jedi. Sometimes she would ask about his life instead. At first her questions made no sense to him. What was his favorite color? That was depending on his surroundings and how he would best camouflage himself. What did he like to eat? Whatever had the most balanced nutrients. What did he do to his birthdays? ... he tried very hard not to think about that.

At last she came to accept that his life was all about duty and training. She asked how the dark side felt to him. Powerful. Why did he want to be powerful? To kill the Emperor. Why did he want to do that? Because he hated him.

To his mother, this made no sense. Why did he hate the Emperor more than Vader? She did not know that he had spend years under the old Sith's tutelage and came to despise his methods, his character and pretty much everything else about him.

They would often hit dead ends like that. Starkiller might agree to tell her that he specialized in assassination but not who his targets were. He might tell her that for the first few years he'd been taught by droids with Lord Vader only checking on his progress occasionally but he wouldn't tell her what or where he learned.  
After two weeks, she'd given him another name. Chewbacca, a Wookie that had been part of the original group of freedom fighters that recruited Mallie and helped her to fake her death. This was vaguely surprising to Starkiller since he actually recognized the name. However, Mallie had had no contact with the Wookie since that incident and considering the beast was now working as co-pilot for a dirty smuggler, Starkiller was not sure how much truth there was to her accusation. Then again, the two had all too willingly accepted to work for the 'Chainbreaker'.

It was because of this admission that Starkiller allowed her to take more part in his life. Which translated to her being allowed to spar with him. They used training sabers and Starkiller held back on his lighting - no need to reveal all of his aces - but even so defeating her was ridiculously easy.

"You are weak", Starkiller sneered. He still didn't like the Jedi but at least she had stopped asking him to run away with her, making her presence somewhat bearable. 

"No I'm not", she protested. "You're just very strong."

Starkiller scoffed as she got to her feet.

"I'm serious, Starkiller. You're very powerful and skilled. You don't even need the dark side to defeat me."

Well, that was true. The young Sith had barely drawn on the Force at all during their duel.

"I bet you could keep up with a Jedi Master like that."

"You'd lose that bet. I've killed Jedi Masters before and I definitely needed the dark side for that."

Seeing her wide eyes, he immediately knew he'd said something wrong.

"You... You have killed Jedi Masters?", she whispered.

Starkiller straitened his shoulders, refusing to let her revulsion affect him. "Of course. I also killed Knights and Padawans. The Empire doesn't like to spread it but more Jedi have survived the initial purge than most know."

"But... But why? Did you... Did you just do it because you were ordered to or... or do you actually hate them?"

Them, she said. Starkiller noted with interest how she didn't count herself as one of them.

"The orders are second priority actually", Starkiller admitted. "I mainly kill them for the challenge. The best way of learning is in a battle for your life."

Jedi had always been labeled as enemies for him. In his youth he had felt real hatred for them because Vader had told him that Jedi had injured him to the point he needed the life support as part of a lesson to never underestimate your enemy. Starkiller had loved and admired his Master and wanted to pay the Jedi back for what they did to him. Of course, after being discarded and turned over to Sidious, he'd lost most of that respect. He didn't hate the Jedi anymore but saw them like a disease that tried to weaken him with their propaganda of the light side and peace and democracy. Mallie too was a virus. Since destroying her wasn't an option, she had to be handled with care and kept at a distance. Indifference was his strongest weapon against her. So far, she hadn't managed to get under his skin.

"Life is not all about competition, Starkiller", the former Jedi said. "You don't have to be all-powerful. You don't have to carry the weight of the galaxy on your shoulders. If you want to kill the Emperor so badly, I'd be ready to stand by your side and lend you my strength."

Starkiller had his doubts about this but counted it as a success that she admitted such. That's what his mission was about after all. Of course helping to kill the Emperor wasn't all that huge when that would go so well with her private goal of bringing back the Republic.

Starkiller was reminded of the talk he'd had with his Master recently about how to shape the galaxy once Sidious was dead. He hadn't given the subject much thought before. While in the Emperor's service, all he'd wanted to do was kill the bastard and then get away before he was caught. He'd been prepared to live the rest of his life in hiding or even die trying to get away. Now that he was part of Team Vader again, he had the means to stay. There was no question that Vader would become the new Emperor and that he would be a good ruler. Starkiller wouldn't mind serving under him. Vader would need someone to do the dirty work for him that he was now taking care of himself.

The subject of non-humans and the racism against them had been broached. Removing this factor could potentially weaken the Empire when loyal citizens were suddenly told the subjects of their hatred didn't deserve such. It would weaken this secret terrorist network as less people would join it but could also potentially ignite a new rebellion that was far more impulsive and dangerous. Still Starkiller expressed his support for the idea. In fact, it had him very pleased that what he started on Tatooine might be repeated everywhere with the help of the Empire. That and the fact that Vader had asked him for his opinion at all had left him very satisfied that day. He hadn't thought his views would matter that much to him.

Aside from having to deal with Mallie, Starkiller quite enjoyed his life. Maybe that was the reason why he continued to avoid hunting down Kota, who was still alive. According to Juno's report, the old man wasn't going to be a threat anytime soon anyway so why shouldn't Starkiller be allowed to enjoy the peace some more? He doubted that it would last forever. Besides, he probably wasn't on Bespin anymore anyway and he didn't have time for a lengthily hunt.

Movement at the entrance to the training hall caught his eye and Starkiller spotted Juno watching them with a smile.

Mallie tensed and Starkiller narrowed his eyes at her, suspicious of her reaction. He brushed her mind and discovered that the former Jedi was concerned her disguise might be blown when she was caught sparring with a lightsaber. Really, how she hadn't figured out yet that she was here with Lord Vader's approval was beyond him.

"Hello Juno", he greeted the pilot and motioned her to come closer. He estimated that he'd made enough progress with Mallie to introduce her to his friends without having to worry about her turning them around. With Juno being strictly loyal to the Empire, maybe it might even work in his favor.

"Juno, this is Mallie. Mallie, meet Juno Eclipse, my personal assigned pilot."

"It's nice to meet you", Juno said and offered the former Jedi her hand.

She still looked hesitant but in the end, shook it. "Likewise, Ms Eclipse."

"That's Captain Eclipse", Starkiller corrected her.

"Or just Juno", the blonde offered. "I was looking forward to getting to know Starkiller's mother."

The former Jedi looked startled. "He told you?"

"Indeed." She looked at the two sabers Starkiller was holding. "You two were sparring?"

"We were but I'm afraid someone is already tired." The young Sith couldn't resist the jab. "Is there something specific you came for?"

"Not really, no. I was going to get some practice at the flight simulators. I thought I'd stop by and say hello since the hall is on the way."

"I can accompany you for part of the way, I want to meet up with PROXY."

"Alright." She turned to Mallie. "Would you like to come as well?"

"Well, if you don't mind..."

Though Starkiller appreciated the gesture, trying to make his mother feel more included, the walk turned out to be quite awkward. Mallie wanted to know how long they had known each other and how they first met. This led to questions about their missions, which quickly resulted in silence and dropped the mood. By the time they reached the droid maintenance department and Juno took her leave, it was a relief.

"She seems nice", Mallie tried to cover up the awkwardness. 

"Juno is extraordinary", Starkiller replied with a sharp glance, making sure she understood that he would tolerate no argument of the opposite.

"You like her?"

"Well enough."

"And she likes you back?"

"I suppose she has to."

"Are you a couple?"

Starkiller stopped in his tracks, scowling at her. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

Mallie shrugged and he noticed how her smile seemed to be quite happy for the first time in, well, ever.

"It's hard to miss that there is something going on between you two."

Starkiller's thoughts raced. He'd been running out of topics to talk to about with the former Jedi without giving too much away. He hadn't thought this to be a subject she'd been interested in but if talking about Juno would keep her from asking questions about the Jedi he'd killed, it might be wise to comply. He would have to talk to Juno later and make sure she understood that Mallie was an unknowing prisoner, that she was not to lend her help without Starkiller there to confirm the need of it. Since Mallie was normally working on the Tyrant, having transferred to the Devastator only for today to spar with Starkiller, she didn't normally have access to Juno's bay and wouldn't be able to do anything to her either. He would have to warn the troopers to be extra careful just to be sure though.

"There does exist a certain attraction between us", the young Sith admitted at last. "However, nothing official has been sorted out."

For some reason, this made Mallie really excited. "Have you asked her out yet?"

"Out?"

"Yeah, you know, on a date."

Starkiller gave himself indignant. "I'm not a child or some love crazed teenager. I do not do dates."

"But then how are you ever going to get her to notice you?"

"We work together, she notices me plenty."

"I mean, notice you in a romantic way. Have you told her yet that you like her?"

"No..."

"Then how is she supposed to know that you do?"

"You said yourself that it was obvious."

"I'm your mother, Starkiller, I look out for stuff like that."

"She's been a lot nicer to me ever since I kissed her", Starkiller offered. That had to count for something, right?

"You kissed her?"

"Yes..." Starkiller didn't like that mad glint in her eyes.

"And?"

"And what?"

"How was it?"

The amount of detail this woman demanded for such a nonsensical subject was baffling. "I don't know. Short?"

"When was that?"

"A few weeks before you came here."

"But that was months ago! Have you at least talked about it with her?"

"Why would I?"

Mallie stopped walking. "Are you telling me that you kissed that beautiful young lady and then ignored her for months even though she's been actively trying to get closer to you?"

That sounded strangely accusing. "I haven't ignored her." He was spending quite a bit of time with her, even though that was absolutely not required considering they hadn't had a mission for a while.

"Oh Starkiller, sweety, if you love that woman you've got to show it to her or she will start looking for other company soon."

What did she just call him!?

"Who ever said I loved her?", Starkiller snapped. 

"Well, you said you like her and that you're attracted to her so that sounds to me as if you're having a crush. You'll never learn if real love could grow from that unless you approach her."

The subject was starting to make him feel nervous, which he certainly did not like. He also wondered if his parents had had similar problems approaching each other when they'd been young. It had probably been worse, with the Jedi code and everything.

"Maybe I don't want to love her", Starkiller muttered. In his mind, love was something fierce. It was the ultimate passion that made you give up everything for it. That was the kind of love Vader and Luke shared and Starkiller was nowhere near willing to hang his whole being onto another like that. He'd once devoted himself to his Master completely and see where that got him.

"Love can be painful", Mallie said gently, "especially when it's ripped away. But I never once regretted knowing love. If you see a chance to have it, never let it go."

"Is that why you haven't ever tried to flee? Because you love me?"

Mallie's eyes shone happily. "Yes, exactly. I love you because you're my son."

"And if I weren't?", Starkiller challenged. "What if I told you that Luke told you a shitload of nonsense and that the test I brought was faked? What if I told you I weren't of your blood after all?"

Her smiled faltered. "I..."

"Because Vader told me the same, you see. He said that he loved me. Yet he has no trouble using me or discarding me in a fit of rage."

"Then Vader lied to you. The love a parent has for their child is different to one you build up with your chosen partner over time. It is absolute from day one to the end."

"I have heard of mothers who happily have their life ended for their newborn children, babies that weren't old enough yet to have a character to love", Starkiller admitted. "But I have also heard of mothers throwing their babies into the face of their enemies to gain more time to flee themselves. I suppose everybody will define love differently."

"How do you define it then?"

Starkiller thought back on the silly, brainwashed child he'd been under Lord Vader before he was betrayed and on the sacrifice the same had to make to keep Luke close.

"True love is reached only in the face of destruction. Only when you're willing to give up what is most important to you can you claim to truly love someone. For a Sith, that is your own life because we are selfish people by definition. For a Jedi..." He didn't have to finish the sentence. The message was clear, he would only accept Mallie's love if she gave up all of her beliefs and bonds, including the memory of her husband. Even then, just accepting her love would not mean she'd get to see him more or learn more about him.

XxX

Maris Brood sat in the middle of a group of feral-looking Felucians with blue fur, only some of which wore clothing (or more like tribal accessories). She was supposed to guide them through meditation but that was not so easy if she had trouble finding her center herself.

It had been two years since she’d first arrived on this planet, Felucia. Two years in which she was supposed to finish her Jedi training under Master Shaak Ti. She didn’t feel like she was getting any closer to that goal though. First of all, she rarely got any lessons from her Master herself. Instead she was told to teach what she knew to the naturally Force-sensitive race of the Felucians. She didn’t mind sharing her knowledge but it was preventing herself from moving forward! What they really needed to do was go out in the galaxy and fight the Empire. What use were all her Jedi powers if she never did something with it?

Maris had been three years old when a Jedi Master had discovered her Force potential and she’d been sent to the Jedi temple. The Clone Wars were at a high at that point and the squad the Jedi had been traveling with was cut off from the main fleet. They had no way to send her to the safety (ha!) of Coruscant. She’d been dropped off with a group of newly discovered younglings and Padawans who lost their Masters. A Jedi Knight had been traveling with them, picking up other unfortunate children and waiting for an opportunity to break through the Confederacy lines. They had been seeking protection on various planets under various Jedi Masters, always forced to move on when the planet was in danger of being overrun or the Republic’s position had been strengthened and the Squad was ordered to move on to another front. On one of these planets, Maris had been taken on by Shaak Ti as a Padawan. She’d been so young and had already seen so much battle, Ti had decided to take her away from the battlefields for some time. That was the only reason they survived Order 66 when it came. More battles followed as planets fought against the rise of the Empire but Ti had decided that Maris’ safety came first and so they had gone into hiding. Several times they had been discovered by the newly founded Inquisitor organization but they developed a routine, never staying at one place for long. Shaak Ti meditated a lot, both in order to find sense in the destruction of the Jedi and in trying to sense danger for them before it was close.

Felucia was a perfect hiding place. The whole planet was so full of life and with the natives being born naturally Force-sensitive, their presences were well hidden. The stability of finally being able to stay in one place for an extended time period had a calming effect on the Togruta Jedi Master but Maris was used to a life on the run. She was no longer a child, she was eighteen years old. Maybe it was her natural predatory instincts; she was a Zabrak and her people had always been warriors but she was sick of hiding.

The Felucians were growing restless around her, sensing her agitation. It was certainly not helping them to get settled in the light side. Finally, the young Zabrak woman stood.

“I’m sorry, Kargrek”, she said to the Felucian shaman leading the group. “Please take over for me, I’m going to see the Master.”

Kargrek, whose fur was dyed red to show his status as a shaman, gave a grunt and Maris passed through them. The Felucians looked quite feral with their four arms, two of which ended in webbed digits and their head made of a wriggling mass of tentacles and tendrils. When Ti and Maris had first arrived here, she’d been scared of them and for good reason. Felucians hated “Outsiders”. Apparently the Confederacy had had a small colony here, which had later been conquered by the Republic. The planet had been plagued by large battles for a couple of months in which thousands of Felucians had been killed. The natives didn’t care, or even understand, much about politics. To them, Confederacy and Republic was the same and so was the Empire. It was only through Shaak Ti’s influence that the two non-humans had been accepted by the local clan. In fact, the Jedi Master had gone to several of the Felucian’s traditional large hunts and by taming her own rancor mount had gained their respect and trust. In exchange for being allowed to stay and hide on their planet, Shaak Ti offered the Felucians to teach them about the Force, a project that could take decades even with Maris’ help.

Having lived on the planet for two years and developed a strong Force bond with her Master, Maris was able to find the Togruta quickly. However, as she was about to enter the valley her Master was in, two tall Felucian warriors blocked her way with fearsome looking bone spears. They said something in their guttural language that Maris did not understand but their body language was clear. She was not allowed in the Ancient Abyss, the sacred valley where the great sarlacc lived.

“I am here to see Master Shaak Ti”, Maris said impatiently. “I have to speak to her.”

The warriors looked at each other and growled some more in Felucianese. Maris stood straight and made an effort to emanate confidence and authority. The warriors could sense her projected feelings in the Force and after some more arguing, they allowed her to pass.

Shaak Ti was sitting at the edge of the sarlacc pit. She was not quite out of range of the massive tentacles but enough so that it would have to stretch to reach her. Judging from how lazy the tentacles were flaring in the air, that was not going to happen anytime soon.

“Master”, Maris greeted and sat down next to the Togruta who was deeply immersed in meditation. During to the hot, humid climate on the planet, both her and Maris only wore the bare necessary of clothing and even that was more out of habit than decency. After all the Felucians found their appearance just as unattractive as any humans.

Her voice made the Togruta open her eyes and look at Maris warmly. “Good Morning Maris. I see you have found your way to the Ancinet Abyss. I was wondering when you would join me here.”  
Maris grimaced. She had no idea why her Master insisted on coming here for her meditation. The sarlacc stank, it was a monstrosity, it stank, liked to eat humans (and Zabraks, and Togruta, and Felucians and rancors and anything else it could shovel into it’s maw) and did she mention it stank?

“Master, I was thinking maybe we go about training the Felucians in the wrong way”, Maris suggested. “They have no problem connecting to the Force. Well, they do but the shamans can help them with that just as well. They are already traditionally living in families from five to ten specimens. One shaman could take over a group that large and train them, then we would only have to sit with a group of shamans and maybe some chieftains occasionally. It would be much more effective!”

The Jedi Master was silent for a few moments. Maris almost thought she wouldn’t answer or that she had slipped back into meditation, when Shaak Ti let her eyes wander over to the sarlacc pit.

“Tell me, Maris, do you know the history of this place?”, she wanted to know.

“Well… I know it’s sacred to the Felucians.”

“And do you know why?”

She did not. She couldn’t even begin to imagine why either.

“For hundreds of years, this has been a place of sacrifice. The Felucians have a culture of living in harmony with the living Force themselves. It has such a great effect on them that when one falls to the dark side, they experience a physical change. If that happens, the Felucians would single out the creature, bind him and give him to the sarlacc.”

Maris swallowed hard. That did sound very harsh. Sure, turning to the dark side was a terrible crime but being eaten alive by the sarlacc for it? 

“That’s barbaric”, Maris decided.

“Maybe. The Felucians have done this for centuries. By disposing of the fallen before they could become a danger, they have kept their planet pure. Also, you have to know that a sarlacc as large as this one requires insane amounts of food. This one has been asleep for a long time. The little ‘food’ he is receiving from the natives is enough to keep it alive but dormant. If the Felcucians were to stop sacrificing their own people, the sarlacc could awaken and devour them all. I am trying to influence it through the Force to deepen its sleep. As long as I am here, no further sacrifices will be required.”

“But we will leave this planet eventually, won’t we?”, Maris said with a hint of desperation. She might not like the tradition of the natives but she absolutely refused to be stuck here just to make sure they wouldn’t kill each other!

“We will but hopefully, by that time the Felucians will be well trained enough to keep up my work themselves. It will at least buy them time, time to establish new traditions and find other food for the creature. But that is not important right now. The reason I told you about it is this: Even though for hundreds of years, Felucians have died here, being thrown out by their own people to be devoured and have what must be a gruesome death, the influence of the dark side is very low. Can you tell me why that is?”

Maris slowly shook her head. Her Master was right, the Ancient Abyss should be reeking with the dark side, yet it was not.

“It is because the Felucians had pure intentions. They honestly thought by sacrificing their own they were doing a good thing and cleansing their community of evil. For them, the fallen ones were dead the moment they touched the dark side and so killing them was neither crime nor betrayal. Even the fallen ones understood this and though there might be much anger and pain, there is little hatred.” Shaak Ti looked at her. “You asked why you had to spend time with the common Felucians when giving priority to the training of the shamans and chieftains would be more efficient. But imagine one of these shamans falling to the dark side. If put in charge of a tight, never changing group, they would all be lost to us. By giving attention to each individual, even if just a little, we give them the chance to resist the temptation of darkness. The dark side is not about destroying things or killing people. It is about intent. You can commit the most gruesome crimes while still believing yourself to do the right thing. Only when you act on your own anger and hatred, knowing or not caring if your actions are just, does the dark side call to you. If we allow the shamans to always only lead one group, to train and form them and nurture bonds and attachment, not only will the Felucians be disorientated and vulnerable if their leader is killed in battle but they would also follow this person everywhere, even to places no being should ever wander to.”

Maris lowered her head and sighed. “I understand, Master.” She did not, not really. When they went hunting, the Felucians had very tight formations, one pack always protecting a shaman who empowered them all through the Force. This one Felucian was usually the last to die in the unlikely event of an entire pack being wiped out. The forming of packs for the hunt was traditional for them and Maris didn’t see how her being absent from their training would strengthen or lessen the bonds their naturally formed between each other. It wasn’t as if the Felucians were growing overly attached to her and have another person to turn to when their leader died or went mad. Which rarely ever happened anyway. But that was her Master’s opinion and she had to respect that. Even if it irked her.


	47. Chapter 47

Starkiller let a stream of lighting flow from his fingertips. The blue encompassed Darth Vader completely. He let out no scream, no sign of pain but he stopped in his tracks, rooted to the ground as his body shook and spasmed. Starkiller felt his energy waning. He knew he couldn't keep up the lighting for much longer and then he'd have nothing left to save himself with a Force push if Vader threw him around like a rag doll as he seemed to enjoy or catch any obstacles he threw in his way. Everything in him shouted at him to break off the attack but he kept it on just a little longer. Long enough for Luke to scramble back to his feet from where Vader had pinned him under a massive crate. The teenager called his lightsaber back to his hand and switched it on, revealing the cyan glowing blade. He leaped up into the air and, putting all his strength behind the blow, brought his saber down on the immobilized Sith Lord.

The plasma blade hissed as it hit the black helmet, leaving a scorch mark but not much else. Starkiller ended his attack, letting his arms fall to his side tiredly but ready to draw his lightsaber. Vader staggered for a moment and, to Starkiller's disbelief, actually fell to his knees.

Luke took a step back, suddenly looking worried. 

"Father? You alright?", he asked.

Starkiller reached out through his training bond but found Vader's side of it closed off tightly.

Luke looked at his brother confused. "Does that mean we win?"

The young Sith began walking over to where his Master was kneeling, getting faster and jogging the last few meters. He put a hand on Vader's shoulder, trying to steady him. He shouldn't have overdone it with the lighting, he knew that was his weakness. Though his suit had been reinforced against such attacks, if the lighting was strong enough it could till fry some vital circuits.

"I am well", Vader said between the dark hissing of his breathing apparatus. "Give me... a minute."

Starkiller looked up at Luke, still wielding the cyan training saber. He tried to mask his worry with a grin. "I believe that does mean we win, brother."

Luke's returning smile looked forced.

"You sure you're alright, father?"

"Yes", he rasped and slowly, very slowly heaved himself back to his feet. "You have... fought well. Both of you."

Starkiller and Luke had been training to fight as a team for a while now but this was the first time they had fought all out, no rules against Darth Vader. They still only used training sabers but there were enough crates around to crush somebody's bones with and Starkiller had been told not to hold back on his abilities, including the lighting. Aiming it precisely was part of what he was trying to learn and he was getting better, having only zapped Luke once accidentally. The boy had been on the ground immediately, clearly not expecting the agonizing pain but caught himself quickly enough.

Maybe that was why he was now looking at Vader with such worry or maybe he had finally figured out that electricity and robotics didn't mix well.

"Maybe we should get you to the med bay", Luke suggested hesitantly.

"No... need", Vader said darkly. "Sit with me."

Vader dropped down on one of the crates, Luke and Starkiller sitting in front of him for their customary battle report. Vader always took care to point out all their flaws and mistakes that they'd made during the duel after a training session was over.

"You have fought well together today", Vader began. He made a pause and Starkiller narrowed his eyes, it was obvious he had trouble speaking.

"There are a few things... I want to take note of. First... Luke. Trying to summon my lightsaber to you? Really?"

Luke rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I know it's a beginner's trick but I thought I might catch you off guard with it."

"Don't waste your breath. I'm not in the habit of underestimating my opponents and neither should you. Trying to use that Force grip immobilized you and made you vulnerable." That was why he'd ended up pinned under that crate.

"It might have worked if you were distracted enough", Starkiller said. "Luke actually told me what he wanted to do, that's why I risked getting back in close quarters with you. The timing was just bad." 

Though Starkiller was quicker and more agile than Vader, he lacked the brute strength and had been overwhelmed in a saber lock with his Master. He'd had to abandon the duel and jump back in order to prepare his lighting attack and that's when Luke had made his move.

"You were communicating mentally?", Vader asked.

Starkiller nodded. "We discovered during our last session that our bond was strong enough for us to send simple messages through even in the heat of battle."

"It was so exciting!", Luke exclaimed. "It gives you so much more possibilities to fight when you practically know what your partner is thinking."

Whenever Vader sparred with Luke, he closed off his mind so his son wouldn't notice in how much pain he was.

The Sith Lord scowled a bit, thinking back on these old days when he had fought like that with Kenobi at his side.

"I am surprised this technique works for you", he admitted. "The bond does not distract you?" He was glad of course that they had grown so close but it had taken Vader a while to get used to the painfully light presence of his son to the point that he could touch it without wincing. 

"It is... tolerable", Starkiller said.

"S.K. doesn't feel so bad anymore", Luke replied.

Vader's scowl deepened as he looked at his son. "What do you mean, not so bad anymore?"

"Well, you know..." Luke looked from Vader to Starkiller uncertainly. "I used to get this feeling as if he'd really like to kill me from him. Or maybe not me but someone. Now it's more like... I feel how much he's enjoying the battle. He still very much wants to win but it feels more... I don't know... pure?"

Vader looked back at Starkiller, who shrugged. Then he unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and switched it on, showing off the yellow colored blade.

"The training saber I assembled for these lessons... I imbued it with less hatred and more raw passion and exhilaration. Normally I would draw energy from foes I killed but when fighting a single powerful opponent, I find it harder to keep up a constant stream of hatred, especially since I'm not fighting the person I actually hate. That's why I pushed other emotions into the blade that would let me enjoy the full lengths of the battle and that's what I concentrated on during the fight."

Starkiller handed over his lightsaber reluctantly when Vader held out his hand for it. The Sith Lord regarded the saber closely, paying special attention to the crystal.

"I see... It is rare for a Sith to wield such a lightly colored blade, though not unheard of. Have you ever used it in a real battle?"

Starkiller shook his head.

"You should try. Not in a fight against another Sith but against an overwhelming number of enemies - or in this case, an opponent you do not wish to kill - it will be quite useful."

Starkiller bowed his head lightly. "Thank you, Master."

"Continue to train with PROXY with varying team combinations." Vader stood. "I will see you again after your evening lessons." 

A couple of days ago, Vader had decided to let Praji test Starkiller about what he knew about galactic politics. It wasn't much. He knew enough to know who were priority targets and who was an enemy of whom but he had little general knowledge about how a bureaucratic apparatus worked. Starkiller hadn't been very pleased to take those 'useless' lessons and Luke had been even less pleased having to sit on them for the second time. But he was no child anymore and his secret friendship with the princess at least had woken a minimum of interest for the subject in him so he paid it more attention.

Starkiller signaled Luke to wait for him and hurried after Vader. When they were out of earshot, he fell in step with his Master and said quietly.

"Master, I there's something I wondered about."

"What is it?"

"During the fight just now... and also just generally in our training, I noticed that Luke is really advanced. He's just as powerful as I was his age, maybe even more so. He doesn't know how to wield lighting and he holds back more than is good so he won't hurt anybody but considering he started training later than me..."

"What are you trying to say?", Vader wanted to know.

"Luke is downplaying his abilities. He mentioned more than once how lucky I am to be able to wield the dark side. I know he doesn't really want that ability for himself but he is of the firm belief that he could never be as powerful as me while wielding only the light side."

"So?"

"So? That's simply not true. Even a blind man can see that."

"The dark side is more powerful than the light."

"I know. That's what you told me all my life, that's what the Emperor told me. That's what history shows us. But what does that mean? Is Luke simply so powerful that even wielding the weaker side he could one day become much stronger than you, than Sidious? Than me? Or are both sides... actually equal?"

Vader stopped and the gaze of his black lenses seemed to drill into Starkiller for a moment.

"What do you think?", he asked.

"I don't know what to think", Starkiller replied, frustrated. He didn't like the idea of Luke being naturally that much more powerful than him but to accept the light as equal went against everything he'd been taught.

"But what I think doesn't matter. What you think does. Luke thinks himself inferior, a failure, second class because you told him he could never be good enough."

Vader shook his head. "You know as well as I do that Luke needs to be protected. I don't doubt his combat skills but he can't be allowed to do the kind of work reserved for us."

"He already killed people. He went to battle with me."

"He is young enough to see it as nothing but an adventure. He's never talked to the grieving family of his victims. He's not plagued by the consequences of his actions because I protect him from them. If he believed himself equal to you in power, he would demand to given the same duties. It's not just his health I worry about but his heart."

"That doesn't answer my question. Do you believe Luke would be more powerful as a Sith?"

"He would not be Luke."

"Don't evade-"

"I do not evade. I too was told the dark side was stronger by Sidious while the Jedi always rejected that idea. They never stated the light was stronger, merely that the dark was foul and wrong and not worth consideration. And like you, I questioned both ideas as I grew older. When I was still a Jedi, I was too plagued by conflicts to wield the light side efficiently. Thus when I embraced the dark, it did make me more powerful. However, it also changed me, turned me into a different person. Now that I am in conflict again, my desire to protect Luke and you is fighting with my desire to kill the Emperor and take the throne. I have once again become inefficient. Only it is too late for me to go back.

"You, Starkiller, are by nature a very passionate person. The dark side flows to you without effort. If you tried to use the light side, you would find it weak in comparison. I believe that if, with a lot of training and meditation, you were to learn how to force yourself in the calm mindset needed to wield it efficiently, you could be just as powerful a Jedi as you are a Sith. However, it would change you. You would no longer be Starkiller. Also, your past experiences would always stay with you, throwing you into conflict so actually becoming that efficient would be incredibly hard for you.

“I believe that which side of the Force is more powerful depends whether or not you are comfortable with the side you're trained in. Luke is most comfortable in the light. Maybe he could learn how to wield the dark side. If our plan fails, if you and I both die and he had nobody left, if he fell into the hands of the Inquisitors or the Emperor himself - maybe he could learn to use the dark side. But his conscience would always fight it. He is not one to avenge but to mourn his loved ones. He is one to honor the love of the past instead of focusing on the hatred for those that took it from him. That is why using the dark side ultimately wouldn't make him stronger."

"But you would have Luke believe the opposite." Starkiller shook his head in disbelief. "You think me broken. Damaged, deranged. But Luke has just as many issues as I do. If you love him at all, you won't allow yourself to die before you haven't convinced him that you would not rather have that I were your son."

Vader regarded him for a long moment. He reached out to him with his mind and Starkiller accepted the by now familiar gesture. The cyborg was not capable to relaying his emotions in his voice or even body language so on the rare occasions that he wanted him to know what he felt, he let it trickle through their bond. The emotion he was now sending him was sadness but through Starkiller got the message, Vader was not able to completely hide the physical pain he had suspected he was still under from him.

The young Sith felt like being dosed with a powerful charge of his own lighting and he flinched back, both at the phantom pain and at the realization that his Master had suffered this kind of pain constantly for at least the last fifteen minutes.

Vader pulled back immediately, realizing his mistake.

"I would not exchange either of you", he said at last. "I think of both of you as my sons and I think myself incredibly lucky to have you two."

"Yeah", Starkiller scoffed, not willing to believe it. "Right. Now go to the fucking med bay already before you faint in your big boots." He rubbed his chest absentmindedly where the phantom pain had been most prominent. There was no pain in his arms and legs (not surprising) but the one shooting through his torso was enough to make him weak on his legs. It wasn't nearly as bad as one of Sidious' attacks but still very uncomfortable.

Vader and Starkiller parted ways and Starkiller returned to the training hall where Luke was engaged in a light spar with PROXY.

As soon as Luke spotted his brother, he overwhelmed PROXY in a matter of seconds, seeing as the droid was only fighting with a Padawan-level simulation module meant for warm-ups.

"Did father say anything else to you?", Luke wanted to know. He worried his lower lip, looking strangely nervous.

"I just asked him for a new update for PROXY", Starkiller lied easily and unclipped his lightsaber. "Are you ready for round two?"

Behind Luke, PROXY got to his feet again. Luke shot him a distracted look before turning back to Starkiller.

"In a minute. Did you notice anything with him?", he asked again.

"What do you mean?", Starkiller replied emotionless.

"I don't know. After that duel, he looked really worn out for a moment. You don't think we might've hurt him?"

Starkiller gave a raw laugh. "Luke, it takes a bit more than a flimsy sparing match to seriously hurt a Sith Lord."

"But..." Luke shot PROXY a look, then grabbed Starkiller's right forearm and dragged him a few meters further, whispering to him.

"This isn't the first time I've seen him... exhausted. I think all the training is really wearing on him. Maybe he is, you know... getting old?"

The situation would be very much amusing if there wasn't so much truth to Luke's observations.

"Well even if that's the case, there isn't much we can do against it, is there? He would know it if we held back during sparring and he'd skin us alive."

"That's not all. Sometimes when we talk in each others minds... it feels really painful. First I thought that was just his dark presence, it's always been a bit uncomfortable but it's worse after every training session."

"Of course it is", Starkiller sighed. "You're actively using the light side during your training so touching Master's presence will hurt you more while you concentrate."

"So... you never noticed anything?", Luke wanted to know. "Any... sudden weakness or phantom pains when he touches your mind?"

Starkiller's thoughts raced. If he said no Luke might suspect that he knew more than he let on when Vader was obviously getting bad enough to be unable to hide his condition completely.

"I did think we defeated him rather easily today", he admitted. "But that's the first time I've seen him like this and he looked fine when I left him. Maybe you're right, he is getting old."

Actually, Starkiller had no idea how old his Master was and he doubted Luke did either. Any data they might have found about him from before he became a Sith, under his Jedi name Anakin Skywalker, had been all but erased by the Empire.

"I hope it's nothing too bad", Luke muttered. "I didn't pay too much attention to it before but today... Today was really bad. I worry for him."

"Don't", Starkiller said. "It won't do you any good, there's nothing you can do to help. He might just be stressed, what with the preparations for the final plan. He'll get better when that's over with."

"You think so?"

"Sure." Starkiller hated himself just a little bit, seeing Luke's relieved expression. He tried to reassure himself that it wasn't a complete lie. It might very well be that when they got close to actually killing Sidious, Vader might find the hatred once again that had driven him for a decade.

But, unless Luke died in that final battle, he doubted it.

XxX

"What is it that you wanted to speak about so urgently?", Darth Vader asked his Sith student after he interrupted his one-on-one training session with Luke.

Starkiller braced himself. Today Juno had nagged him again about the whole senator deal and he had been forced to agree that it was about damn time he did something about it.

"I wanted to inform you that Senator Bail Organa is working with the terrorists."

He had not expected a strong reaction, seeing as Vader wasn't very strong in the facial expression department. That's why when Luke rather loudly dropped his water bottle and stared at him with wide eyes, he raised an eyebrow at him in confusion. He knew of course that it was a big deal, a senator committing high treason and Luke had paid a bit more attention during their new shared political lessons but he was still surprised that he would even recognize the name. There were a couple of thousand senators after all.

"Bail Organa is a traitor?", Vader repeated. "Are you sure of this?"

"He is conspiring with surviving Jedi", Starkiller replied.

By now Luke's jaw was hanging open but he caught himself and seemed to want to say something but was interrupted when Vader mused aloud:

"That is... not very surprising, actually. He did have close connections with them in old days, though he claimed to have cut all ties as did many others. I had hoped he wouldn't cling to those old bonds."

"You know Organa, Master?", Starkiller asked curiously.

"I met him a few times when I was a Jedi myself. Why, I even considered him an ally. It is a shame that he doesn't appreciate the order the Empire brought."

"What are you going to do about it?", Luke asked fearfully.

"This could be an opportunity. We do need to force the Emperor to focus on outside threats and this could be the perfect start. I will have to meditate on the matter. However I wonder why you chose to only tell me about this now, Starkiller."

Starkiller hid a smirk, he had thought up the perfect excuse. "I only learned about it recently, Master. The captured Jedi gave me the name."

"You mean your mother?"

Starkiller winced, he did not want to be reminded of that. 

"Yes", he ground out.

Under his mask, Vader narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "She told you such a big secret just like that?"

"It was my mission to gain her trust, was it not?", Starkiller defended himself.

"I don't believe you."

Well, there went that idea.

"It was part of a... deal we made", he admitted. "She would give me names of her associates in exchange for my continued visits."

Vader went very still at that and Luke too blanched.

"What's wrong with you?", Luke exclaimed, looking shocked and maybe even a bit disgusted.

Starkiller immediately felt bad but also in need to defend himself. "What do you mean? It worked out."

"I sent you to befriend and integrate that woman and you target her with psychological warfare?", Vader growled. "Am I talking in a different language?!"

Starkiller went a little red, though he wasn't sure if it was from shame or embarrassment. "I got her to reveal important information." Well, not really. She hadn't said a single word about Organa but they couldn't know that.

"That wasn't the purpose of your meeting!", Vader returned now decidedly angry. "What else have you done to her?"

"Nothing", Starkiller muttered. "And I am making progress. She accepted that I won't leave with her and I think she even accepts me being a Sith, though she doesn't approve of it."

"Yes and now I also know why that took you so long! I told you, if you're not up to the task, you may have to kill her. It seems the whole idea was a waste of time. Maybe it would be better to just get it over with."

"You mean...", Starkiller asked hesitantly, "...I can kill her?" Strangely, he didn't feel as much joy at the thought as he had expected.

"Let's not be so hasty!", Luke cut in. "I think we should give it one last chance." He moved to stand next to Starkiller, facing his father. "The next time he sees her, I will be with him. I can play the intermediary. Those diplomacy lessons have to be good for something."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Luke", Vader said and Starkiller looked at him thankfully. He didn't think he could stand both of them for an extended time.

"Of course it is, it's a great idea", Luke disagreed and put his arm around Starkiller's shoulder. "I'm good at making friends, I'll show him how it's done."

Vader hesitated but at last nodded his approval. Starkiller shot him a glare because he was fairly certain this was his punishment.

"Fine I'll take you with me but under one condition."

"Yeah?"

"If there's no significant improvement after we see her, it will be your job to finish what you should've done from the beginning."

Luke looked startled and definitely unwilling but in the end, he nodded. Starkiller tried not to show his relief. He didn't like the former Jedi very much and would rather just forget all about her but he felt no joy at the thought of killing her... and that bothered him. Just a few weeks ago it would've been a reason to celebrate.

Starkiller left the two to finish their training session and went to see PROXY to get a bit exercise himself. It was always easier for him to think after he'd exhausted his body and he needed to sort out his thoughts. However he still hadn't come to any conclusion when Luke came to him in the late afternoon so they could go and see the former Jedi.

They took a shuttle to the Tyrant and checked in with the surveillance team in order to learn that she was working with a few droids maintaining the portside turbolasers of her sector.

"Hello Mrs. Marek", Luke greeted her with a bright smile and Starkiller had the sudden image of a deer in his mind that was skipping over a sun-kissed lighting in a forest. It didn't help that Luke was slightly flaring his Force presence, probably to remind her that he was not a Sith and meant her no harm. He immediately felt embarrassed for ever allowing Luke to call him brother.

The former Jedi left behind her work and turned to the young Sith first with a smile before gazing at Luke a bit more hesitantly.

"Hello Starkiller. Good afternoon, Mr. Skywalker."

Luke cringed. "Just Luke is fine. You're the mother of my brother, which makes you family."

Starkiller wished for the ground to swallow him when the former Jedi shot him a questioning gaze.

"Ignore him", he said tightly. "He likes to stick his nose into things were it doesn't belong and thinks far too highly of himself."

"You did say he was like a brother to you. I suppose it was foolish of me not to believe you", she said with a nervous smile.

"S.K. is a great brother", Luke claimed, then smiled at said great brother teasingly. "You know, when he's not trying to kill you in your sleep."

"That was only once", Starkiller defended himself. "And it's time-barred."

"No it's not", Luke protested. "It was only a few months ago."

Starkiller went a little red.

Luke's jaw dropped.

"Wait, you were talking about that time you tried to cut off my head at the most inconvenient time when we were both making a crash landing with a collapsing space station, didn't you?"

"Uh..."

Luke looked scandalized, though Starkiller was sure he must be faking at least part of the anger and it was more a tease than anything because nobody could lose control of their expression that drastically.

"S.K.! When did you try to kill me in my sleep?!"

"I told you, it's time-barred! That was years ago, no need to rub it in."

"Uhm, maybe you should both calm down...", the former Jedi tried.

"No, I wanna know the details", Luke huffed. "What did I do to you, steal your toy lightsaber?"

Starkiller threw up his arms. "That was before you dropped out of Sith training. We were still rivals, I wanted to eliminate the competition." Luke hadn't even met Darth Vader at that time and Starkiller hadn't considered him a brother so he felt no need to defend himself. It wasn't a real betrayal. Besides, he hadn't gone through with it even back then.

Luke glared at him and for a moment Starkiller was worried. He poked the other's mind experimentally to see if he really was angry. Luke poked right back, his mental connection ringing with laughter. He was setting up a show for the Jedi, he realized, though he had no idea why he would do such a thing.

"You know, I'm going to sleep with my lightsaber under my pillow from now on."

"As if you don't already do that", Starkiller scoffed. He knew now that Luke was just teasing him. He enjoyed their verbal fights as much as Starkiller enjoyed their physical ones. He never understood why. Luke rarely ever got really angry at him (actually, he rarely got angry at anyone, that's what made him such a shabby Sith) but he liked to act that way. Starkiller never acted when he fought with him but for some reason, that made it even more amusing for Luke.

"I don't", Luke claimed, still in their mock fight though Starkiller knew that was a lie.

"Well, then you're damn stupid. A single Kouhun would be enough to kill you."

"No it wouldn't!"

"I think it would."

Now Luke couldn't keep the grin off his face. "No it wouldn't."

"I think I might order some and prove you wrong just to shut your annoying mouth."

In the following glaring match, the silence was interrupted by the former Jedi's baffled question:

"What in the galaxy is a Kouhun...?"

Luke looked at her and now failed to keep his laughter in, even bending forward to keep his stomach. "Oh, you should see your face!"

"A Kouhun is a small arthopod that assassins like to employ to poison and kill human targets while they're asleep", Starkiller explained, taking the question seriously. "They seek body warmth and will bite the victim when it inevitably rolls over."

"I should probably be shocked by the fact that you both know this", she stated blankly. She looked at Luke, who was still grinning, then at Starkiller, totally serious and the complete opposite of his brother. "I'm not shocked. I am disturbed", she decided.

"By your son's tendency to kill and betray people or his extensive knowledge on how to go about it?", Luke asked challenging, though he was still grinning. Starkiller wondered what the hell his plan was.

"By the fact that you find this amusing", the former Jedi shot back, which made Luke's smile falter a bit. Just for that, the woman gained a little more of his respect.

"Finally someone who recognizes your insanity for what it is", the young Sith said snidely. 

"I'm not insane!", Luke protested, then turned to the former Jedi with an obviously fake pleading look. "Do you think I'm insane?"

"Yes", the woman replied without blinking and Starkiller gave a snort of amusement as Luke went from puppy eyes to kicked puppy eyes. Damnit, he should go to acting school.

Even more, Starkiller quietly pressed against his biological mother's mind and found her actually disturbed at Luke's antics. 

The woman looked up at him questioningly and Starkiller hurriedly pulled back, knowing he'd been caught. Instead of coming down at him for the intrusion of her privacy though, she folded her arms in front of her chest and spoke her thoughts aloud, facing Luke:

"I'm not sure if you are aware of this but seeing the elimination of sentient beings as your profession or even your calling is a terrible way of life. It is sad, it is lonely and I do not find the fact that my son tried to kill you, someone he claimed he is very close to, more than once in the past amusing at all. In my opinion it is terribly bad taste to joke about it."

Those words wiped the grin right off Luke's face, putting in on Starkiller's instead.

"I was just trying to liven up the mood", he said, now looking genuinely sorry. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Yes you did." Starkiller was not about to give up the upper hand, now that he had it. "You enjoy riling me up with no regard to my feelings." He kept his face perfectly straight as he said it. See how that little rat liked to be the one that was being teased for a change!

Now it was Luke who poked at his mind, checking if he was serious. Starkiller threw him right out and Luke hunched his shoulders, looking very uncomfortable.

"I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm just... trying to make you laugh. I don't dwell on it and I don't want you to do it either."

"Well, I can't laugh about it. Having to decide between conflicting orders when disobeying either means your death is not funny", he scolded his little brother while inside he was taking in his contrite stance gleefully.

"I'm sorry", Luke said again, helpless. He even tried to touch Starkiller's mind again, sending him feelings of regret and maybe a hint of desperation. He tugged at their bond when the Sith wouldn't let him in and it was so hard to repress a bout of laughter.

"I think you should leave now", his biological mother whispered, completely oblivious to the fact that her son was having the day of his life.

"Uhm..." Luke looked at him helplessly but Starkiller merely raised an eyebrow, silently challenging him to follow with the request.

His little brother looked a mix of guilty and defeated.

"Yes Ma'am", he muttered at last and began to drag his feet to the exit. "I'll... wait outside for you, yeah?"

That's when Starkiller remembered that Luke now probably expected having to enact that execution since he'd royally failed at making a good impression. However, he simply nodded curtly at him.

The Sith watched his brother leave, barely able to hold in his amusement at how his mother had utterly crushed his spirits with a few words. Then, when Luke was almost at the door, he packed all that amusement, sardonic joy and smugness he felt into one big ball of mental laughter and flung it at Luke through their Force bond.

When the mental attack hit, Luke stumbled as if he'd been hit in the back of his head with an actual ball. He almost fell over, then turned on his heel and stared at Starkiller in shock.

"You...!", he exclaimed, equal parts shocked, angry and relieved.

"Consider it payback", Starkiller drawled, purposefully not looking at him. Inside he was rolling in laughter but on the outside only a single corner of his mouth lifted the tiniest bit to show his amusement.

Luke was still outraged but he was a good sport and gave Starkiller a mental pat on the back for a prank well played.

"Okay, you got me", he admitted. "But it won't happen a second time."

"You bet it will", Starkiller sneered, not willing to give up the last word. Luke simply shook his head with a smile and left.

When he was gone, Mallie looked at him questioningly. "What was that about?"

Starkiller smiled an almost dreamy smile. "That was the first time I defeated him in his own game."

Mallie clearly didn't understand but tried to cover it up. "So, uhm... That was your brother, huh?"

"Yes", Starkiller said, being started from his thoughts. He had to make sure he engraved every single second of that beautiful scene in his memory. "He is... special."

"I suppose that's one way to put it", Mallie muttered.

Starkiller scowled at her. "That sounds as if you don't like him." Which was of course ridiculous. Everybody liked Luke. Everybody loved Luke.

"It's not that I don't like him", Mallie replied carefully. "If it weren't for him I would've never known that you even existed and for that I am in his debt. He is just... strange. You wouldn't happen to know if he sees a psychiatrist, would you?"

Now Starkiller was honestly puzzled. "What do you mean? Between Lord Vader and me, he certainly is the most normal person."

"Well, I would have a thing or two to say about Vader's sanity", Mallie spat. "But the point is that nobody should be acting that normal, talking about these serious things so flippantly and take it for granted that you..." She shook her head. "I don't even know most of what you talked about. Conflicting orders when obeying either means your death? Galen, what does that mean? Are you in danger?"

Starkiller merely stared at her. He even forgot to correct her use of his old name.

"You really don't like Luke", he whispered.

"I..." She shrugged helplessly. Starkiller touched her mind again because that couldn't be true, everybody liked Luke...

Mallie flinched back from his mental touch but not soon enough.

She hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry. I know he's important to you and like I said, I owe him. I just think...He's an exhausting person. That's all."

That... was undoubtedly true; through he'd never thought it a bad thing.

"Now you're looking at me as if I've grown a third head", she complained miserably. "I said I'm sorry. Can we... talk about something else, please?"

"Sure", he said, feeling a bit dazed.

Mallie looked relieved. "Right. So... Conflicting orders? What does that mean? I thought you only take orders from Vader?"

Starkiller was silent for a long moment. He regarded her closely and took notice of many of her features for the first time. Her eyes weren't entirely brown. There were flecks of gray in them. She had the same sharp jawline as Starkiller that made her look strict even when she was openly displaying her worry like now. Also, her given uniform seemed to be a tight fit. It must be uncomfortable for her to wear all day.

Maybe he had misjudged this woman. He'd thought it impossible that she might care about him just because they were related. He wasn't a very likeable person, he knew that so how could she possibly claim to care about him after having gotten to know him? No, Starkiller wasn't a likeable person but Luke was. Yet she had frowned upon the boy and had defended Starkiller when she thought he was being insulted.

Starkiller hadn't brought Luke here as a test. He hadn't expected her to side with him and wouldn't have thought any lower of her if she hadn't. To be perfectly honest, he had even worried a bit that Luke would just waltz in, be his charming self and twist the former Jedi around his finger, completing the mission to make the woman trust him in five minutes when Starkiller had failed after several weeks. Granted, he had never tried very hard but Starkiller hated to be outdone in anything, especially by Luke. He felt his fears were justified, considering nobody in his right mind would ever pick Starkiller's company over Luke's if they had the choice. Yet this woman had done just that. She had even asked Luke to leave so she could be alone with him. She didn't even want to talk about him.

Starkiller felt for her mind again. There was still something she tried to hide from him. Starkiller scowled, diving deeper and though she looked at him pleadingly, she at last allowed him to see her thoughts.  
Mallie hadn't liked their banter, she hadn't liked how close the brothers were because she had felt left out. She'd been envious of the way Luke snatched away his attention during what was supposed to be her time with him. She loathed that Luke was so close to him that he could actually hurt Starkiller with his words and that he had no qualms to misuse that power - that precious privilege - for a thoughtless joke.

Starkiller hadn't felt the least bit insulted or hurt but she didn't know that. She envied Luke for the affection Starkiller had for him the same way Starkiller envied Luke for hoarding Lord Vader's attention.

At last, he thought sardonically, they had found a trait they had in common.

"I'm sorry", Mallie whispered. "I know I shouldn't feel like that. I... I'm a terrible person."

"Actually, I quite like it", Starkiller admitted. "Luke and I have always stood in something of a competition. You're the first one to ever pick me over Luke. Well, aside from the Emperor."

Mallie's eyes widened. "The Emperor?"

"Yes. It would've made sense for you to try and get Luke on your side. He does not use the dark side of the Force and would have been the better choice if you needed an apprentice or even just an ally. Yet you find him... exhausting." He tried to play it off as mere curiosity but was unable to fight a certain sense of vulnerability as he asked quietly: "Do you find me exhausting?"

His biological mother gave a breathless laugh. "You are absolutely maddening, Galen. But you give me back so much more, it's absolutely worth it."

Starkiller gave her a tentative smile. He didn't quite understand what he supposedly gave her back but she was willing to put up with him... that meant she liked him better than Luke, didn't it?

"Now you're trying to evade my question. What's your deal with the Emperor? Or is that something else you can't tell me?"

Starkiller mused about what to tell her and decided to stick as close to the truth as possible. It was probably a mistake but... He didn't know. He couldn't think straight. He felt like floating.

"I was twelve when Lord Vader found out about Luke's existence and took him in. He thought he'd found himself a much more powerful apprentice. I was discarded but kept alive as a reserve. Previous to that Lord Vader used to keep me away from the Emperor's watching eyes but he loosened security after that so the Emperor found out about me."

"Vader discarded you after raising you all these years... just because he thought Luke might be more powerful?!" Mallie looked scandalized.

"Well... that and because Luke is from his blood. Obviously", Starkiller confirmed hesitantly. 

"But you were so young! How could he expect you to... and he left you open to such danger too!"

The young Sith didn't know if he was to feel uncomfortable or slightly touched by her protectiveness. 

"That must've been so hard for you. But he... I mean, before Luke appeared, he didn't treat you like... Or did he?" There was fear in her eyes and Starkiller knew at once what she was asking. She wanted to know if Vader had raised him as his son, rather than his apprentice, something which would've made the ultimate rejection so much more painful.

"He didn't", Starkiller whispered. "I often wished he would... but I was always just a tool to him. He claims otherwise nowadays but I know the truth." He wondered himself at how little pain he felt as he admitted this. It still hurt... but not nearly as much as it used to. Not when he said it to her.

This time it was Mallie who reached out to him. Her mind brushed his, letting him feel her conflict. She was furious that he had received so little love during his childhood but at the same time couldn't help but be relieved that 'that monster' hadn't been able to take the role that was rightfully that of her husband. Starkiller allowed her emotions to caress his mind and closed his eyes. Conflict was something he was familiar with. It enabled that undercurrent of pure, unaltered love to brush him without hurting during to its inherit lightness. Starkiller was hesitant to bask in it, he knew if he got to close that love would burn him as it clashed with his dark, tainted soul but he felt a sudden, inexplicable longing for it.

"After a... particularly hard punishment", Starkiller carried on, still holding onto the connection, "the Emperor took me in, claiming Lord Vader didn't value me enough so I'd be better off continuing my training under him. At that time though it had also become obvious Luke would never be a real Sith so really, he just wanted to secure the more powerful tool for himself. I trained under Darth Sidious for five years. Then he gave me the order to kill Luke."

Mallie's shock, followed by confusion felt so intense when he was so close to her so Starkiller had to distance his mind from hers a bit.

"What happened?", she wanted to know.

"Well, I tried to cut off his head at the most inconvenient time when we were both making a crash landing with a collapsing space station", he repeated Luke's words mockingly. "Lord Vader wasn't pleased. He never actually found out, Luke didn't tell but he sensed the shift. The Emperor had sent me on a mock mission to Death Squadron so he couldn't just kill me without proof. I have kind of just laid low since then, trying to put off my new Master while getting as much training out of my old one before I eventually have to choose. Lord Vader knows that the Emperor doesn't like the... influence Luke has on him so with any luck those two will come at blows with each other and I can just wait and see who wins."

"But if you wait for much longer... the Emperor will think you returned to Vader. He would have you killed because he thinks you might team up against him. And if you follow through with your orders, you'd be at Vader's mercy." 

Starkiller had to pull back from her mind, her worry and overwhelming fear for him becoming uncomfortable. He tried to brush it off with a shrug. "That pretty much sums up my life."

"Oh Galen...!"

And then she was hugging him. Starkiller went stiff as a board in her arms. She pushed her mind at him the same way that she pushed her body and he tried to feebly fight off the flood of pure, light love, so painful but covered with just enough fear and desperation to make the beast in him purr. It was... tolerable. 

The Sith in him liked it that she suffered for him, enjoyed her fear, fed off her desperation and basked in her jealously. The other part of him... the one he didn't have a name for was latching onto that love that came with those feelings like a greedy child. That love was all his. Nobody could snatch it from him, not even Luke. It was his. 

Mine, mine, MINE, it echoed in his head and before he knew it, Starkiller had wrapped his arms around the warm body that was holding him, pressing her to him possessively.

"Mother", he whispered, voice heavy.

The woman gave startled sob, then started crying into his shoulder. Her pain left a beautiful echo in his soul. 

"There has to be a way to get you out of this", Mallie, his mother cried. "There has to be something I can do to help. I'd do anything!"

Starkiller let her go just far enough to be able to gaze into her teary red eyes.

"Anything?", he breathed.

"Anything", she insisted. Her devotion was complete.

Starkiller brushed a hand over her dark hair, thoughts wandering. Anything. Such a dangerous promise to make, especially to a Sith. His hands fell at his sides again, cold without her warmth. He couldn't hold her any longer. He knew if he did, she would break.

"There's nothing you can do, not right now. The Emperor must not know of your existence."

"And neither must Vader", his mother mused.

"Oh, Lord Vader is already aware of your presence here. He has been from the beginning."

"What?!"

Right, he never mentioned that.

"Of course, don't tell me you thought he wouldn't notice a Jedi hiding in his fleet for several weeks? It was my mission to gain your trust."

"You..." Her eyes went wide and oh, her pain was so beautiful. He heard the quiet whisper of the Force as the dark side flowed through him, challenged him to twist the knife. It was so much more enjoyable to torture those that loved you.

"That's right, I was following my Master's orders this whole time. It was my mission to coax those exact words from you. That you'd do anything for me."

She tried to shy away from him but he wouldn't let her. She was his. He grabbed her wrist, holding it in a steel grip.

"And you would, wouldn't you? If it were to save my life... to get me out of this impossible situation... You would comply with my Master's wishes, wouldn't you?"

"Galen, I..."

"SAY IT!", Starkiller shouted and attacked her mind with his, his dark energy delivering a sharp slap that made her flinch. Her love was now covered with fear. It was exquisite.

"Yes, yes, I'll do anything but please stop it! Stop being like that", she plead.

Starkiller let go of her wrist and she took two hasty steps away from him.

Briefly he felt empty, wanted to have her back with him but the feeling was fleeting at best. He had her where he wanted her.

"I will allow you to call me Galen", he said graciously. Why was it again that he had abhorred the name? Something to do with the Emperor. It didn't matter though. She was his and if using that name helped to strengthen their connection, let her have it.

"You... You will?" Her fear made room for a bit of hope.

"Yes, mother", he replied, putting on his least threatening smile. He felt the dark side pulse through him as it seldom did, even during battle. He'd seen and felt what his mother’s love felt like. He knew what he felt was different. Must be the dark side equivalent, he thought and chuckled. His head was in a high, it was difficult to think straight.

"You will apply for a transfer to the Devastator tomorrow", Starkiller ordered her. "It is bothersome having to come here every time. There is no need for such extensive secrecy anymore and I wish to have you close."

"Okay... if that's what you want." She didn't step further away when he closed the distance between them.

"It is. I also wish to fight with you more often. You have to keep your blade sharp. Maybe I'll introduce you to PROXY."

He leaned forward and for a moment she thought he'd kiss her forehead but instead he laid his arms around her, gently, careful not to break every bone in her body as a part of him craved to.

"I will see you tomorrow, mother", he whispered into her ear, sending a shiver of fear down her spine.

Then he left.

The Sith wasn't even fully out of the door when Mallie fell to her knees and sunk down next to the droids she came to clean. She didn't know what went wrong. One moment she seemed to finally, finally have found a connection to her lost son. She'd been so overjoyed when she had felt him accepting her love. Then everything went wrong when she felt him pull on the dark side. It twisted within him, turned what should've been a beautiful reciprocation of her motherly love into an ugly obsession. The way he had talked about his mission... He'd enjoyed causing her pain. He could've said something along the lines of: 'I'm already working on a plan to get out of this fucked up mess but I need Vader's help for that, can you stand to be around him for my sake?' She could've forgiven him for playing her all this time with the ulterior motive of handing her over to the murderer of her husband. He'd had her that far, she would've forgiven him because she'd sensed the change in him. But no, he had to make it as painful as possible for her.

Mallie felt the last of her composure break and tears run down her cheeks. During those last moments, all she'd been able to see in him was a sick monster. A true Sith. The Emperor's apprentice, the next Darth Vader. Was that him showing his true colors and everything else just an act? His personality had only shifted so terribly after he drew on the dark side, so maybe it simply warped his perception and this was merely a temporary loss of control during a very emotional situation? Undoubtedly the dark side would devour his mind and have him be like that constantly if given enough time but it might not be too late yet to stop that transformation. Or was it? Was there still hope for Galen and her to be a family? She'd thought that once he opened himself up to her she would learn the answer to that question. That once he accepted her as his mother, she could give him all the love he had missed out on for thirteen years.

Now he had accepted her, he did allow her into his life. But instead of pulling him closer to her, he had dragged her down to him to feel his darkest core. And she had all but promised him to join him in his servitude for the monster that was Darth Vader.

Outside of the hall, Luke caught up with his brother who was leaving the former Jedi behind in what appeared to be high spirits.

"Well?", he asked. "How did it go?"

"There will be no execution today", Starkiller drawled, not bothering to look at him. "I have her in my hand."

Luke scowled suspiciously. He had felt the spike in dark energy from where he'd waited and had almost been afraid his brother had killed the woman after all. He felt for their Force bond, trying to get a read of his brother's presence, one that was considerably less condensed and focused than it usually was. There was joy and smugness and great triumph. It felt black and slick and... familiar. It was how his father had felt sometimes during those first few months when Luke had only just introduced himself to him before they discovered the light together.

Luke stopped in his tracks, eyes wide. Then without thinking he rushed back and threw open the door to the hall where Starkiller's mother was still in. He saw Mallie Marek on her knees, sobbing. Her pain was throbbing clearly in the Force. His brother hadn't hurt her, not physically but her emotions where all over the place. He had been so convinced that she would help his brother to heal, to be happier and learn what love was. But...

"By the Force", he muttered with a hint of horror. "She made it worse."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geez, what a monster chap. I am quite proud of it but boy, did things get out of hand. Once again, unforseen consequeces of my characters behaviour are going to ripple through the entire plotline. I knew there was a reason I called it Tidal Wave.


	48. Chapter 48

It was late in the evening. Captain Juno Eclipse had already finished her daily routine. She'd had her sonic shower in the shared fresher across the corridor and walked back to her quarters. It was a private room only since her promotion and she was itching to get out of the sweaty uniform that she was forced to don again even after showering for the short walk. She shed her jacket and her top and was just about to unfasten her bra when someone knocked at the door. She scowled, pulled her top over her head again and reached for the jacket but before she could, the door was already ripped open. Which shouldn't be possible, seeing as she had the only key card, aside from the assigned security and-

Starkiller stormed into her room, breathing her name heavily. She barely had time to notice his glowing yellow eyes - weren't his eyes brown? - before she was pushed against the wall, the young Sith pressed against her. She let out a yelp, the door slammed shut and suddenly his lips were on hers, passionate, demanding.

Juno couldn't breathe. She felt heat shoot through her as one of his hands slipped beneath her top, caressing her hip and sliding up her back. The other hand was fearlessly cupping her breast and she gasped into the kiss, she'd always thought he was shy...

Juno pushed him away, not strongly but suddenly enough to catch him off guard.

"Starkiller, what... What is going on? Why are you..." She pulled her top back down that had slipped up during his ministrations, trying to save some of her dignity. She was sure her head was beet red.

"You're ignoring me for weeks and now... this?"

There was fire in his gaze, such heat. She couldn't deny that she felt drawn to him but it was so incredibly reckless of him to come here, early in the night to her very own room, when people could see... What was he thinking, he hadn't even given her any warning.

"I was a fool", Starkiller rasped, grabbing her arm and pulling her close so she was flush against him. "I didn't know what I felt for you... Didn't know how to talk to you. But I only need to know how to show you."

Juno stared at him with wide eyes, her heart fluttering. She'd had silly dreams about him declaring his love for her and this came damn close to it. Yes, she was attracted to him. He did seem to like her and she'd thought, why not? There was just something dark and mysterious about him that drew her in. It frightened her at times as well but she knew him well enough by now to know there was so much more hiding under the surface. She craved to know what more there was.

He kissed her again, his passion threatening to devour her even as she answered it but she could feel no love. In that moment there were three things she was certain about. One was that there was something very wrong with Starkiller. She knew that he had a temper but this was quite out of character for him. Maybe he was even on drugs. The second was that that was not his lightsaber poking her thigh. The third thing she was certain of was that she was in the wrong position to reach the door. He would certainly catch up to her if she attempted to flee and then things could get very ugly.

He wanted her. He had no control over his desire. And she was caught with him.

Juno freed himself from him just enough to be able to lay her hands on his chest and willed his attention to her words, not the lips that delivered them.

"I want you to lay on the bed", she whispered, meeting his searing gaze.

"What are you up to?", he growled but it was less threatening, more playful.

"Only things you'll enjoy", she promised with a teasing smile.

She had played with the fire. Now she was caught up in a raging inferno that she couldn't get out of. She might as well enjoy herself.

XxX

Darth Vader was busy reading reports, filing away work that thought it was important (he might want to argue on that) when he felt his son's presence approach. It was soon followed by a knock on his door and he touched Luke's mind absentmindedly, letting him know that he could come in.

As soon as the teenager closed the door behind him and Vader turned to face him, he knew that something was wrong. Worry, guilt and a bit of fear was tainting Luke's usually bright mind and the Sith Lord was instantly alert.

"What happened?", he asked without preamble.

Luke looked startled. "I... I don't know. It's about S.K."

The last time he had seen his wayward student, he'd been off to give his mother a sort of ultimatum. He'd demanded that if it didn't work, Luke should be the one to execute her and for a moment Vader wondered if that was what had his son so downtrodden. Had he been forced to kill the Jedi woman? Vader couldn't say that he'd care much if he did and he supposed it was at least a partial success if Starkiller refused to do it himself. However, he didn't like to see Luke suffering because of it.

"Is the Jedi dead?", Vader asked.

Luke shook his head. "No. But she's... wrong. S.K. wanted to talk to her alone after I, well... it didn't go so well. When he left she was sitting on the ground, crying and... I could tell she was hurting very much but S.K. said we shouldn't... well you know. Kill her."

Luke drew a shuddering breath. "Father, there's something wrong with S.K. He was... happy even though there was nothing to be happy about, that talk evidently hadn't gone well. In the Force he felt... black. Not just dark, he always feels dark, but that was... I don't know. He never felt that way before." Well, that wasn't entirely true. He did feel like that before, if only once - on Nar Shaddaa, when he tried to kill Luke. But his father didn't have to know about that.

"Did he attack you?", Vader wanted to know, feeling dread creep into his heart.

"No. He was just... in a ridiculously good mood. But it felt wrong. Do you know what's up with him?"

Vader let out a sigh that went unheard in his helmet. He turned to the console at his desk briefly, giving a few commands.

"We have to find out where your brother is. Right now, he's a danger to everyone close to him."

That did nothing to lower the worry clearly shown on Luke's face but he moved to stand behind Vader, looking at the monitors and taking in the responses on them. They had to wait a couple of minutes for the system to run a thorough check, to run Starkiller's profile through the facial recognition system and compare it to what the security cameras detected. When Vader reached out through the Force, he could clearly sense his student and was able to narrow his position down to the other end of the ship but it came as no surprise that over this distance and in his current state, he could receive no response from him. His mind was nothing but a swirling mass of energy and a hunger for even more power.

"As a user of the light side", Vader explained to his son while they waited for the search to finish, "you are used to letting the Force guide you. You call for its help and advice and in turn follow its wishes. Such an approach is incredibly dangerous and will quickly become lethal when used with the dark side. In order to use its power safely, one has to subjugate it. You have to put certain self-made limitations on yourself and how much power you wield at a time. I have taught Starkiller how to do this from a young age to avoid exactly this outcome. The state he is in now, we call it a Force Rage. Your brother has shed all limitations and opened his mind and body completely to the Force. In doing so, he became a direct conduit."

"But I thought that only happens in battle", Luke said. His father had mentioned this ominous Force Rage to him before but never explained in detail, only warned him from it and taught him how to recognize the signs.  
"Isn't it triggered by severe amounts of pain and anger? S.K. was happy."

"Pain and anger are the most common triggers", Vader agreed. "But not the only ones. Any strong emotion can trigger a Force Rage. He might think himself in control now but in truth, he is completely at mercy of his own emotions which can change at a moment's notice. Right now he is like a time bomb, the slightest disruption could sent him into a fit of violence."

"How long will it last?", Luke asked fearfully.

"He is on a high of energy right now, which makes him overconfident and reckless. He will search for an outlet. Once he finds it, he will certainly wreck destruction around himself but he will wear himself out quickly. All we can do now is to find him, contain him and wait for it to ebb away. Preferably while limiting the amount of damage he does."

Luke didn't like the sound of that. "What exactly does the Force Rage do to him?"

"There are two aspects to it. Obviously, his power will rise as the Force flows through him without limitation. Any brush with his lighting will become lethal where it would only be painful before. His physical strength and speed are enhanced, making him very dangerous in combat and he could use the Force endlessly without exhausting himself for as long as the Rage lasts. But the state doesn't just influence his body, it also has an affect on his mind. Feeling that power, he will think himself invulnerable and thus disregard his offense. This means that if you don't overpower your enemies immediately, an attack that you could easily dodge normally could now be sneaked past you. You get so lost in the fight that you forget the reason you fight in the first place and everyone approaching you is seen as hostile unless they actively and visibly fight at your side. Once you start throwing such powers around, it usually only takes a minute for you to wear your body down, at which point a severe exhaustion sets in that will most likely cost you your life if at that point you're still in the middle of a fight."

"You've been in a Force Rage before, haven't you?", Luke asked with wide eyes. His report was just too detailed for him not to have experienced it himself.

"Yes", Vader replied. "Many times."

"Many times?"

"This power has an... almost addictive feeling to it. The risk for yourself might be higher but you can also finish a battle more quickly. There was a time... before I had either of you boys where I didn't care about the risk. I wielded the Force Rage like any other weapon."

"But you said you taught S.K. to avoid it."

"I told him how to control and subjugate the dark side so it wouldn't control him. When Starkiller was taken from me, he was just standing at the beginning of a new phase in his life. He was starting to mature in both body and mind and thus was very susceptible to outside influences. The Emperor no doubt used this to his advantage. You'll have noticed that he was much more open with his emotions when he came back compared to how he was before. I have no doubt that the Emperor neglected this part of his training or even encouraged him to let his emotions direct his path. Starkiller is a powerful Sith. I didn't choose him to be the one to kill the Emperor without reason. When the time approaches that Starkiller is equal or even more powerful than him, falling to the Force Rage might be the one thing sealing his fate. If he loses control at this most important moment, the Emperor would surely kill him."

"Then he must never use the Force Rage again", Luke concluded. "If he isn't even able to tell friend from foe... and it's so dangerous for him, he must never use it."

"Control over the Force Rage is directly linked to control over his emotions. I had hoped your bond with him would provide enough of an anchor to him. His emotions towards me are conflicted at best and now it appears it's the same with his mother. You might be the only one able to help him stabilize as you have been a strong constant in his life."

"So... you're telling me it's up to me to keep S.K. sane and if I fail the Emperor will win and we're all going to die? No pressure, huh?"

Vader didn't get to answer him because in that moment the program completed its search. With zero results.

"That can't be..." Vader knew the young Sith was still on the ship, he could still distantly feel his presence. He checked the comm just to see if any urgent calls for help had arrived of a berserk Sith slaughtering Stormtroopers but there was nothing.

"He must be in an area with no cams", Luke mused. "Where could that be?"

"Too many possibilities. The ventilation system, trash compactors, sanitary units, any personal suite aside from trooper barracks or just any place in the inside where only droids go, one that is too dark for cameras. But why would he be in any of those places?"

"Maybe he just returned to his own suite?"

"I very much doubt that. If he really is in a Force Rage, he won't be content to go about his routine as normal."

"Well, then he's probably blowing off steam in one of the training halls. There are cameras there but they don't record, he could be in that area."

"Maybe. I will look at the recordings of the cameras in the Jedi's area. At the very least I can find out where he went from there."

"But that might take too much time. I'm going to look at the training hall."

"Yes but find PROXY first. If you do find Starkiller, don't try to argue with him. Offer him a spar, you two together against the droid. He'll be hard pressed to agree but you must not end up fighting him, not even in a spar. If you have to, order PROXY to drop his limits and go all out. That should tempt Starkiller into taking the bait."

"Okay, I will."

"And Luke?"

Luke, having turned to the door already, looked back at his father expectantly.

Vader allowed him to feel his worry by sending it through their bond. "Be careful, son."

Luke grinned. "Always."

XxX

Starkiller hated waking up in unfamiliar beds. He had the feeling it was happening to him far too often. The fact that his arms were uncomfortably bound over his head didn't make it any better.

Starkiller didn't bother trying to be still and assess his situation first. He was bound and captive, which meant he was in a hostile environment and he had to get out as long as he still had the advantage.

With a strong pull the young Sith tried to free his arms and was surprised when whatever had bound him ripped without much resistance, allowing him to roll out of the bed, back to the wall in a defensive posture as he took in his surroundings.

He was in a small room, Imperial standard, probably still on a ship somewhere. He was nude and alone and his clothes were scattered all over he room together with some white fluffy stuff that probably used to fill the pillows and mattress at one point. Those were now ripped, quite violently so. A look at the headboard of the bed showed that its durasteel rail was bent and out of shape, showing that he must have fought against his bindings at one point. This made no sense though as he identified his bindings as the remains of his own now ruined belt. Starkiller checked himself for injuries and found some mildly throbbing scratches on his back but they were nothing serious. There wasn't even any blood.

Satisfied that he was temporarily out of danger, Starkiller put his clothes back on. Because of the lack of a belt, he was forced to keep his lightsaber in his hand but he preferred that anyway.

Having assured himself that he was not going to get murdered by hostile captors anytime soon, his memories of last night now returned as well.

Right, he'd had that talk with Luke and his mother. After that he'd felt... an urgent need. He didn't understand it at first but he was so full of energy and he wanted to let it out. He'd walked back to the training hall, intent on challenging PROXY but on his way he'd passed the sector he knew Juno lived in and somehow he'd been drawn to her.

Starkiller blinked, taking in the destruction around him with new eyes. His face went red. So that's what happened.

At once his thoughts began to race. He'd slept with Juno. And it had been great - full of passion and need and scratches and teeth and tongue and great, now he was getting hard from the mere memory of it - but he had wanted to avoid this for a reason. He didn't want to see Juno as just another body, as a piece of flesh to satisfy his carnal desires. Worse, now that he thought back on it he was sure he had seen fear in her eyes through much of their encounter. When she had invited him to her bed she didn't do it because she liked him but because she was afraid he might take her anyway if she said no. When she had bound him to her bed it wasn't so he could better enjoy her kisses all over his body, it was to give her a semblance of safety, to assure he wouldn't grab her too hard. When she had ridden him until he saw stars it wasn't to satisfy her own need but to fulfill his desires and keep him from devouring her. And he knew he would have. In that hazy dream that was last night, it had taken all he had not to rip those thin bindings but he had wanted to see where she would go with this, wanted to see what she was up to. Wanted to see if she betrayed him. He'd almost been eager for it, for an excuse to rip the belt and the railing with it, to throw her down and pound into her mercilessly...

Starkiller let out a dry chuckle. He really was a monster, wasn't he? And Juno, beautiful Juno, he could've seriously hurt her last night. But she had known how to handle him, she'd been clever and observant and hadn't given up the upper hand through the entire night. He had fallen and she had caught him, even though she struggled under his weight. He wondered if she hated him now.

The door slid open and Starkiller jumped to his feet.

Juno stood in the door in her immaculate uniform, not a hair out of place. For a moment the two just stared at each other, neither knowing what to say.

Starkiller was the first to drop his gaze. 

"Did... Did I hurt you?", he asked quietly. It was true that he'd been bound but he remembered the Force flowing through him so strongly and he'd reached out to her through it, pressing against those supple bouncing breasts, loosening that tight bun to let her golden hair fall freely over her naked shoulders, applying just the tiniest bit of pressure to her throat just to hear her gasp...

He felt both disgusted and aroused at having misused the Force like that.

"You didn't hurt me", Juno answered him and Starkiller felt a massive weight lift from his shoulders. He stepped closer to her. Tentatively he brushed his hand over her right cheek, letting it wander lower down her throat to her neck where he had almost choked her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He let his hand fall back to his side.

"I'm sorry. I... I wasn't in my right mind yesterday. I don't know what happened, I was just... You don't deserve to be treated like that. It will never happen again."

Instead of the relief he had expected, Juno actually looked hurt.

"You... You didn't like it?"

"...what?"

Juno turned around abruptly, crossing her arms. Her voice sounded strangely muffled.

"I... forget about it. You're right, you were obviously not thinking straight. It was a mistake. Let's just forget about it."

"Juno..." He grabbed her shoulder, very softly, suddenly afraid of his own strength and turned her around gently. She wasn't meeting his gaze.

"Juno, last night was the most amazing sex I've ever had." He struggled to find the right words. "I just... never wanted it to be a head over heels kind of thing the first time around because I... I really like you."

She smiled a bit. "I thought you just wanted me so bad you couldn't restrain yourself."

"Yeah, well that's true. And you did a fine job doing the restraining all on your own."

She blushed a bit and Starkiller couldn't resist any longer, he caught her lips in a slow kiss. No longer fearing her rejection, he let himself fall into it, enjoying her warmth and the soft pressure of her lips against his.  
When they parted again, Juno drew a shuddering breath. She was leaning against him, they were so close he could smell her hair and feel her body heat. Force, he wanted this woman. He wanted to have her again but that was a bad idea. After what happened last time, he wasn't sure he could trust himself around her anymore.

"I'm sorry", he whispered again.

"For what? The hottest night I ever had?", she asked playfully.

"For making you fear me." He looked at her seriously. "I know you were scared. Don't try to deny it."

"Well", she said, looking away uncomfortably, "yes, I... I guess I was. And you should really find out what that was that was going on with you before... trying to pull that on me again, but..." She took a deep breath. "You know the fear... kind of made it exciting too."

Starkiller was startled. He couldn't honestly have so much luck, could he? To find a woman who would accept him so utterly... to not be repulsed by his ugly sides but welcome all of him?

"You want to... try again?"

"Well", she coughed a bit, "if you... if you'd like to?"

"By the stars, yes", he breathed heavily and slung his arms around her, pressing her against himself and deeply taking in her scent. She responded by laying her arms on his back but let go too soon for his liking as if burned.

"What's wrong?", he asked her, parting enough to be able to look into her eyes.

"Oh, just... I didn't hurt you, did I? I mean, I know I did, I scratched you up pretty badly..." Her blush deepened. "You, ah... you seemed to like it."

"Those are nothing", he dismissed it. He did remember liking how her nails scratched over his back as she clung to him. The pain had gone straight to his cock, followed by new surges of the dark side.

"Okay", she smiled and he kissed her again, just because.

He decided right then that all the pain and trouble he'd endured in his life thus far was totally worth it because now his life was perfect and he was the luckiest person in the galaxy. And he had to kiss Juno again just to celebrate that.

XxX

Over the last few years, Vader had though a lot about the Sith and the dark side of the Force. The Sith code demanded that you gave into your passions, to never back off and never stop reaching for what you wished to have, no matter how unreachable it seemed. Yet full commitment to that code made you a slave of our own fickleness. In order to pursue a clear aim and be efficient in what you do, you had to have control over your actions. That was only possible when following your head over your heart, if not in the selection of your goals then at least in choosing the way on how to reach them. If you only ever did what you wanted without a single thought, you wouldn't get very far in life. The violent way was not always the most efficient or even the fastest one.

The Jedi practiced control by simply suppressing distracting emotions. The Sith acted mostly the way they felt like but even they worked to control their emotions, to swallow them when needed. However, they also tended to hold grudges, letting out that suppressed anger later when the enemy didn't see it coming.  
A Sith without that control was little more than a savage, a monster. He was unable to follow commands or give them, seeing as he either didn't care about comrades or even just soldiers or he cared too much, keeping them locked up and charging in alone. A Sith without control over his emotions might hold terrifying power for a short while but would soon have so many enemies he'd be swarmed on all sides or just blasted from a distance with overwhelming firepower.

It had never been Vader's intention to create such a monster. He had trained his student as an assassin for a reason. Starkiller had only learned how to use the Force when he'd already been proficient with ordinary weapons and tactics. He'd taught him discipline and patience and what did his Master do? He threw all that hard work right out of the window and turned Starkiller into... that.

Darth Vader set aside the datapad he'd been reading. The monitor in his desk showed him his visitor had arrived. He pressed a button that let the doors slide open just as the woman raised her hand to knock.  
Captain Eclipse looked perfect in her pristine uniform, not a hair out of place. She gave a short bow.

"You wished to see me, Lord Vader?" Her voice was only slightly nervous.

Vader regarded her closely. The collar of her uniform was rather high, he couldn't see if there were any bruises on her neck. Her eyes were clear, not blood-shot and with no dark bags under them. She did appear well enough. He dearly hoped she was.

"Captain Eclipse", he said. "Please, come in."

Her eyes widened slightly and he could feel a hint of fear in her presence as she stepped forward, the doors sliding shut behind her. Vader continued to just watch her silently for almost a full minute, in which she grew even more nervous.

"Is there something you wish to tell me, Captain?", he said at last.

"No my Lord, I can't think of anything", she answered, her fear rising.

Vader contemplated if he should touch her mind, find out if she was hiding something. He decided not to. He didn't want to know, didn't want to see if his suspicion was right.

But he couldn't ignore the issue either.

"Yesterday evening", Vader began when the Captain had nothing more to add, "I called Agent Marek to me as I had a matter to discuss with him. However, he didn't answer his comm. Half the ship was searched for him but he couldn't be found. Not until he turned up for his daily routine the next morning as if nothing had happened."

By now the Captain's face was white as a sheet and her lips were trembling but she remained silent.

"Do you happen to know where he was?", he asked.

Her eyes were flickering down and to the side and Vader knew that she was furiously trying to think up a lie.

"He, ah... came to me late at night. He wanted to discuss... some upgrade plans I had for the Rogue Shadow, my Lord. We worked through it together. I am sorry if this has brought any inconvenience upon your plans."

She managed to deliver the words without looking away again but her face was flushed and Vader didn't believe a word of it. She knew that he knew that Starkiller had been with her but still tried to cover it up.

"Security cameras caught him leaving your wing early in the morning."

"Uhh..."

"And only one hour later", Vader continued, holding up his datapad and quoting the information on it, "you sent a request to the supply distribution for 'a new bed including pillows'."

The Captain's face was now beet red. She opened her mouth but no words came out. Fear, embarrassment and shame were practically rolling off her in waves. He didn't even need the Force to notice it.

Vader let out an inaudible sigh. "I hate having to do this, Captain, especially as it involves Agent Marek. But it seems I have no choice. Taking care of these kind of problems belongs to my duties as the one in charge of this fleet and I do take the matter seriously. Therefore, I have to ask you a question."

The Captain gulped visibly and closed her eyes.

"Do you want to charge Agent Marek for sexual harassment?"

"...what!?"

Vader continued to look at her seriously. "I believe you understood me. Agent Marek is merely a temporary guest, you are a pilot in my fleet. If you decide to press charges, I will see to it that he receives his punishment. If you so wish, I could also transfer you to another ship or another squadron."

"You... You mean leave Death Squadron?"  
h of course. Another part though was afraid the Captain had lied, either to save face or because she was afraid of Starkiller. 

In all of his many years as a Sith Lord, Darth Vader had never once forced himself on a woman. Part of that was obviously due to his physical limitations but he hadn't, you know, lost it completely. He was just never very eager to try and see if he still could. He had been quite afraid of the answer. Add to that that he never really got over the death of his wife and it wasn't a surprise that his love life was as barren as the deserts of Tatooine.

However, even if he could have, he never would. Killing people indiscriminately was one thing but violence against woman, especially sexually motivated, was something he despised fiercely and looked down on like nothing else. He didn't think anybody who had ever loved a woman like he had would feel any different. Whenever he caught the slightest hint of something like that happening under his watch he always punished it severely and the thought that his own student, the boy that he'd raised and considered a son might be capable of it was seriously disturbing. On top of the depravity itself it would mark a loss of control like no other, something that in his eyes was very much unbecoming of a Sith. He had tried to give the boy room, had watched him from a distance to see what kind of person Sidious had turned him into and offered advice where it was welcomed. However he had been reluctant to supervise or re  
"I have no say over where Agent Marek is stationed so if you wish to distance yourself, those are your options."

The Captain pulled herself together. Much of her previous fear evaporated as she raised her chin and said:

"That will not be necessary. Nothing happened that night and even if it did, I cannot rely on someone else’s protection when I want to make my way in the Imperial military as a woman."

"I see", Vader said, not sure if he was relieved or disappointed.

"I appreciate your support, Sir. It does mean a lot but there is no need to worry."

"If you change your mind, consider my door open for you. You may go."

The Captain gave another bow and left.

Vader leaned back in his chair and contemplated the encounter. A part of him wanted to believe that nothing too bad had happened between Starkiller and the young woman, that it had been just a roll in the hay, completely consensual on both sides. Which was already bad enougstrict him too much, afraid that this unique chance to get him back into this crazy little family would be doomed as Starkiller in a show of temper decided he wouldn't take his orders.

But he couldn't ignore this. It wasn't just a question of how to train and raise his student anymore. They were preparing to take on the Emperor and he had to be able to trust in the abilities of his student or they'd both die. He had to confront him about it.... The most dreaded day of any father had arrived... He had to give his son 'the talk'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once a again a fabulous example on how what wuld be a perfectly normal and quite funny situation in any other family gets twisted into something serious and disturbing when dealing with Team Vader. It IS a very serious subject and by no means to be taken lightly - but admit it, you laughed, didn't you?
> 
> Btw, I upped the rating for the fanfic. This is both to account for the violence occasionally performed by SK and Vader and for what's developing between or favorite Sith-in-training and Juno. I feel the need to do this because as a Sith, who are all about passion, his sexuality is going to be a defining point of SK's character once he starts to explore it. Including a fair bit of sado/masochism. So, while you aren't likely to get any more details in future scenes than in this chapter, I'd rather be safe than sorry and put the story under M.
> 
> The description of the Force Rage is leaning heavily on the FU II game where this is an actual mode you can switch to. I wanted to include it in an immersive way and give Vader the chance to talk it over with his asoptive son. As you may have figured out, Vader's excursion on Tatooine all those years ago as well as Mustafar would cound as being under Force Rage. Now look at how cold and collected SK was in the beginning FU I... and then see how he used Force Rage freely in a mad chase for his beloved Juno in FU II. He lost control completely and the Jedi did sh*t to help part of the fanfic is mirroring these events. Accepting his mother into his family was a big step for him. Suddly love is no longer somehting to fear and look down on but something he desperately wants and will go to any lengths to get it. Unfortunately, he goes about it like a cat that looks at you with big creepy yellow eyes: Look, I killed a mouse for you. I'd do anything for you... Anything.


	49. Chapter 49

For as long as Starkiller could remember, family had been a foreign concept to him. First he'd only had his Master and a bunch of interchangeable droids to keep him company and they had all made it quite clear that they were only there to train him, not to provide any kind of comfort or solidarity.

Then Luke had been added to the mix. Both him and PROXY were considered friends by him. Luke had been another student of his Master, a rival so to speak. Eventually Vader allowed Luke to get closer to him, forming a bond. Luke had tried to include him but for Starkiller, two people weren't enough to form a family. Without Vader's acceptance, he would never belong to them. They had trained and worked together but they weren't a family.

Then came Sidious and well, he didn't even want to talk about that.

But now his circle of associates was growing. Luke had gladly taken him back, Vader was playing along for his sake, PROXY was as loyal and bloodthirsty as ever, Mallie Marek had accepted his ways and Juno was willing to follow him down a lane that was both new and exciting. For the first time in his life, Starkiller had an idea what it was like to have a family.

He loved the feeling and he wanted to preserve it. However, he also knew how fragile it was. The Emperor could send out other assassins after Luke any time when he grew tired of Starkiller's lack of success. Vader and his mother could clash in a most spectacular way and at the moment, Starkiller really had no idea whose side he would choose if forced to intervene. Juno, as wonderfully accepting and even excited for his world she was, could easily change her mind if he introduced her to too much craziness too fast. Then there was Darth Sidious, who could throw a wrench into it at any time and shatter the fragile balance they had.

Starkiller was determined to protect his family though. He had a three step plan to ensure its safety. One, he had to make sure that his mother could behave herself around Vader and that the Sith Lord came to accept her as more than a mere brainwashed tool. She belonged to him now. Two, he had to get back in the field and run missions, taking Juno with him so she would get more experience in seeing the things he dealt with and get to know him better. Three, they had to kill the Emperor.

With that plan in mind, once Vader called to see Starkiller, he spontaneously decided to bring his mother along.

Mallie had transferred to the Devastator as he'd told her to. When he went to pick her up she stilled and instead of the usual smile she looked at him warily and maybe a bit afraid. Her fear did not concern him. He was used to these kinds of looks from Imperial Center and it tended to make people less annoying. He was a very dangerous man, it was only natural for her, that she was nowhere near as powerful as the rest of his family, to be a bit afraid. As long as her fear didn't overcome her devotion, it was no reason for concern.  
When he told her they'd be seeing Lord Vader though, there was anger. Hot, sweet anger that burned in her eyes and made Starkiller very much look forward to the confrontation. A shouting match would be nice. Maybe a bit of fighting too. He just had to make sure they didn't kill each other.

Her rage reassured him though. She was still very much incensed for him. He knew there were times when he disturbed her, especially yesterday but she put all the blame for that on Vader. A part of him, that part that never got the promised revenge, enjoyed the idea of her being the harbinger of his fury and speak the words he could not because it might shatter their ceasefire.

So he took her with him when he went to see his Master and the moment he entered the meeting room with her at his back he knew this would get ugly.

There was a moment of tense silence as Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith and Mallie Marek, former Jedi and rebel fighter stared at each other. Starkiller was connected to them both through the Force, to his Master through his training bond and to his mother just generally by shamelessly poking around in her mind on an almost subconscious level. He could feel Vader's irritation rising and at last explode in anger. He was pissed and absolutely not in the mood for Starkiller's powerplays. Mallie on the other hand was momentarily stuck by fear at seeing the towering Sith Lord, followed by a fierce spike of protectiveness towards Starkiller until that too transformed into sheer hatred for the monster who'd taken him from her.

Starkiller was sure they would jump at each other's throats any moment and he was actually awaiting that quite eagerly but his family disappointed him. His mother managed to swallow her hatred by reminding herself that she was doing this for him and Vader had too much control to lash out immediately. He did however clench his fists and spat out:

"Starkiller, what is she doing here?"

"Why, she's my mother", Starkiller stressed. His eyes were hard and unrelenting. "Since you claim to see me as a son yourself, I thought it was high time my parents started getting along."

Both of them stared at him in bewilderment. Well, Mallie did, but he got an equal feeling of disbelief from his Master.

"We don't have time for this", Vader growled. "I have an important matter to discuss with you and I assure you that you don't want to have her with you."

"Whatever you need to talk about", Mallie cut in bravely, "if it affects my son I have a right to know as well!"

Vader sneered. "You know nothing about him. You know nothing about what he's done, what he is capable of doing and will do."

"He may not tell me much of his activities", Mallie admitted quietly, "but nothing can be worse than what I already imagine from his silence. I will stand by his side no matter what, whether you like it or not, Vader!"

"You want to stand beside him!?", Vader exclaimed. His volume rose in his anger. "You're just a disgraced Jedi. You've been hiding under a rock for the last two decades. You're weak and still hold onto outdated beliefs. If you try to have his back, I fear he will be stabbed in it!"

Starkiller couldn't help a small grin, feeling the rage build up all around him.

"Oh, you...How dare you!?", his mother shot back. "You call me a backstabber? What are you then? Anakin Skywalker, yes I know who you are! Wasn't exactly hard to figure out, seeing as your actual son even carries your old name! You betrayed the Jedi, you burned down the temple that housed you and murdered those that looked at you as their champion, their savior! How many Masters did you kill that you fought next to in battle? How many Knights that you trained with? How many Padawans and students, no more than children did you murder to curry favor with the dark side? You don't have the right to pretend to care about my son or any child!"

Now that was being a bit harsh, even for Starkiller's tastes. He had known that his Master had been a Jedi before but that was ages ago and she couldn't honestly accuse him of betraying an order he left because he recognized their beliefs as stupid, could she?

"You are going too far", he admonished his mother. "The Jedi may be enemies of the Sith but my Master would not kill their younglings. There's no honor in that, not for a Sith."

Vader stiffened at those words.

"Of course there is no honor in it, for anybody", Mallie agreed. "But Galen, this... person has no honor. He was a hero of the Jedi for years, fighting in the Clone Wars and he only sided with the Sith when they declared the Empire. Nobody knew he had betrayed them, not even years later since he took another name. By the time the name Skywalker appeared in the holonet again, almost everyone who remembered him was dead already." She laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

The young Sith shook it off. "That's not true!"

"Starkiller...", Vader said quietly.

"No! You recognized the way of the Jedi to be foul and wrong. You helped the Emperor in ridding the galaxy of them because with their arrogance and cowardice they wasted the potential of an entire generation. You laid siege to the temple with an army and you conquered it. Then all those too young to be entirely brainwashed were converted to the Sith ways and joined the Inquisitors to bring order to the galaxy the way they should always have!"

Sidious had told him about that glorious first battle when Vader had gained his Sith name. It had served as a warning to him to not take Vader lightly, the man who killed hundreds of Masters and Knights and came out stronger for it. He hadn't known that his Master had been a Jedi himself at one point until he'd discovered Luke had been taught in the light side but it made little difference, did it? It just meant his Master must've left the order some time, probably during the Clone Wars and joined the Sith ways. If the Jedi didn't check on what that one incredibly powerful Jedi Master was up to while he was no doubt away training to use the dark side, it was their own fault for being surprised by the identity of the hostile army's leader.

Vader should be denying the accusations. For a Sith, he did have a lot of honor, something Starkiller had always admired about him. He took matters into his own hands, he fought alongside his troops at the front. He even tended to avoid killing civilians if he could, concentrating on military targets. He had laid waste to entire worlds but never on a whim, never without being ordered to do so by the Emperor.

But Vader didn't deny the accusations and Starkiller felt a weariness through their bond that he didn't like. Add to that the malicious triumph coming from his mother and he was dreading were this would go.

"Why don't you tell him the truth, Vader? I might not have been an order member myself at that time but I still followed the news. There were barely any Masters or Knights present on Coruscant when the massacre started, they were all busy with the war. You laid siege to a fortress of children. The clone armies were considered our allies, they probably opened their doors for you!"

"There were enough adult Jedi left to wipe out half my legion", Vader replied annoyed. "But... they didn't have time to evacuate the younglings. It was a surprise attack and it succeeded. The Emperor didn't care for survivors. The task to dispose of them fell to me."

Starkiller stared at his Master in disbelief. In his youth he had admired and respected this man with a reverence bordering on worship. Sidious had crushed many of these illusions but while he taught Starkiller to hate his former Master, he still cautioned him. In his mind, Vader became a king instead of a god, one that still required a lot of planning and reparation to kill. Then he discovered how Vader was dying, how he chose weakness over strength when he trained Luke. He recognized that Vader really did love Luke and in Starkiller's mind, that dropped him down from his throne and on a human level.

Now he had to learn that Vader hadn't even fought those great battles he had respected him for before. He wasn't just getting weaker. He had always been weak and now he was becoming... pathetic. He wasn't even human anymore. He was... somewhere down that line, together with Sidious.

"I see", he sneered in contempt. "Then tell me, what have you ever really reached in your life? You've hunted down a few rogue Jedi, great, I did that too! You bombarded a few worlds, everybody can push a button! Why is everyone even so afraid of you? You're nothing special! Why am I even taking advice from you?"

His mother was there at once to support him. "You don't have to, Galen. He's not... He's not worthy of you. You're better off without him."

"Damn right I am!", Starkiller agreed. He stared at Vader challenging, daring him to protest. A part of him wanted him to.

"You are powerful", Vader admitted, "and you have learned much. But there are still some things you don't know about the dark side. You are lacking control and I am the only one who can teach you how to get it."

"Control my power?", Starkiller scoffed. "Sounds like Jedi bullshit to me. Mother can do that just as well!"

Mallie got closer to Starkiller, looking determined.

"She can't teach you how to control your darkness! She doesn't understand it, she doesn't understand you!"

"Oh, but you do!?"

"Yes!"

"No you don't", Mallie cut in. "You tried to shape and form him after your own image but Galen doesn't want to be like you, not anymore! He wants to find his own path, be his own person and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"That's where you're wrong!", Vader exclaimed. "He's exactly like me, the way I was at his age. I know where it will lead him and I'm trying to prevent him from making the same mistakes!"

"What kind of mistakes?", Starkiller sneered. 

"Mistakes done when out of control! Even as we speak your emotions are running high. Did you even notice you're threatening me with a weapon?"

Starkiller blinked. He had indeed adopted an offensive stance somewhere during the argument, his lightsaber ignited in a reverse grip and pointing backwards. The dark side was rolling off him contently, spurring him on to use that weapon.

"If we both work together", his mother said, igniting the training saber she'd been given - useless in dealing damage but capable of blocking a real blade - "we can take him on." She was shaking slightly but if it was from fear or excitement he couldn't say. He knew she felt both.

"Really, Starkiller?", Vader scoffed, making no move to grab his own lightsaber. "You're conspiring against me with a Jedi? Again?"

"Shut up!", Starkiller called out. The reminder of when he'd let Kenobi escape was bringing back painful memories. He had never conspired with a Jedi! He'd been young and stupid and he'd been overwhelmed. He'd paid his price for that.

"You left me at the Emperor's mercy!"

"And you came back with the intent to kill me!"

"You're no better than Sidious!"

There, it was out. Mallie was a bit confused about the sudden silence but Vader understood perfectly that this was a huge thing to say for Starkiller. After all the young Sith had been raised to hate the Emperor and it was his one core trait Sidious had not bothered to rid him of when he turned him around. After all it was expected of the Sith to hate their Masters. Hatred made them strong.

"I am sorry you think so", Vader said at last. "I disappointed you. I made you believe I was more than I actually am. Even with all of our power, we are only human. I have no excuse for my past actions but I have learned from them. I am trying to share these experiences with you and if you do not want to end like me, you would do well to heed my advice."

For a moment Starkiller wavered and his mother stepped forward for him.

"Galen does not belong to you!", she shouted. "He's not your property, he's not your apprentice and he's most certainly not your son! You murdered his father, you destroyed his family, his childhood and brought him nothing but pain! You stole him from me, denied him his happiness and now you want us to believe you had a change of heart? Nobody's going to believe a traitor like you! Why don't you admit defeat for once and just let him go?"

"I can't!" Vader made a move to grab Starkiller's arm, which almost caused him to slash at him with the still ignited saber and bisect him. "You are not ready to face your life alone, you still need me or you'd be lost-"

"Get your filthy hands off my son!", Mallie screeched and now she was slashing at him with her saber, but since it was only low energy training weapon, it barely scratched his armor.

Starkiller snapped out of it. He pushed Mallie back when she tried to slice up his Master again and he moved between her and Vader when his Master made a movement as if he wanted to strangle her.

"Stop it, both of you!", he shouted. He was standing between the two Force users, one hand outstretched at each of them. He still felt conflicted. He'd come to some ugly realizations about his Master but as he was still connected to his mother, he also felt her love for him make room for hatred. She was no longer defending him but just living out her own revenge. He'd wanted them to have this fight, had thought they needed to get it all out of their system but he had not counted on being so affected by it himself.

Starkiller took a deep breath and turned to Mallie.

"You're my mother by blood and I know you love me. But you're losing yourself to your hatred and if you choose revenge over me, then you'll never be part of my family."

Mallie looked startled, then ashamed and at last lowered her weapon.

Starkiller turned to Vader.

"You're not my father. You may want to be, but... You're not. You have no say over me. You may give your advice but if I choose to ignore it, you have to accept that or else... Or else you too will never be part of my family."

Starkiller pulled himself together and continued. "I don't have much of a choice in the matter. I need to kill the Emperor and whether he's worthy or not, I need Vader's help for that. So we have to work together. But if you ever want to be anything more than loose allies to me, you've got to damn well prove yourself to me first because right now, you're both pissing me off!"

Mallie was the first to answer. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well first, stop seeing all Imperials or even Sith as evil! Stop isolating yourself. Get to know the crew, work yourself up and actually join. You are weak. Too weak to be of any use and if you don't want to be locked up forever for your own safety, you will have to prove that you can defend yourself." Starkiller turned to Vader. "I want you to give us a mission, a mission she will accompany me on."

"Starkiller, that's not a good idea..."

"It's the only way, she has to see and accept what I really am. And you! Stop trying to control me. Stop keeping things from me. If you have a plan to fight the Emperor, I want details! After all I'm the one risking my life for it. I told you I was here because the Emperor thinks you might lose your efficiency. Well guess what, that was a lie. The Emperor knows you're not as efficient. I bet he even knows of your condition because he sent me to kill Luke and pull you out of it!"

Vader wavered. "You... were sent to kill Luke?"

"Of course, dammit, and you know it would've worked!"

"But you didn't do it."

"I came close too often for your comfort, I'm sure", Starkiller sneered. "But no, I didn't do it and I'm not going to but it's been months and the Emperor will only wait so much longer before he demands an explanation and if he does, I would like to know there's a backup plan in place!"

"I had... suspected there was more to your mission", Vader admitted. Truly, he had been stupid to think he could hide his condition from his Master forever. If Starkiller killed Luke, that would've made sure to increase his hatred on pretty much everyone as well as destroyed any chance of alliance between the two Sith. Whether or not it would've stopped his decreasing health, nobody could know. He was just glad he had put his faith in Starkiller and his friendship with Luke. The bond between the two brothers was strong indeed.

"Very well", Vader said at last. "I will get you a mission while I work out a plan."

"Good. Now I want you two to promise you won't rip each other's throats out, at least until the Emperor is dead. And I want you to shake hands on that."

"Seriously?"

"This is my serious face, jackass", Starkiller said, glaring at Vader. When they still didn't move, regarding each other with contempt, he added: "Come on, it's not like I'm asking you to kiss and hug. Get on with it!"

Maybe he was afraid that his student might change his mind and actually ask him to kiss and hug his mother but Vader made the first step in holding his hand out to the former Jedi.

Mallie looked as if she'd rather rip his entire arm out of its socket but in the end, she did shake the offered hand. Starkiller was sure he heard bones creaking and his mother grimaced.

"Great. That wasn't so hard, was it?", Starkiller said. "I think we're done here."

"We are not done", Vader disagreed. "There is still the matter I called you here for originally."

"Fine, what's it about?"

Vader slowly turned his head in Mallie’s direction and Starkiller got the message. He rolled his eyes.

"Fine! Mother, I will see you later."

"But, Galen-"

"It's alright. If he did decide to suddenly murder me, there wouldn't be much you could do without a weapon anyway."

That did nothing to reassure the former Jedi but in the end, she did leave the room.

"Now what is this all about?"

"...I need to ask you what's your relationship to Captain Juno."

"Oh, that is so none of your business!"

It being fresh in his mind that Starkiller did not appreciate him ordering him around (at all), Vader tried to choose his words carefully.

"Getting involved with her is a bad idea for all kinds of reasons."

"Such as?"

Glad he was at least listening, Vader continued: "She is distracting you from your training. You have to work with her during missions so she gains too much information about you. Information that she won't hesitate to relay to the Emperor when you treat her badly. Also she could spread some rather unwelcome rumors about you that you are unlikely to ever get rid of. If you intend to have any part in Imperial military after the Emperor is dead, this could become a real nuisance."

"Why would she do something like that? She's on our side, remember, she's not an enemy."

"Starkiller, considering the state of mind you were in yesterday... I hardly think she wants to see you again."

"As a matter of fact, she does! Besides if I were concerned about her giving away information, I do think she'd be more likely to do it out of spite if I ditched her now."

"She... wants to be with you?"

"Don't sound so surprised. I'm popular with the ladies."

Okay, this was not awkward at all.

"Be that as it may but she is bound to find out about your true nature eventually. You would spare yourself a lot of trouble if you simply distanced yourself from her."

"No", the young Sith replied flatly.

"Starkiller..."

"Juno is great. I like her. She likes me. There's no reason why we shouldn't be happy with each other. I'm starting to think you just want to make my existence miserable."

"Starkiller, a relationship is a very serious business and quite frankly, I don't think you're ready for it. You have shown severe emotional deficiencies during the last few months. You have no control over your desires and passions and are only going to hurt those around you."

"The last time I used positive emotions to fuel my power you had no problem with it! If anger can make me stronger, why shouldn't joy? Next thing you tell me I'm not allowed to love. Which would make you an awful hypocrite."

"I'm not a Jedi and as you so clearly stated, I'm not your father. Of course you're allowed to love and I would be happy for you if you did find that kind of happiness", Vader said. "But you don't love that girl. You're using her for your own desires and I'm warning you that this is both unfair towards her and could become dangerous when people take notice and exploit that weakness."

"How would you know whether or not I love Juno?", Starkiller returned angrily. "That is for me to decide! I've chosen her, she's mine and you won't be talking me out of it!"

"There's were the problem lays, Starkiller! You are confused. As a Sith you draw your power from conflict and chaos but they need an emotional anchor, someone they're not afraid will betray them. Someone strong that they can trust. If not they will eventually fall to madness and suffer. I used to be that anchor to you when you were young but no longer.

"I know your feelings about your mother and me are conflicted. I thought your friendship with Luke could balance that out but considering you were sent to kill him, things will be more complicated with him than I assumed. You believe your... relationship with the Captain to be straight forward and easy and so you latch onto it with all you have but you've known her for barely a few months. You have no idea if she can stand the darker aspects of your soul. I was in the same position as you once. I had a brother that I relied on but that I also was conflicted over for holding me back. I had a mother that I loved but that was too weak to protect herself in a dangerous place so I constantly feared for her. I had an old mentor that I respected and owed much to but that asked impossible things of me. My only anchor during this time was my wife. I did everything for her. I would've served her the galaxy on a silver plate. But I misjudged her. She saw my darkness once and looked away and because of that I thought she accepted me. I thought she would forever stand by my side in good and in bad times. She didn't and it cost me dearly. Don't make the same mistake. Do not fall head over heels in a relationship you're not ready for with a person who knows nothing of you."

"What am I supposed to do then?", Starkiller asked. He did sound conflicted but was still stubborn. "Wait until I find my one true soulmate and never touch a woman again until marriage?"

"Well..." Truth to be told, Vader would very much prefer that. "At least try to... build up a solid friendship first. Don't reveal things about yourself until you can trust her with it."

"I'm sorry but... It's a bit too late for that."

Vader sighed deeply. Being a father was so stressful sometimes.

"At least tell me you used protection."

"What?"

"Protection, Starkiller. You know, so neither of you gets sick... or worse, pregnant."

Starkiller actually went a little red at that. "O-Of course. I'm not stupid."

"Sometimes I'm wondering", Vader muttered but it was so quietly the words didn't make it out of his helmet.

Now that the truly awkward part was over, Starkiller was finally allowed to leave. His first destination found him quite nervously knocking at Juno's door (again).

When she opened it to greet him with a smile, he was momentarily distracted by the color of her perfect lips and without much thought leaped forward to capture them with his.

"Starkiller!", she exclaimed surprised and maybe a little embarrassed. "Not in the middle of the corridor, someone could see us..."

"Don't care", he whispered, kissing her again. "The crew is handpicked by Lord Vader, who already knows." Well, that wasn't entirely true, Starkiller was pretty sure the Devastator had its fair share of spies but he wouldn't mind going through the effort of finding and eliminating them all if it meant being able to kiss Juno whenever he felt like it.

Juno relaxed in his arms but still insisted on pulling him into her room.

"I don't have much time", Starkiller admitted reluctantly. "I have to go see my mother and assure her I'm not dead. She had a fight with Vader and is afraid he might have taken it out on me. Which he didn't", he added when he saw her worried expression. "I just had to stop by and ask... about last night... Uh, you're using protection, aren't you?"

Juno went a little red at that. "O-Of course I am", she stammered.

Starkiller grinned. "Great, just making sure." He kissed her again and Juno kissed back and he decided his mother could wait just a little longer.

Starkiller left one hour later and Juno threw herself on her bed (which was still broken). With some nervousness she picked up a datapad, logged into the internal system and searched for the contact data of the ship's medical facilities closest to her. Her finger hovered over the button that would allow her to make an appointment.

She did not, in fact, use protection. She hadn't had any reason for that as long as she thought Starkiller was not going to come up to her after all. She had of course planned on getting the required meds once he did but she would've never thought it would happen so fast. She hadn't had time to prepare and with all the excitement she hadn't had a chance yet to make some last minute arrangements for 'the day after'.

Yet she hesitated. The thought that Lord Vader of all people knew she was involved with Starkiller was disturbing. When he first ordered her to him she'd had no idea what he was even talking about. It was unsettling to realize how little she really knew about Starkiller. Vader had called him 'Agent Marek'. She'd had no idea that was his last name. She had no idea what his first name was either for that matter, he'd only ever given her his code name. Come to think of it, Marek might not be his true name but a fake identity, considering he was a spy. Or was he? He worked for the Emperor, though he seemed more loyal to Lord Vader. At some point he must have spent a lot of time with him, seeing as Luke considered him a brother. He belonged to that ominous Sith order. She had no idea what that last one meant except that he could use the Force and was hunting Jedi. But apparently the Sith had their own code to live by that had little to do with politics so they had to be at least somewhat religious. A religion that apparently clashed quite badly with the Jedi.

Apart from that... she really knew nothing about Starkiller's past. Or where his future was heading.  
What she did know was that she had no desire for someone like Vader to stick his nose into her relationship, however long it may last. She'd never thought he would be so obnoxious and interfere with his employee's life like that. If she went to the med store now he would probably learn of her order, which was a really embarrassing thought. It would also make it obvious that she lied to him and if she was being honest, she was quite a bit scared of how he would take that. It could cost her her job. Or worse, her life (if she were to believe certain nasty rumors about him).

Did she really need to make that order? Getting some preemptive meds was one thing, it was common for women just to regulate their hormone level and she could get her hands on some without having to order it officially. The chance that she would pregnant from a single one-night-stand (well, now two) was rather small. Surely it was nothing to worry about?


	50. Chapter 50

Shaak Ti knew something bad was about to happen. She didn't know what it was only that it was close and personal. For hours she had meditated on the bad feeling she was having but she couldn't find the source of it. Was their cover broken? Had the Empire somehow found out that she and Maris were hiding on Felucia? It was a possibility. No physical trace led back to them but that meant little for a Master of the dark side. It was entirely possible that Vader had found them or would soon. But if so, what should they do? Leave? Who would protect the Felucians if the Empire found out they had been hiding them?

The Jedi Master had been called to a gathering, one of the largest held ever since she and her fellow Padawan landed on this planet. When she entered the fungal cave she could see hundreds of Felucians sitting on the caps that spanned the cave. They were all talking to each other in their own language. On the top fungal cap sat the head chieftain of the Felucian tribe, Akrel. He was easily twice as big as the other Felucians, with blood red fur and adorned with the bones of defeated foes. It seemed he was holding a speech.

Ti spotted her Padawan and moved towards her. She was leaning against one of the fungi with her arms crossed, scowling. Ti took a moment to admire how she'd grown since they had to go into exile. Their way had been stony and difficult but Maris had made it through it all. She had an amazing inner strength. She still harbored much fear and anger against the Empire but she fought against it every day and for Ti that proved she had a strong heart.

"Maris, what is this about?", Ti asked.

"Master", the Zabrak girl greeted her. "Things don't look so good. Do you remember that pirate ship that crash landed here two months ago?"

"Of course, you were helping the Felucians to repair it for weeks now." For some of the younger Felucians, the manual labor had been a good way to calm them down, which had helped them in their spiritual training.

"Well, it's ready to go into space again."

Shaak Ti turned her attention back to Akrel. She was fluent in Felucianese and followed the speech without problems. The longer she listened though, the more her heart sank. They had meant to teach them how to defend themselves but the tribe was growing restless. All the power it seemed had gotten to their heads. Akrel was spouting nonsense about preparing for war, of getting revenge for the disregard shown to their planet and carrying the fight to the enemy. They wanted to use the repaired ship to attack the Empire.

"This is terrible!", Ti whispered, her eyes widening in shock at what she'd done.

"Why?", Maris asked challenging. 

"Why!? Because they'll get slaughtered, that's why!"

"They're good fighters. We can help them. They trust us, we can gather more allies and direct them-"

"Maris, no!", Ti exclaimed, pained and shocked at what her Padawan was saying. "That is not the way."

"But why not?", Maris wanted to know. "We've been hiding for years, Master! When is it time to stop? When is it time to step out of the shadow and say no? When will we be ready to fight? We have to do something or soon there won't be any more Jedi!"

"The Felucians have no business in this war. It wouldn't be right to draw them into it."

"But they want to!"

"Maris, listen to me. The Felucians have always been a war like people, always balancing on the edge to the dark side. Their new powers have made them too confident. If they are to step out into the galaxy, it could push them over that edge. They're not ready for it. If they go out now, they would either be annihilated completely or damage the Empire."

"Sometimes it's worth it to take a risk-"

"You don't understand! What would happen if they did do some damage? Right now the Empire sees them as little more than animals. If they can prove them wrong, prove that they can act as intelligent beings that are powerful in the Force, what do you think will happen?"

Maris looked away. "They would enslave the entire planet and use them to hunt any rebels."

"Exactly. It would be so easy for people like Vader or the Emperor to turn them."

"But what can we do?"

"We won't do anything. Without our help, it is unlikely that they will manage to start the ship anyway." And if they did, they would not survive their first attack. They weren't experienced enough and had no allies in the galaxy. "Given time, we might be able to talk them out of it."  
Akrel began to end his speech and Ti felt quite de-motivated at how many Felucians cheered him on. The two Jedi wanted to leave silently but at the exit, the guards crossed their spears in front of them. They were told to wait for the head chieftain.

"You Jedi bring us to the stars", Akrel said with a deep voice.

The Togruta Jedi Master straightened her back. "I am sorry, Chieftain, but I cannot do that."

The Felucian raised his impressive spear at her. "You do as I say!"

"This was never part of our agreement. Please, we are in hiding-"

The chieftain gave an angry roar and the two guards moved to grab Ti's arms.

"Master!", Maris called out and rushed forward but another two guards were quick to capture her. Maris wanted to free herself but she caught her Master slightly shaking her head and held still.

"Last chance. You with or against us", the chieftain growled.

"You are making a mistake", Ti tried again. "Your warriors aren't ready yet. Give them more time-"

But the Felucian had enough. He motioned the guards and they roughly pulled the two women with them.

"Jedi against us!", the chieftain roared. "Bring them to Ancient Abyss!"

Maris gasped in shock even as the other Felucians shouted at them angrily. The Ancient Abyss - the sacrificial ground... The Felucians wanted to feed them to the sarlacc!

Maris wanted to kick out at the guard holding her and grab her lightsaber. Just as she was about to move, she felt an insistent nudge through the bond she shared with her Master. Shaak Ti didn't want her to fight. For a few moments she considered doing it anyway but in the end, she let the Felucians drag her away.

The Felucians pushed Maris and Ti into the vast opening containing the sarlacc pit. They had not bothered to remove their weapons. As soon as they were there, Ti fell to her knees and began to meditate. Maris looked out to the giant hole that was the sarlacc's maw. A few tentacles were flaring around lazily but none of them moved to attack. The sarlacc wasn't trying to eat them. It was asleep, just like it had been for years.

"They aren't going to kill us", Maris realized. "We are prisoners."

"So you are", a deep voice answered in Felucian. Maris turned around to see Rokran, the chief shaman of the Felucian tribe.

"What are you doing here?", she wanted to know.

"Prisoner. Like you", the old Felucian answered. His back was bent over his staff that he used to support himself when walking.

"You didn't agree with their plan either, did you?", Ti answered. She made sure that the sarlacc wouldn't bother them and only then stood to join the two.

"Akrel too close to forbidden ways", Rokran groaned. "Tainted."

"Not yet but he will be if we don't do something."

Maris sighed in relief. Finally!

"Then what is the plan?"

"We will remain peaceful until the tribe has calmed down", Ti decided. "Most of the Felucians trust and like us. Akrel can't have us killed without risking losing his position. Once things have calmed down we will sneak out and hide. We wait for the night and then we take the ship on our own. Without the means to fight an enemy the tribe will loose its focus and hopefully, Akrel will lose his support amongst them."

"I make sure of that", Rokran said with a nod. "You not worry. I make them see sense."

"Thank you, Rokran", Ti said and bowed lightly.

XxX

Leia Organa was in the middle of a senatorial meeting when she was stuck with a terrible headache all of sudden.

The girl gasped, held onto the railing and leaned over in her seat. Her friend Winter gazed at her worriedly and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Princess? Is everything alright?", she wanted to know.

Leia could only shake her head. She looked up a bit to the front where her father was standing in the Alderaan pod, one of a thousand faces in the Imperial senate. The pod connected to the rest of the stadium-like building and Leia was one of many spectators that stayed behind in the corridor beyond the great hall, close enough to listen to the debates but with no chance to speak out herself.  
It was the first time her father had allowed her to come with him and actually be present at a senate meeting. She'd been so proud and quite excited. One day she wanted to be a senator herself, just like her father. She wanted to make a difference, to really change something in the galaxy.

Not even a full day observing her father at work through and her illusions had been crushed. The senate was nothing but a farce. The subjects they discussed where of no importance. It was just useless bills and even those wouldn't pass until they got the Emperor's approval. 

Leia had been introduced to several other senators. She'd looked at her father incredulously when he said he was training her to succeed him in a few years. She was only sixteen! Surely Imperial senators had to be older and more experienced than her? Her father was far too young to step down anyway!

Later, he had explained it to her. Bail Organa wanted to be more involved in building a resistance against the Empire, to travel around the galaxy and rally together what allies he could find. As a senator he could not do that without arising suspicion and in the worst case his planet would be punished for his actions. That's why he encouraged her to follow her dream and become a senator herself. Even if the senate was a farce, someone had to keep it up. She could still help the resistance that way by relying information but she had to be very careful so she wasn't caught.

"We have to do something against the Empire", her brave father had said, "but I'm afraid you won't be save on Alderaan much longer. As a senator you are under a certain protection and yet little suspicion precisely because the senate has no real power."

"But how could anyone ever accept someone as young as me as a senator?", Leia had asked.

Bail had chuckled humorlessly at her. "Seeing as the senators have so little power, they are mainly used to serve as public images. If the senator is beloved by its people, no matter how experienced, it will serve to make them think their voices are being heard by the Empire. You are our beloved princess, a beautiful young woman - our people would readily rally behind you and the Empire will be eager to have you in a position where they can control you."

"But isn't that like playing directly into their hands?"

"It is important that we leave them in the belief that Alderaan won't ever fight back. We're a peaceful world, honey. We can't fight back but we can support those that can and to do that it is necessary that we do not draw any suspicion towards us."

And thus Leia had, if reluctantly, accepted her role as a spy in the senate, a pretty face that lied through her teeth and played a game that sickened her with a smile. She would much rather go with her father and she didn't like the prospect of him traveling the galaxy alone, even under the guise and protection of a diplomat's status. She wasn't a soldier and she wasn't stupid enough to think she could move anything by attacking the Empire outright. The little practice that she'd gotten with a blaster would be hard pressed to hold a candle to a regular Stormtrooper. But she wanted to make a difference and while protecting her world from suspicion as a senator was a worthy goal, she wanted to do... more.

Anyway, this was how she came to be here as an observer, watching her father at work and learning how the game was played. Then the headache hit her and when it didn't lessen after several minutes and she felt a sense of urgency rise in her, Leia excused herself and went to a nearby fresher.

She splashed some water into her face, trying to sooth the throbbing pain in her temple. She looked up - and her jaw went slack. She whirled around but there was nobody standing behind her - she was alone in the room.

Leia turned around again. He was still there. Luke's face stared at her through the mirror, right next to hers as if he was standing right behind her.

"L-Luke?", she whispered. "What are you doing here? Are you even here?"

I kept trying to reach you, his voice sounded in her head.

"You could've waited till I was asleep!", she scolded him. He knew she didn't like it when he called during the day. It always made her look like a lunatic, talking to invisible people.

I'm sorry, I couldn't. My brother got a new mission and I'm going to convince my father to let me go with him. It shouldn't be too dangerous but you know, you never know... and I had to tell you something urgently.

Leia felt her stomach churn at the words. "But you will.. You will come back, won't you?"

Sure, Luke answered, sounding far too unconcerned for her liking, but I don't know how soon I'll be able to talk to you again.

It was very hard but Leia managed to resist the urge to ask him what his mission was. She had promised herself she wouldn't use her friend like that and anyway, how was she supposed to explain where the information came from?

"What do you have to tell me so urgently?"

It's about your father, Bail Organa.

Leia felt dread rise in her. "What about him?"

Well, uh... I really don't know how to say that without upsetting you but he kind of... committed high treason.

"...What!?"

Come on Leia, don't pretend to be surprised. After everything you've told me...

She couldn't believe it. "How could you!", she whispered angrily at Luke's mirror image. "You... you ratted out my father to Darth Vader!?"

What? No! I never said a word. My brother was tipped off by... a prisoner who switched sides. He went and told my father. I didn't even know anything about it and I still wouldn't if I hadn't coincidentally been there when they talked about it.

Leia felt cold. "So they're... They're coming for him?"

Not immediately. We're talking Sith politics here, my father has his own plan that he doesn't really tell me much about and he decided not to do anything about it right away. But when he could find out about it then so can the Emperor. I just wanted to warn you to keep your head down.

"Okay... thank you Luke."

Don't mention it. And if you, you know... need to vanish... You can count on my help.

Leia bit her lips. She appreciated the offer but it would do no good. She didn't want to vanish. She didn't want to hide and have her mouth sealed shut, that was exactly what the Empire wanted. No, her voice would be heard. Her face would be seen. She would defy the tyranny or die trying! ...okay, maybe if she could avoid the die trying part, that would be great.

Luke's image faded away as did her headache. Leia returned to the senate only to see that the session was over. She gladly fell into step with her father, doing her best not to let him notice her concern. Only when they were in the relative security of their apartment did she voice it.

"Father, I wanted to ask you something. During all that time when you talked with your allies, did you ever suspect that the Empire might know what you're up to?"

Bail sighed a bit and sat down in a plush chair. "If they did they never showed a sign."

"But what if they do know? You stepping down as senator could be just what they're waiting for."

"It is as I told you before, honey. Alderaan is one of the most advanced worlds in the Core, culturally, technologically and financially well off. It is an ideal world for many. When the Empire wants to highlight its accomplishments and what good it's done to the galaxy, worlds like ours are picked out to show how good people live under its rule. It is important for the Empire's public image that Alderaan is seen as officially working with and supporting the Empire. They can't just come up too me and accuse me of treason."

"As long as you're a senator", Leia added. "It's open season when you step down."

"Well, it might be.... unless I remain under the protection of the new senator."

Leia's eyes widened as she took in her father's sly smile. Then she mirrored the expression. "Even if they accuse you after you stepped down, your treason would fall back onto me and taint that beautiful public image I could present for the Empire."

"That's right, my dear."

Oh, there was a reason why her father had survived the political game for so long. A part of Leia was hurt that she was being used like that - but she had been the first to express her wish in becoming a senator. She knew her parents would never force her into this.

"But still", she mused, "that wouldn't stop the Emperor from just sending an assassin and make it look like an accident."

"The Emperor is a very powerful man and with power comes arrogance. I don't think he believes me to be a real threat. Sadly, that's because I'm not, not yet. As a senator and even as a diplomat, I do have quite a bit of security surrounding me and there are more high profile targets to waste his more capable assassins on. I simply haven't warranted his notice. No, I don't think the Emperor would be concerned about me. He's not interested in cleansing the senate of traitors as long as they remain silent. He doesn't bother to uphold his own law unless doing so is worth the effort."

He hesitated in speaking further and Leia was immediately worried. 

"But...?"

"But, well... there is someone I'm afraid would be less likely to look away. Darth Vader can, in his own way, be a greater threat to the resistance than the Emperor himself. He is known to despise treason... quite ironic when you think about it... and he roots out even the smallest signs of rebellion and crushes all hope of resistance whether he goes. You have to promise me Leia that if you ever encounter him on Coruscant... and that's bound to happen at some point... that you do not cross his way. Keep as far away from him as possible and do whatever is necessary to evade his notice."

Those words frightened and confused Leia. On the one hand she wanted to tell her father that Vader did know and they had to leave right now. On the other hand, Luke had said that Vader wasn't going to do anything about it when her father claimed the opposite. Luke was sure to know Vader better than anyone but his opinion was biased. She would feel very uncomfortable betting her father's life on it.

XxX

"Okay, please explain it to me again because I really have no idea what you are doing here", Starkiller said as he walked up the ramp to the Rogue Shadow, Luke and Mallie trailing behind.

"I’m here to help you with your mission", Luke said cheerfully. "Obviously", he added with a playful glare.

"I hardly think we need your help", Mallie sniffed. She'd been looking forward to being on a trip, just her and her son. The fact that they'd be doing work for Darth Vader, which probably involved killing innocents, was bothering her but it was surprisingly not nearly as much as she had expected. If it was the only way her son would accept her, she would do it.

"Well then, I'm with you to get more field experience?", Luke tried again.

"Are you saying you dropped all your goals about living a normal life and have finally decided you want to be useful after all?", Starkiller challenged.

Luke hesitated. "I... Well, I would love to never touch a lightsaber again and live a peaceful life... But there's not going to be any peace in my life unless my family is safe. I have the abilities to help and I'd be a pretty shabby son and brother if I didn't use them so... yeah. I want to be of use."

"What did you do to make Vader agree to that?", Starkiller asked.

"Well for once he's more worried for you than me. I can watch your back for you."

"You mean he thinks my mother will turn on me, possibly by siding with the Jedi we're going to hunt."

"Pretty much, yeah."

"We're going to hunt a Jedi?", Mallie asked aghast.

"See?", Luke said when he saw her horrified expression. "That's why you haven't been told."

Starkiller ground his teeth. "She will do what she has to. Vader doesn't have the right to interfere and besides, I doubt that he would risk your safety like that. So what did you really say to make him agree?"

Luke looked annoyed. "Fine, if you have to know! I threatened to go live as a hermit on Tatooine and teach the locals all about the light side of the Force and raise my own pseudo-Jedi order if he didn't give me more freedom."

"Seriously?"

"It was the worst threat I could come up with."

"And that... worked?" Starkiller could barely believe it.

Luke gave him a pointed look. "Do you have any idea how much he hates Tatooine's local folk? He hates Jedi, and he hates sandpeople, imagine Jedi-sandpeople. I swear he almost had a heart attack when I told him."

Considering the poor condition of Vader's heart (and the rest of his vital organs) that was probably true.

The three cramped into the cockpit and the corridor behind it. As the ship was designed for a maximal crew of three, they had to take care not to step onto each other's toes when the ship took off and PROXY started his pre-mission briefing.

From Mallie's gasp as the droid transformed into a red skinned female Togruta with white montrals making her appear even taller, the two brothers knew she recognized the target.

"Master Shaak Ti is a true Jedi and one of the last of the Jedi Council", PROXY said in a soft, calm voice. The illusion's eyes looked at them all warmly.

"One of the last?", Mallie asked immediately.

"They never found the Ggrandmaster's corpse after his failed assassination attempt on the Emperor", Starkiller revealed absentmindedly.

"You mean... Master Yoda is still alive?"

Starkiller gave his mother an annoyed look and flipped his fingers against her forehead, making her flinch.

"Focus, will you? I don't like that look of hope on your face."

Mallie lowered her head quickly.

"Of course... I'm sorry."

PROXY continued. "Rumors have it that Ti is hiding on Felucia and building an army from the local Force sensitives but the information couldn't be confirmed yet."

"Father hasn't sent any scouts before?", Luke asked with a scowl.

"The planet's flora and fauna makes scouting missions difficult and if the party were to be discovered, Ti would surely flee. She has avoided the Empire for the last sixteen years and never took part in any fighting."

"But Master Ti is a powerful Jedi Master!", Mallie protested. "If she is alive why hasn't she rallied what's left of the order? Many would've surely followed her."

"You are the former Jedi", Starkiller said with a sneer. "You tell us."

"There's no sense in fighting the Empire", Luke answered in her stead. "She would only cause the rest of her comrades to die. But Empires come and go all the time. If she is really one of the last Jedi Masters alive, it would make more sense for her to concentrate on preserving the Jedi knowledge and teaching others. She's waiting for the right moment."

"The right moment?", Starkiller repeated.

Luke looked at him seriously. "Well, the Sith do have a history of betraying and destroying each other. If our plan in taking down the Emperor fails, that could easily result in galactic civil war. In such a chaos it might be possible for the Jedi to gain more support."

Mallie, Starkiller, PROXY and even Juno looked at Luke for his surprisingly insightful comment.

"What?", Luke said and shrugged. "That's what I would do."

"There are times, dear brother, when you're just plain disturbing", Starkiller said blandly.

"Geez, thanks."

"...you have a plan to take down the Emperor?", Juno whispered with wide eyes.

"Right... I never mentioned that, did I?", Starkiller replied. "It's more a vague intention than a real plan at the moment but yes - Lord Vader and I plan to throw the Emperor from his throne."

Juno turned back to the front window, her expression changing from disturbed to thoughtful.

"That's not... terribly surprising", she admitted.

"You can't tell anyone", Luke urged her.

"Even if she did, it's not like the Emperor doesn't already suspect", Starkiller scoffed. To Juno he said: "You don't have to worry about it right now. If the plan ever gets to a stage where more details are available, we can talk about it some more. Let's get back to the mission."

"So... We are here to kill Master Ti?", Mallie said slowly.

"Your mission is mainly reconnaissance", PROXY proclaimed. "You are to find out if the rumors are true and if so, to eliminate Master Ti. You are to leave no witnesses and dispose of her body. If she has indeed been teaching the Felucians about the Force, they could be of use to Lord Vader. A team will later return to convince the Felucians that the Jedi has turned against them in wiping out one of their tribes before fleeing the planet. This way the other tribes could be manipulated to follow Lord Vader's orders in an attempt to get revenge on the Jedi by joining their enemies."

Mallie made a disgusted face. "That's just cheap."

"If Master Ti is building an army from the Felucians, she already pulled them into a conflict they had no part in before. Turning them against her only seems fair and shall serve as a lesson for other Jedi trying to spread their false beliefs", Starkiller decided, giving a pointed glare to Luke.

"Hey, that was a hypothetical scenario!"

Starkiller shook his head and turned his attention back to PROXY. "What else can you tell me about the Felucians?"

"They are naturally Force-sensitive. Also they fight with weapons holy to them that they treat with a unique resin found on Felucia that can withstand a lightsaber. I would not suggest letting them come close."

"Great", Starkiller said, "I wanted to practice my lighting anyway."

"So, do we have a plan?", Luke asked.

"I can drop you off near a settlement of Felucians where Ti is suspected to be hiding", Juno supplied. "From there on, you're on your own."

"I'll be the frontline fighter and draw out as many Felucians as I can", Starkiller declared. "Luke, Mallie, you keep to my sides and dispatch of anyone who flees."

"You want us to cut down innocent bystanders?", Mallie asked shocked.

"I want you to dispose of cowards who wouldn't stay to defend their home. I'm not asking you to break down doors and kill civilians but the Felucians are a natural warrior race. They will send everything they've got at us and leave those incapable of fighting hiding in some hole."

"And if they don't?", Luke asked quietly.

"You heard the orders. No witnesses."

There was a tense silence and he could tell neither of them was happy with the plan. But they had asked to accompany him on this mission and they had to follow his orders.

For the rest of the journey, Luke retreated in order to meditate. Mallie went for a light spar with PROXY and Starkiller stayed in the cockpit with Juno.

"Do you often have to do things like that?", she asked quietly after some time. "Kill an entire group of people like that?"

"They have all but declared war on the Empire, Juno. They're hardly innocent."

"I know. But to murder a whole tribe and then blame it on the Jedi... Tactically, it makes sense. Morals don't have a place in war and sometimes you have to strike preemptively to prevent one. But don't you ever wonder... if it's worth it?"

Starkiller scowled at her. "No."

She hung her head a bit. "I see."

The young Sith felt the need to elaborate. "This is the way it has always been for me, Juno. I'm a soldier... a weapon. I follow orders. The moral dilemma and worry of the consequences, I leave it to my superiors. That's the only way a hierarchy like the military of the Empire can work. You can't put your own feelings over your mission."

"And what if the superior you're taking orders from has weak morals?"

"Then you take him down. That's what we're going to do with the Emperor."

"This mission wasn't given to you by the Emperor but by Lord Vader", Juno said quietly.

Starkiller scowled. "A leader has to be strong and unrelenting even if it means making sacrifices. Sometimes this means he has to be cruel in order to bring peace and order to most of the people."

"Then do you check every time you get a questionable order if this is such a case?"

"No", Starkiller admitted.

Juno nodded to herself. "You should."

He didn't have an answer to that and Juno didn't press the issue.

Sometime later the planet Felucia got into view and the three Force-users jumped down the ramp from the still hovering ship. Luke stopped to admire the huge fungal structures around them. Instead of trees, pink and blue mushrooms of all shapes reached high over their heads. The air was humid and so hot they were soaked in sweat barely a few seconds after touching the ground.

"Uh... I can't believe anybody would willingly hide out in a place like this", Luke complained. As if to help him make a point, a whole army of tiny insects came swarming at them, eager to taste their blood.

"Well, the abundance of life forms does help to hide a Jedi's presence on a planet like this", Mallie said.

"Life forms of which not all are peaceful", Starkiller growled. He'd spotted a small pack of blue-furred creatures a bit further away and drew his lightsaber. He had assembled it newly during the journey. By carefully concentrating equally on offensive yet neutral emotions like excitement, determination and pride he had strengthened his connection to the Force through his saber. The resulting blue color was an eyesore but with it he felt more energized. Against the Felucians, his Force powers were more important than his saber skills.

Starkiller rushed forward to meet the first Felucians. They came at him with animal growls, their claws reaching for his throat. Just before he reached them Starkiller jumped in the air and aimed his lighting at two Felucians, killing them instantly, before he was forced to land in their middle again. He stuck with his lightsaber but his target raised an arm that was encased in a strange semi-transparent material which formed a blade around his flesh. His lightsaber was repelled and Starkiller raised his free hand to aim a Force push at the creature. It was thrown back, right at Mallie's feet who stabbed it with her own azure blade.

The last remaining member of the pack was now in Starkiller's back and managed to slice across his shoulderblades with his crude weapon. Starkiller hissed and whirled around, striking with his lightsaber again only to have it blocked. He pushed back, somersaulted in the air to get some distance and let a stream of lighting flow at his enemy, who sunk to the ground dead.

Starkiller looked around for Luke. He had to keep an eye out for him, if he got hurt Vader would have his head...

Luke stood at junction of two paths, half a dozen dead Felucians laying in a circle around him. He waved.

"I told you to stay behind me", Starkiller growled as he jogged towards his brother.

"You were taking too long", Luke complained. "And they started it."

Mallie reached them now as well. "Galen, you're hurt", she said, lightly brushing at the blood soaking the upper part of his armor.

"No I'm not", he replied distractedly. He didn't even feel the pain and knew the shallow cut had healed already. Taking the lives of his enemies, their death rang through the dark side and strengthened him, even regenerated him. Unless he got a lethal injury, destroying just a couple of enemies would enable him to absorb their life force and heal himself. That was the true power of the dark side.

The trio continued on their way and soon reached a great cavern littered with giant fungal caps. Three Felucians noticed them and moved to attack. Mallie and Luke killed one each and Starkiller stunned the last with a bolt of lighting before grabbing his head, looking deep into the creature's yellow eyes. He dove his mind into his enemy's like a knife, ignoring thoughts of a different language and searched for memories and pictures... the picture of woman in particular...

"We have to go up there through the caves", Starkiller said when the Felucian sunk dead to the floor. "The Jedi is in a place called the Ancient Abyss."

The young Sith led the small squad further into the cave. There was a path curving around it upwards which Starkiller took, though Mallie and Luke took to jumping over the fungal caps in the middle a lot to get to those Felucians too far away. This left Starkiller to fight the bulk of them guarding the path and he soon found himself surrounded by a pack of seven blue-furred creatures. It was not an easy fight. He was used to relying on his lightsaber and though he had practiced a lot, it was harder to aim his lighting in such close quarters. It tended to just go wild. However after killing three and getting hit more often than he liked to admit, he slowly started to get the hang of it. Stun with lightning, finish off with the lightsaber to preserve energy and when he ran out of it he'd jump in the air and save himself a few moments to recover by putting distance between him and his enemies.

Luke and Mallie finished dispatching of the ranged fighters. Starkiller was fighting another pack of three when something powerful hit him in the back and threw him on the ground. Angrily he sprang to his feet and fried the remaining Felucians with Force lighting. Then he heard a laugh.

He turned around to see Mallie hacking away at what appeared to be a plant as big as a man with a huge bell-shaped blossom. Next to her, Luke was holding his stomach, laughing and pointing at Starkiller.

"Hehe, you got thrown on your butt by a plant! Should've seen your face, it was hilarious!"

The big hostile plant was indeed spitting some kind of yellow slimy projectile at his mother but she killed it quickly with her lightsaber. Now that he looked, Starkiller noticed that his back was indeed drenched in that yellow, slightly acidic mush and he quickly wiped it off.

"Stop laughing!", he admonished Luke. His face went a little red.

Luke took mercy on him but he was still grinning when they left the fungal cave.

They reached another open area but the caps of the giant fungi made sure it was a very dark place even though it was daytime. A line of five Felucians was in their way and Starkiller could feel they were all powerful in the Force - especially though the one in the back with red fur.

"They're too organized. It can't be normal for that race", Luke commented.

Juno, listening in over their comm channel, gave her advice: "They might get thrown into disarray if you kill their leader."

"Shouldn't be too hard. You take on the foot soldiers", Starkiller told his companions. 

Enhancing his speed with the Force, the young Sith rushed forward. He jumped high over the heads of the line of defenders, landing directly in front of their leader. A burst of lighting stunned him easily and one slash with his lightsaber cleanly beheaded him. 

Behind him Luke Force-pushed two warriors at the same time against a giant mushroom. Mallie was caught in a close combat duel with a third. She was driven back but maneuvered herself so she was heading in the direction of one of the spitting plants. Just as the flower came to life, she jumped up and the projectile hit the Felucian instead.

Starkiller shocked and killed another of the warriors but started to sprint further, leaving the last one for Luke to kill.

They came into another cave and their way was blocked by a tall Felucian, easily twice the size of the four normal ones surrounding him. He wore a ritual mask of some sort and yellow paint adorning his red fur.

"Oh", Luke made, "I want to have the big one. Can I?"

"Well... okay. But only this once", Starkiller allowed graciously.

Luke rushed forwards, Mallie and Starkiller trailing behind.

The Felucian chieftain turned out to be a harder opponent than any of his warriors before. His right arm ended in one of these strange resin weapons and around his left he formed a Force shield that blocked each and every of Luke's saber attacks. That and the smaller warriors doing their best to push him off balance weren't making the fight easy for Luke. Only when Mallie managed to kill two of the warriors (Starkiller chose to stay behind and enjoy the show) did he have enough room in the small corridor to fight properly. Once the chieftain was sufficiently weakened, Luke jumped back, held up both hands in front of him and pressed with the Force on all sides on the creature. It gave a loud painful roar and suddenly the pale fur began to turn dark. Luke's eyes widened and he lost his concentration, dropping the chieftain on the ground. He didn't move.

Starkiller approached, killed the last warrior still alive and examined the corpse of the chieftain.   
"You used the trick I showed you against Imperial walkers", he noted.

Luke nodded mutely. "I... what happened?"

"You crushed all his bones. Effective but potentially messy. One wrong move and the body explodes, showering you in blood. Try to be careful, alright? We only have sonic showers on the Shadow."

Luke looked sick, as did Mallie but Starkiller simply waved for them to go on.

They reached a clearing and PROXY's voice warned them over the comm:

"The scanners are picking up life forms.... Very big life forms."

"You don't say", Starkiller scoffed. In front of them, a giant bipedal monster had appeared with a huge round head, no neck and three sharp claws at each hand. It roared at them, showing off yellow fangs and they had to resist the urge to vomit at its terrible smell.

"A rancor?", Mallie groaned. "Seriously?"

"I'll attack it from the front", Starkiller said. "You two find your way to his back and weaken him with the lightsabers."

"It's so big, we will barely make a scratch", Luke protested.

"I will need a lot of lighting to take it out, more then I can use in a single instance. We need to distract and weaken it long enough slow it down."

"We could try to aim for its feet", Mallie suggested.

"Sure, if you want to get trampled."

The discussion was cut short when the rancor spotted them. Starkiller rushed forward first. He held out both hands in front of him, shooting lighting at the creature and stunning it long enough for Luke and Mallie to slip past it. Once he was out of energy, Starkiller fled back into the corridor, the rancor following behind. It was fast, faster than him. It slapped the ground with its claws, shaking the earth and Starkiller was thrown to the ground with a yelp. Dammit, where were Luke and his mother? Oh right, fighting the squad of Felucian fighters that used the rancor as cover. That was so stupid, he might have to replenish his energy by killing those! They should just concentrate on the plan.

Starkiller leaped to the side, barely avoiding being crushed under the rancor's feet. His energy was back though and he shocked it again using lighting. Then he jumped in the air and delivered a few precise blows at its head with his lightsaber. However his weapon got stuck somewhere in the skull and the monster roared in pain, shaking its head, trying to throw him off. Starkiller held onto the hilt of his weapon and swung around, landing on it's head again. He grabbed the lightsaber still stuck in the skull and used it as a conduit as he poured a massive amount of lighting down into the flesh.  
His family managed to get rid of the Felucians and joined him in the fight and together they brought the creature down until it lay dead at their feet at last.

They continued on their way though thick fungal forest and dark caves.

"Who ever said they weren’t too organized?", Luke muttered with a slightly hysterical chuckle when they found themselves faced with two more rancors carrying structures on their back with Felucians riding them.

"I take the right, you the left and mother takes out the chieftain", Starkiller decided.

"Can't we just, I dunno, run past them?", Luke asked.

"No witnesses, remember? Just treat it like another Imperial walker."

Then the fight was on. Starkiller took down the first rancor blocking the entrance. He was lucky in that it didn't have much space to spout power attacks. Then he found himself encased in a pack of Force-powered Felucians though and was unable to help his family.

As it turned out though, they didn't need him. Despite his doubts, Luke was able to take down the second rancor, only getting hit once in the process. Mallie struggled to get the upper hand against the chieftain and when the boys came to save her she sported several bruises and her right arm was broken.

"It's nothing", she tried but Luke wouldn't hear any of it.

"Let me take a look at it", he said. Concentrating on the Force he fueled its healing power into her arm. Starkiller found some fungal stems to build a small splint from it.

"Try just supporting from the distance from now on", he advised. Then he turned to Luke. "I didn't know you could heal like that."

Luke shrugged. "I don't do it often... I tried it out on father once, I had scraped his shoulder during training. I think he was insulted, he wouldn't see me for a whole week and said it did more damage than good."

Yeah... he couldn't imagine why...

"We should be close to your target", Starkiller said. "Let's move on."

They left the latest cave and the corridor opened to a large clearing. They stood on a ledge overlooking the valley. What appeared to be large stems of more fungi at first glance turned out to be lazily swinging tentacles.

"A sarlacc", Luke groaned. "Can this day get any worse?"

"You know what that thing is?", Starkiller asked.

Luke nodded. "I heard stories about it as a child... Don't ever get too close to it. The sarlacc eats everything it can get its tentacles on. And I mean everything."

Starkiller meanwhile had spotted their target. "She's there."

The small figure of Master Shaak Ti was sitting definitely too close to the sarlacc pit, though she seemed entirely relaxed.

Starkiller turned to his mother. "You stay up here. Try to cover her with blaster fire if the opportunity arises but don't hit the tentacles - or me."

"What about me?", Luke asked.

Starkiller hesitated. Luke had fought well, picking off enemies with the same ease as Starkiller himself. He could be a real help against the Jedi Master. But she was his mission and he was not about to share the glory for defeating her.

"Ti might call other Felucians for help. I want you to scout the perimeter and the caves beyond for witnesses."

"But I want to help you!", Luke protested predictably.

"A Jedi is rarely alone", Starkiller lectured. "I doubt she's been hiding here all these years without a Padawan. With some luck he's still hiding in the vicinity. You have to find him. No witnesses!"

Luke sighed deeply. "Fine."

"Then let the show begin."


	51. Chapter 51

Maris couldn't believe it. For years she and her Master had been hiding, training, preparing. And now that the Empire had found them - they were just going to run again?

When they had seen the silhouette of the ship landing just outside the clan's territory, her Master had sensed the dark presence on board at once. There was one brilliant moment of satisfaction when Maris thought this would solve all their problems. They could lead the Felucians against the assassin and they would either win, which would be a well-deserved blow against the Empire, or they would be beaten, in which case the Felucians would lose their ambition to foolishly attack a greater foe. Then Ti and Maris could save them and the Felucians would be indebted and would never dare throw them to the sarlacc again.

But her Master hadn't even given her the chance to voice her thoughts. She'd cut her off as soon as she made the slightest suggestion they should fight. Instead, Ti wanted to face the assassin alone. She had sent her and Rokran, the shaman that was imprisoned with them, into hiding.

It wasn't fair! She wanted to fight too. She wanted to stand by her Master and show those Imperials just how much she'd grown. And though she tried not to think about it, Maris was also afraid. Ti hadn't recognized the dark presence on board the ship, just that it was very powerful. What if it was Darth Vader himself? Her Master had said she was going to delay the assassin so Maris and Rokran could flee and warn the other Felucians. But what if she didn't make it? What if because Maris was not there, Ti died?

"Careful with thoughts", the tall, elderly Felucian next to her said in his own guttural language. "Thoughts full of anger and fear."

"I don't need your advice!", Maris snapped and angrily beheaded a tall flower in her way with her lightsaber that moved to spit its acid at her. She and the shaman were fighting their way through the thick shrubbery of the Felucian jungle after escaping the pit through a secret passage Rokran had known about.

She knew that her feelings were not becoming of a Jedi. She had heard that lecture a thousand times before. But it wasn't like her fear was unfounded or her anger misdirected. Still, Rokran was right. She had to calm her mind if only Master Ti would be disappointed in her if she could see her like that.

"The others will help us, won't they?", Maris asked after some time.

"They've been eager to taste blood", Rokran answered. "Akrel won't let dark one pass. Will be caught and thrown into pit."

"Good", Maris muttered. Now they just had to hurry to warn the clan leader. If the assassin was Vader, they'd hopefully remember the repeated warnings the Jedi had given and run like hell. If it was another agent he'd probably use stealth, in which case they had to hurry if they wanted to help catch him or her.

Maris and Rokran broke out of the shrubbery and into a clearing. The young Zabrak girl gasped and stepped back. The clearing was littered with corpses. A good dozen Felucian warriors were spread over it, some with obvious lightsaber wounds, some with broken bones and distorted limbs and some with charred, burned flesh. Hordes of insects had been lured to the bodies by the scent of decay and in the humid air they multiplied strongly even though not much time could've passed.  
She could feel sadness from the old shaman next to her as he stepped forward to inspect his fallen brothers.

Maris walked past him to one of the bigger mushrooms. She knocked at the trunk but there was no answer. She walked around it and searched its base until she found the small protrusion that when pressed slightly caused the entire mushroom to shudder. The soft bark gave away when she pressed against it and revealed a group of four Felucians huddled inside of the hollow trunk. There was one female, as indicated by her purple colored fur and three small younglings that looked up at her fearfully.

"It's alright, it's just me", Maris reassured the family. "Can you tell me what happened here?"  
The Felucians began to talk very quickly and though she had spent much time learning their language, the Padawan was soon lost.

Rokran approached slowly next to her and explained:

"Say their head got message of intruder. Went out with pack to hunt. Noise from outside, they were told to hide and wait. Fighting outside, couldn't see anything. They've waited for their head to go outside."

Maris sympathized with the family. Their head of house, the Felucian equivalent of the female's husband, would never return. In fact, he was probably one of the corpses outside.

The Jedi told the family to keep hiding. If the Sith had not found them by now, they probably weren't interested in searching. Rokran chose to stay and see if he could find any surviving warriors while Maris went to alert the Head Chieftain.

On the way to the assembly cave where she'd seen Akrel last, Maris found more bodies. Some of them she recognized and though she wouldn't call these creatures friends, they had still trained together for many months. The bodies kept piling up without a single drop of human blood in between until Maris was sure that when the day was over the only surviving warriors of the tribe would the packs that happened to be out hunting.

Then she reached the assembly cave. It was just two days ago that Akrel had banished Ti and her from here and yet it seemed so long ago.

The assembly cave was empty. No children were playing on the huge fungal caps, no families met to exchange the latest gossip and Akrel didn't sit on the top cap overlooking his people with pride.  
Instead the ground of the cave was littered with more bodies of their warriors.

Maris bit her lip in desperate thought. Should she head up the cave and take the shortcut back to the pit? The battle might still be going on in the rancor training cave. Or should she head back to Rokran and warn him that the clan was lost and they had to evacuate the rest of the village?

She thought back to Ti but she couldn't follow her advice, she couldn't just hide and do nothing. On the other hand... what did she really owe the Felucians? They had turned against them and tried to feed Ti and her to the sarlacc! Rokran would be fine without her. Her best bet would be to head to the broken ship and try to get it running so when Ti finished the assassin they could leave the planet together.

That decision made, Maris turned around to head back the way she came - only to almost bump into the first human male she'd seen in two years who was standing directly behind her.

"Watch your step", the young man - really just a boy - said with a smile, light sparkling in his blue eyes.

Maris was on guard immediately and drew her lightsaber, holding the blue blade in front of her defensively.

"Who are you!?", she called out. Her heart was thrumming in her ears. Was this the assassin? Impossible! He was so young. He couldn't be responsible for defeating all those Force-sensitive warriors.

"My name is Luke Skywalker", the boy replied, making no move for his own lightsaber that she could clearly see hanging from his belt. "And who might you be?"

"I..." Maris scowled. Why was he asking her that? Did he really think she would tell him anything if he just asked nicely?

"You're with the assassin, aren't you?", she said instead. There wasn't really any use trying to hide the fact that she was a Jedi. Her instinctive response of drawing her weapon had kind of ruined that.

Luke nodded. "Yes I am. And you're Master Ti's apprentice, aren't you?"

"It's called Padawan!", Maris blurted before she could stop herself.

"Right, sorry. Padawan."

"Did you kill all those Felucians?", she demanded to know.

"Some of them", he admitted.

"They were my friends!", she spat, though that was only half true.

"I am sorry for that", Luke said and his voice was strangely earnest, though she knew it to be a lie. "I had to do it."

"Why!?", she cried out. "You Sith are destroying my order, attacking Master Ti - we never did anything wrong! Why are you doing it?"

"To be with my family", Luke answered simply and drew his own lightsaber.

"Believe it or not but I don't like it either. We're just unlucky to be on different sides of a war much older than the Empire."

Maris had enough of his words. She lunged forward and slashed at him with her lightsaber but he ignited his azure blade and blocked her attack effortlessly. She fell into the fast pattern of Ataru and pushed him into the defense. His movements were sparing but well placed and his defense impenetrable. She aimed a Force push at him but he didn't even budge. All the time he was watching her every movement, his blue eyes so piercing she felt naked in front of him.

At last she was panting heavily, out of breath and exhausted while he was still fresh and she realized she'd been played the whole time. Her defense slipped and his next saber strike almost cut through her wrist. He missed, if only barely and instead her lightsaber hilt was hit and it fell from her hand while she stumbled backwards. Fear coursed through her as she realized this was her end. She didn't want to die!

The Zabrak girl pretended to stumble and ended up sprawled on the ground, her lightsaber just a bit to the side.

"Wait!", she cried, "I - I give up! I surrender!"

She hadn't expected him to stop, not really. At most she had hoped he would hesitate and maybe mock her a bit before striking her down, which could give her the chance to grab her lightsaber.  
But she'd fallen at a wrong angle and she'd have to stretch in a most suspicious way to get her weapon. She had to distract him more.

"You... surrender?"

"Yes! Yes, please... please don't kill me!"

The Imperial actually sighed.

"I have clear orders to kill you, you know. And even if I did capture you, believe me when I say dying is preferable to what they'd do to you in a holding cell."

"Well, then you'll just have to strike me down!", she challenged angrily. "As defenseless and weaponless as I am! After I surrendered too!"

"I can't kill a defenseless girl", Luke complained. "Just grab your weapon and come at me again. It's pretty cowardly of you to surrender anyway so just don't."

Maris stared at him. He wanted her to grab her weapon again? That had to be some sort of trap.

"You're a Sith, what do you care about honor?"

"I'm not actually a Sith, you know. I'm just along for the ride. Now are you going to fight me or not?"

Maris contemplated that. She sensed a weakness that she could potentially exploit but if her gamble was off then she'd have no way to defend herself. On the other hand... this boy had beaten her with minimal effort and he hadn't even used any Force powers. That was a blow to her ego but at the moment, her fear and self-preservation won out.

"No", she decided, staring up at him defiantly. "If you want to kill me, you'll have to do it like a coward and murder me while I'm defenseless. I already surrendered."

Luke glared at her. "You're making this really difficult."

"That's the point", she returned. "So? What are you going to do?"

He would try to capture her of course, that was the only way. But even if he did have some kind of shackles on him he would have to get close and let go of his weapon to apply them and she'd have her chance at escape.

Luke shut off his lightsaber and Maris prepared to run.

"Fine", he said with a scowl. "You win. Just... go away." He turned around and continued muttering to himself something that sounded like: "I'm never going to hear the end of this..."

Maris stared at his retreating back incredulously. He... let her go? Just like that? But he'd told her that he had orders to kill her! And - no. She mustn't dwell on it. This was her chance.

Maris grabbed her lightsaber and for a split second she was temped to stab the Imperial in the back. But his words still rang in her head. He'd called her a coward... And yes, she had acted cowardly when she fled the fight instead of standing by the Felucians and by her Master. During the last two years she had so often complained about not being allowed to fight and now that she got her wish she was surrendering and running away. She could not dishonor her order any more by stabbing him in the back. No, she had to find her center and calm down. The broken ship. She had to reach it so she and Ti could flee. If Ti could survive her duel with the assassin.

XxX

Starkiller threw the bloodied form of Master Shaak Ti to the ground. The Togruta didn't give a single sound of pain even as she rolled over the rough earth. One of her ribs was broken and she coughed up blood, sure that her lung must be punctured. She contemplated using the Force to heal herself but that required peace and concentration. As much as she wanted to, she could not bring herself to feel peace. The Force seemed to mourn with her as she rolled over, looking up at the dark form of the assassin.

Ti had faced dark Jedi before. She knew their arrogance, their hunger for power and superiority. This one was no different, taking such pride in having defeated her after a lengthily duel. Yet he was stronger than any foe Ti had faced before. 

As she looked into his gleaming yellow eyes, she felt the slow poison of doubt creep into her heart. Her whole life long she had trusted in the guidance of the Force. Yet the Force was so strong with this twisted man it was painful to look at. Had the Jedi not served the light faithfully for thousands of years? What had they done wrong that it now favored the Sith?

"Master Shaaki Ti", the assassin growled, his lightsaber glowing at her throat. "Once one of the greatest Jedi, now bleeding out in the dirt. See how far the Jedi have fallen."

Ti turned her head a bit. There was still some strength left in her but she pondered the sense in using it for anything other than the painful process of simply drawing breath. She could use her last energy to heal herself and ease her pain before she was killed. She could use it to give her one last burst of speed and try to escape, to be cut down quickly instead of tortured to death under more of his devious lightning. She could attempt one last attack on her enemy's life. Maybe she would succeed but to what end? The Emperor had hundreds assassins like this one.

None of those actions were the Jedi way though. Jedi were selfless and compassionate. She would not disgrace her order during her last moments. 

Ti looked up at the person standing in front of her who was facing the assassin behind her. She was a well-aged woman with black hair and wide eyes, one arm in a splint the other holding a blaster pistol faced downwards. Through the overwhelming presence of the assassin threatened to swallow all else, Ti managed to sense the woman's own Force-sensitivity. The woman looked at her with shock and repulsion and so much pain.

"I'm sorry", she whispered and Ti realized she wasn't repulsed by her but by what had been done to her.

Ti realized the woman looked vaguely familiar and she searched her memory for an answer.

"Knight Taryn?" She coughed. Her eyes became glassy and she sank back to the ground. "So yet another one of us... has fallen..."

She remembered Mallie Taryn. It had been quite a scandal when she'd left the order to give birth to her child but she'd never heard of her ever since.

The assassin grabbed both of her sensitive montrals by her neck and forced her head up, facing the former Jedi Knight.

"You final test", he growled at Taryn. "Go on."

"Please, please don't make me do it, please", Taryn begged, the blaster in her hand trembling.

"Do it", he repeated coldly.

"What would your old friends say... what would... Marek say...?", Ti whispered, more sad than accusing. Taryn looked like she was about to cry and she actually sobbed when Ti mentioned the other Jedi Knight she had been so good friends with. Yet she raised the blaster so it was lined up with her forehead.

"Why are you doing this?", Ti wanted to know. She had always wondered that. Taryn wasn't the first Jedi to betray them and give in to the dark side but she couldn't understand why. Didn't she see that they were twisted and wrong? Didn't she recognize their madness?

Taryn clearly didn't want to shoot. Ti knew that she'd be punished if she didn't but she also knew that if she did pull the trigger, her soul might be lost forever.

"Don't", she said. "It's the wrong way."

"I have to", Taryn whispered back.

"Why?", Ti asked again. Then it dawned on her. The reason Taryn had left the Jedi in the first place, the reason why the order had given up on her. Her eyes widened.

"They have your child... don't they?" She didn't know if that was reassuring or not. She supposed it was a better reason to join the Sith than just a hunger for power but on the other hand... it was so much harder to turn away from.

The assassin pulled at her montrals again, forcing her to look at him.

"You could say that", he said darkly and for the first time Ti noticed an uncanny resemblance with another Jedi Knight in his face.

Ti looked back at Mallie Taryn - no, Mallie Marek - before her eyes closed in resignation.

"I forgive you", she said quietly and braced herself for death.

The blaster in front of her trembled stronger for a moment until finally - Mallie dropped her arm again.

"I can't", she sobbed. "I... I can't do it."

The assassin's grip on her montrals tightened and Ti groaned despite herself. She was sure he didn't know about the Togruta's anatomy but her montrals were very sensitive and to be gripped like that she felt distinctly violated.

"You said you'd do anything!", the assassin spat angrily. "Does your promise mean nothing after all!?"

"Please, I can't - this isn't right, I won't stop you but please, don't make me do it!"

"You want me to torture her then? To fry her body until she screams so you can feel merciful ending her life? Is that what you want?"

He dropped her but kept his hand hovering over her body and she saw the sparks light up between his fingers.

"Stop it", she wheezed, coughing up another mouthful of blood. "It is never to late... to come back to the light..."

The assassin laughed humorlessly. "There is no turning back for one who's never known anything but darkness."

"I'm not talking... to you..."

The assassin gave her a scowl but Ti kept her gaze on the lost Jedi Knight. She knew the dark one was beyond all hope. She sensed such hatred and twisted desire in him, it was truly repulsive. Mallie though... There still conflict, still pain. The dark side had begun to lick at her aura as well but she had not been swallowed by it. Yet.

"Galen, please", Mallie tried again. "I... I knew her. She's a good person. And it... it doesn't matter if she lives, does it? She's been hiding... not bothering anyone..."

Ti felt her weakening heart warm at her words but she knew it to be pointless. There was no reasoning with this monster, there was-

"Alright."

Ti's thought's stumbled and she looked up at the assassin that wore a foreign soft and entirely fake expression.

"I realize now it was too soon to bring you here. You're not ready yet. That's alright. You did what you could but you're no use to me broken."

Disregarding her fallen form, the assassin stepped to his mother and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder which only made the woman tremble more. She was afraid of him, Ti realized. She was afraid of her own son.

"It's alright", the assassin repeated and Ti felt a tiny tremor in the Force just before he whirled around and thrust his lightsaber at her.

But he'd ignored her for just a moment too long. Ti had gathered enough strength to roll out of the way, closer to the pit. The sarlacc that had been woken up during their duel was still flaring its tentacles wildly. One of them smashed down at where she'd laid before, forcing the assassin to jump back.

"Where do you think you're going?", the dark one called for her mockingly as she ducked under another tentacle and got closer to the pit. The assassin pursued her and Ti knew he was too fast for her in her injured state. She grabbed onto anther tentacle as it came swishing by and was hurled into the air by it. She felt another tremor in the Force and thought she didn't know what it was about, she decided to trust the Force. One last time she would allow herself to hope.

The assassin began to slice at one of the tentacles surrounding the giant maw of the sarlacc, causing it to thrash around more wildly, which made it hard for Ti to hold onto it. There was the tremor again. Ti looked up and she actually felt her jaw drop when she spotted a rusty, badly damaged freighter fly over the fungal forest. She recognized the ship that had crashed on the planet a few weeks ago.

Ti lost her grip on the tentacle but at the last moment she pushed away from it, using the Force to angle her wild flight through the air and just barely, barely managed to grip the edge of the freighter's open ramp as it swished by.

With one tremendous last act of strength the Jedi Master pulled herself up and sat at the edge of the ramp as it flew over the sarlacc pit, dodging the wild tentacles. She sensed the exploding fury of the assassin as he saw her escape, the fear of the fallen Jedi woman - and she sensed the overwhelming relief of one incredibly brave and stupid Padawan somewhere behind her in the cockpit of the ship. She'd told Maris to go and hide and she'd drawn out her duel against the assassin for as long as possible so she could get away. Yet of course she should've known she'd come back instead. Maris had never been too good at understanding when to let go. For once though, Ti felt glad that she didn't.

XxX

"Master", the young man said with his head bowed, kneeling on one knee. The imposing figure of Darth Vader stood in front of him with his arms crossed.

"What happened to Master Ti?"

"I am truly sorry, Master. She escaped with her Padawan."

"What!? How could you lose to her?"

"I defeated her without much trouble... But they had a ship in hiding. We believe she was rescued by her Padawan."

"And where were you while she fled?"

"I was... distracted. My... My mother was unable to pass the test I had set for her."

There was a short silence.

"You have put too much faith in her", Vader said at last.

"I realize that. She will need more time."

"You still insist on turning her after such a disaster?"

"The decision would've broken her and enabled me to shape her mind... but I deemed the price too large.”

"You want her to keep loving you."

"I want there to be something left capable of such thing, even when I destroy everything else worthless about her. Only then can she be used as a proper pawn."

"There is no need to excuse your true feelings in front of me, Starkiller."

"She is a liability, a weakness. I plan to turn her into a strength."

"She won't be yours for long unless you give her power over yourself. Maybe it was a mistake to take her in."

Starkiller raised his head and glared at the Sith Lord defiantly. "I will be the one who decides when she is to be disposed of!"

"I will not go behind your back on this", Vader promised, "but your obsession with her has reached dangerous levels. She cost you the mission."

"Luke cost me the mission because he let that damn Padawan escape", Starkiller growled.

"You were the leader of your party. It is not enough to know your companions, you have to understand them and be able to predict their actions. But enough of that. Return the fleet and we can talk more."

The blue hologram flickered out and both Vader and his student vanished from view.

Sheev Palpatine, otherwise known as Darth Sidious, dark Lord of the Sith and sovereign ruler of the Galactic Empire, leaned back in his throne thoughtfully. The recorded dialogue had reached him half an hour ago, sent to him immediately by one of his spies in Vader's fleet slicing into his supposed secure lines of communication.

Nothing was secure before the might of the Emperor.

It was time. Vader and Galen were once again in league with each other, just as Sidious had predicted. Galen was growing attached to both Vader and his son, which was also expected. That his supposedly dead mother showed up and gained his affection on top of that was a surprise, though a pleasant one. It would all work in Sidious' favor in the end.

The Emperor pressed a button and the holo recording flickered to life again, though he stopped it after just a second in order to freeze the picture of his two most promising students.

Who would be the stronger one of them by now? Darth Vader's power was overwhelming, even after having been maimed so badly. But he had weakened so much while Starkiller was still growing stronger by the day. The boy was still so young, still lacked a deeper understanding of the Force and the patience and foresight required for a Sith Lord. Training him to an acceptable level would take years, years that he might not be willing to wait. During the last few months before sending him off to Vader, Sidious had taken care to appear weaker than he actually was, coaxing Starkiller into misjudging his strength. If he didn't learn his lesson, there was a chance he would attack Sidious and get himself killed before long. His arrogance made him forget about covering his weakness and if the holo was anything to go by, Sidious now had more than one weakness to choose from.

But if Starkiller ended up besting Vader, would that not prove Vader's worthlessness? Much of his power laid in his image, in his fearsome reputation. One failure and all that would be gone. Sidious needed someone seemingly infallible as his right hand and public image. Vader was a much better candidate for this position simply because of his age, experience and appearance but only if he had the power to back it up.

So who really was the more worthy apprentice? Both were imperfect. Starkiller had yet to pass his trial of fire and Vader needed to be coaxed back to fully embrace the dark side that he had so foolishly disregarded ever since finding his son.   
Starkiller might still decide to go ahead and murder him before he was strong enough, resulting in his death. Vader might not regain his physical prowess even after being reclaimed by the dark side, making him worthless (and probably end in his death in some battle or another soon). Both would require a certain amount of effort to shape into what Sidious wanted them to be and in both cases success was not guaranteed. 

For a long time Sidious had pondered how to test each case separately so he might still have one apprentice if the other failed. But the key to both of them was one Luke Skywalker and thus their tests had to intertwine.

Now though, Sidious was presented with a new opportunity. Mallie Marek... A mother, a bond of blood. From the reports his spies had brought him, they hadn't started out too well but Sidious' patience seemed to have paid off. She would make a suitable replacement.


	52. Chapter 52

"My Master", Vader said in a deep voice, bowing to the Emperor. "What is thy bidding?"

"Lord Vader", Darth Sidious greeted with a barely hidden sneer. "I have to say I am disappointed in the security measures of your fleet."

"Master?", the apprentice asked for clarification.

"You remember the agent I sent to flush out any traitors that might be hiding in your ranks. Well, there is indeed one and I wonder how you could've missed it."

The Emperor motioned with his hand and the large doors behind him opened. A troop of red clad royal guards stepped in, dragging a barely conscious woman with them.

"For almost two decades you have been hunting Jedi and yet this one was hiding right under your nose. What do you have to say to that?"

Vader looked down at the Jedi. She had blood running from her temple and her arm was in a splint but she still glared up at him defiantly.

"She is not a traitor", Vader tried to defend himself. "She is being converted to our ways, Master. She can become a powerful tool."

"Powerful? Hardly. She was a mediocre Knight and she would be mediocre as a pawn at best. Her life is of no consequence." The Emperor studied him from under his dark hood, a calculating glint in his eyes. "Kill her."

Vader tensed. So did the Jedi before she started to struggle against her guards.

She shouldn't even be here. She should be with Luke and Starkiller. Vader reached out through the bonds he shared with the boys and found them deep in a fight with more of the Emperor's guards. Their weapons were non-lethal and set to stun but the point wasn't really to incapacitate them, just to buy time.

Vader's hand curled around his lightsaber. He knew Starkiller would never forgive him if he killed his mother. She might have defied him but she was still important to him and he'd promised not to go behind his back. He'd promised not to betray him a second time.

"I will not kill her", he stated. "She has her uses."

Sidious' face twisted into an ugly grimace. "You dare to defy me? Where does this compassion come from? It makes you weak and blind. You are so very disappointing."

Sidious moved quicker than one would expect from such a frail old man. With one smooth movement he drew a red glowing lightsaber and thrust it right into Mallie Marek's chest. The woman let out a strangled cry as the plasma blade pierced her before she sunk over, her body convulsed by a spasm occasionally as it struggled to contain her life.

Vader stood by, closing his eyes in pain, knowing there was nothing he could do.

It was in that moment that the doors to the bridge flew open and Luke and Starkiller stormed in side by side. Starkiller gasped as he saw his mother's body and ignoring Luke's cry to wait he rushed forward at the Emperor. Sidious used the Force to swat him aside like a fly and Starkiller met the opposing wall with such force he left a dent in it.

Vader cursed and drew his own lightsaber just in time to jump in between his apprentice and his Master and to catch the purple Sith lightning the Emperor sent at him.

In a matter of seconds a battle broke out. Luke had to fight off a squad of five royal guards at once while Vader and Starkiller battled the Emperor with dwindling success. Even their combined strength was not enough to break through Sidious' Force shield and they had no way to withstand his power when he lifted them into the air and let lightning course through their bodies. Luke managed to slay the guards and joined the fray. Faced with a third opponent things were getting tighter for the Emperor but before long he called for reinforcements and the bridge was stormed by another twenty troopers and royal guards.

Vader had been hit one time too many with the vicious lightning and crumbled to the floor. His mechanical suit struggled to keep him from dying even as more and more circuits fried under the heavy electrical charge. At last it was too much for Vader's battered body.

The echo of their father's death sent Luke and Starkiller into despair. Luke retreated into himself, discarding all offense in favor of warding off the flood of enemies but Starkiller exploded in rage. He unleashed wave upon wave of his own lightning at the Emperor. He discarded his defense and was hit with a dozen blaster bolts but whatever injury he had was ignored when a stray lightning bolt or two hit entire groups of enemies and killed them. Their deaths gave him the strength to ignore his wounds and even heal smaller ones as he absorbed their life force but he was still hit badly and once his Force Rage reached its limit, all of the pain came crushing down on him.

Starkiller knelt gasping on the ground, his hatred burning strong but without the strength to channel it anymore. Luke had managed to dispatch of the majority of the troopers left and was kneeling next to his father, tears running down his cheeks as he tried to heal him with the Force but it was too late.

It was not, however, too late for Mallie Marek. In the silence that fell over the battlefield Starkiller heard the quiet gasp of her death struggle. The Emperor closed in on Starkiller, following his gaze to the injured woman. The lightsaber had not pierced her heart but if she didn't receive medical attention immediately, she would die.

"Foolish boy", Darth Sidious sneered at his defeated student. "You thought you could take up all of the Empire on your own? You are powerless before my might. But your pain can be used to make you stronger." He pointed one gnarled finger at where his mother was dying. "Do you wish to save her?"

Starkiller didn't dare to answer.

"I will allow her to live. Now that Vader is dead, there is a place at my side for you. Finally you can take on the position that was always meant for you. Swear your loyalty to me and you can have your mother."

Starkiller sent one desperate glance at Luke. He might be able to save his mother, he might be able to heal her so he wouldn't have to do this…

Luke understood and struggled to his feet, exhausted though he was but he was soon assaulted by another six guards and the doors opened to send another wave of twenty onto the bridge that stood at the ready. The Emperor had come with his own personal fleet, bringing a small army with him.

Luke was knocked to the ground and all hope left Starkiller as he pulled himself up to one knee.

"I swear to follow you, my Master, to obey your every wish and carry out your orders", he said quietly, his hatred overshadowed by his burning desire to keep that one person whose love he was sure of at his side.

"Good", Sidious said with a twisted grin, "very good. Now receive my order." He pointed at the blue eyed boy still being held in check by the guards. "Kill him."

Luke's face fell as he saw his brother's pained expression, saw him slowly rising to his feet.

"Brother… no! We have to find another way!"

"We tried that", Starkiller muttered. "Vader's plan failed. Always waiting, always holding back… Like a Jedi. No more."

The apprentice' lightsaber flared to life in his hand and Luke stepped back, a look of betrayal on his face. He found his resolve just in time to block Starkiller's first attack but Sidious wasn't going to make this a fair fight. He commanded his guards to aid his new apprentice, knowing how exhausted he was and not willing to take any chances. Under the overwhelming number of enemies and faced with his own restrains of striking down his brother, Luke fell to their assault at last. Starkiller felt a part of himself break forever as he thrust his blade into Luke's heart, severing his bond with him and killing the last hope of light the galaxy and he himself had had.

XxX

Darth Vader raised his helmeted head and opened his eyes to the white of his hyperbaric chamber.

The Sith Lord had been mediating for two hours but still he could not find a way to counteract what the Force had shown him.

His apprentice was still young, not even 19 years old but he had shown incredible potential. He was making mistakes though. The boy was growing too powerful too fast. It was getting to his head. His latest mission, though he'd had the advantage of power and numbers, had been a failure, proving to Vader that he was not ready. Yet Starkiller didn't see it that way and preferred to put the blame on others.

One hour ago the Emperor had informed him that he wished to come and see what progress Starkiller had made in his 'mission' to find the supposed assassin out for Vader's life. Of course Vader had been suspicious immediately. The Emperor had been the one to send Starkiller to kill him on Coruscant, of that he had no doubt and he knew that Sidious knew that he knew. There was absolutely no reason for such games and certainly not for the Emperor to pay a visit to him personally for it. Much less with a small fleet in tow.

His meditation provided him with an answer to the riddle. His Master deemed the time ready for Starkiller's final test to see if he was powerful enough to replace Vader as the apprentice.

When it came down to it, Vader knew he could only defeat his Master with the help of an apprentice. His life support suit, painfully vulnerable to Sith lighting, would allow for nothing else. But his vision clearly showed him that it would not be enough. If he challenged him today, the consequences would be terrible. It wasn't just the Emperor himself but the small army or trained royal guards he brought with him.

But why now? Where did Sidious' sudden desire to end their game come from?

He had meditated over that too and found the answer; the trial of fire. Every great Sith thorough history, whenever he was a Jedi turned dark or had been trained as a Sith from the beginning had one moment in his or her life that decided everything. For Sidious it had been his triumph over the Old Republic and for Vader it had been the slaughter in the Jedi temple and his fight with Kenobi. It was the moment of their greatest strength and their greatest weakness. It was the one point in their life where things could go either way. That one point where they left their mark on history, where they chose one final time between light and darkness. Starkiller had been trained as a Sith from the beginning and he was undoubtedly loyal but fact was that he knew nothing else. There was no telling if he wouldn't abandon the dark way someday in the future. He had to be confronted with everything he would forsake if he took on a Sith name on his own.

Starkiller was not ready yet to take Vader's place as the Sith apprentice to either Master. He was powerful enough but he lacked that last proof of dedication. Sidious was not here to force Vader to chose between his Master and his apprentice, he was here to help him finish his training. He hadn't sent Starkiller to him so his hatred for Vader would fester. It had never been about Vader. It had always been about Luke. Luke was that last spark of light Starkiller had continued to carry in him thorough the years. The Emperor had allowed Starkiller to stay for so long so he could rebuild that bond with Luke. Maybe he had even heard of the Jedi they had picked up and waited until Starkiller held the acceptance of his mother. He had to experience the love of others in order to understand and accept what it meant to cast it away.

Darth Vader squeezed his eyes shut and fought down the burning pain in his chest. His concentration slipped and he lost his connections to the Force and the veils of time he tried to unravel.

He could not… He would not accept this! He still had some time left before the Emperor arrived. He had to meditate further, try and find a way around the future shown to him. If he could not defeat the Emperor even with the help of both of his sons… It was not time yet. He would have to play the game a little longer.

Darth Vader gathered his resolve and made his decision. He knew what he had to change in order to avoid this fate. It would be hard but it was was better than the horrifying prospect of his sons fighting each other.

Vader closed his eyes again and concentrated on the Force, trying to find out what changes his new decision would bring...

Vader's hand curled around his lightsaber. He knew Starkiller would never forgive him if he killed his mother. She might have defied him but she was still important to him and he'd promised not to go behind his back. He'd promised not to betray him a second time.

The Sith Lord's lightsaber flashed through the air as he cut through the woman's throat. Not deep enough to sever her head completely, wanting to leave her at least some of her dignity but deep enough to leave no doubt about her demise as her body crumbled to the ground.

Darth Sidious cackled loudly as he witnessed his slave obey him once more.

Then the doors flew open and Starkiller and Luke rushed in. Starkiller spotted the body of his mother and Vader with his lightsaber still out and he gave a cry of rage. The young Sith rushed forward and without thought attacked his mentor and father figure.

Luke shouted for him to stop but in that moment the royal guards decided to intervene and hold him off.

A fierce duel broke out between Vader and Starkiller. The Sith Lord tried to reach him through their bond, tried to make him see that he'd had no other choice – but Starkiller was blindsided by hatred and did not listen. He hated the Emperor for being the evil monster he was but Vader – he'd trusted Vader, had fallen for him twice and been betrayed for it in return. When before his hatred for the Emperor had overshadowed that for Vader, now it was the other way around.

Vader himself was handicapped in that he had no true wish to kill the young man he saw as his son and a part of him that suffered from guilt thought that maybe he even deserved it. However he could not allow himself to die if only because then there would be nobody to protect Luke. It ripped him apart to have to decide between his two boys like that and Starkiller only grew stronger as he sensed his pain, drinking it in and fueling his own strength.

At last Vader fell under the relentless assault of Starkiller's lightning attacks and Luke sent a mental cry of anguish through the Force as he saw his brother slay his father.

Sidious cackled even louder seeing the epic display of betrayal and hatred.

"Yes, yes! Let your hatred flow through you! Destroy him, rid yourself of your chains!"

At last when Vader lay dead, Sidious stepped next to his young apprentice. "You have done well, my child. You have avenged your mother and proven your strength. Feel your hatred…. Let it fill you. Vader has searched to destroy everything your hold dear for so long. Now it is time to repay him in kind. You have to destroy… his legacy."

Starkiller's eyes flickered to Luke and the boy flinched back when he saw they were not glowing yellow but blood red.

"Brother, no… You don't want to do that! He's manipulating you. You… You don't really hate us that much", he tried desperately.

"Yes", Starkiller growled, "I do."

The royal guards moved to restrain Luke but Starkiller made a sharp gesture with his hand.

"No, leave him to me. I should've done this ages ago."

Sidious contemplated his wish before nodding to his guards who gave the two brothers a wide berth as they faced each other.

Luke gulped, still feeling the pain from his father's death and exhaustion from the previous fighting. It pained him to have to point his weapon at his brother but there was a part of him… a small part who rose in anger as well. His love for his father ran deep and Starkiller – he had killed him, betrayed him and now he was trying to kill Luke. It was the Force Rage, he tried to tell himself but a part of him knew that to be false. This dark sense of jealousy and hatred had always slept in his brother. Maybe Luke had been wrong the whole time. Maybe his brother was beyond all hope. Evil, twisted, wrong… maybe killing him was the only right thing to do.

Seconds later a fierce duel broke out between the two brothers. They used everything they had, all their proficiency in lightsaber combat, all their Force power and concentration. Luke caught the blue lightning on his lightsaber and Starkiller broke free of Luke's mental hold when the boy tried to crush his body. They were evenly matched and the Emperor watched with a foreign sense of amazement as the two boys threw enough power around to level a small town. He'd severely underestimated the Skywalker boy it seemed.

The outcome was, at least for the Emperor, totally unexpected. Blinded by rage and loss, Starkiller made a multitude of mistakes and with his own anger about his father's death, Luke soon lost what sense of honor held him from exploiting those weaknesses. At last Starkiller was thrown to the ground, a crack indicating his broken bones and Luke was on him faster than the human eye could follow. He stabbed his lightsaber through Starkiller's shoulder, close enough to his middle that if he jostled the weapon just a bit, it would pierce his heart.

"It's over, brother", Luke said, holding back his tears.

Starkiller stared at him through red eyes, not feeling the pain of the wound.

"It is… not… over!", he growled out hatefully. Luke's eyes went wide as Starkiller reached up with one hand. He managed to grab his throat and tried to strangle him. In an attempt to crush his brother's windpipe under his bare fingers, Starkiller struggled to lean forward, impaling himself further on the lightsaber.

"S.K…. no!", Luke gasped out, clawing at the fingers around his throat but Starkiller poured all of his remaining strength in it and didn't let go.

With a sob Luke blindly felt for the hilt of his weapon and pushed it to the side, causing the blade to cut through his brother's heart. Even so Starkiller continued to try and strangle Luke for a total of five seconds before his body shut down and his hands fell at his side limply as the life left his eyes.

Exhausted physically and emotionally Luke made no attempt to fight as the royal guards pulled him off the dead body.

He was thrown into a detention cell, his wounds only treated slightly. Three weeks of isolation and darkness passed and Luke grew apathetic. His family was dead. His brother killed his father and he in turn killed his brother. How could he ever recover from such a horror? He couldn't even bring himself to focus any hatred on the Emperor for it was the dark side itself that had swallowed his family.

He'd expected to be executed for his deeds but unexpectedly, he wasn't. Instead the Emperor ordered him to be brought to Coruscant where he joined an academy. It wasn't a normal academy of course but one for dark Jedi where the renegades trained to master the dark side. He was brought there as an acolyte and struggled with their hierarchy. There his hatred and anger was encouraged and he learned to use the despised dark side as a tool, seeing it as a twisted kind of revenge to enslave and master the dark side that had destroyed his life before. He severed all links to his old life… especially that small light one leading to the distance, afraid that he would taint it with his own hatred. Within two years he slaughtered himself to the top of the academy and before long, the Emperor introduced the young man as his new right hand. Luke had no respect for the Emperor, in truth he really didn't care about him but he wanted to be a Master of the dark side and he carried out his orders in exchange for the ancient knowledge he had to offer. From there on his life would forever be shrouded in darkness.

XxX

Darth Vader actually wept as the vision played in front of his eyes and he was forced to see the consequences of his actions. His own death seemed to be inevitable but he cared little about that, if only his sons would survive. It seemed through that whatever he did, one of them would die and the other be chained to the Emperor. Was there truly no way around it? No way to prevent his children from becoming slaves of the Emperor?

"My Master", Vader said in a deep voice, bowing to the Emperor. "What is thy bidding?"

"Lord Vader", Darth Sidious greeted darkly. "I am afraid I have grave news for you."

"What is it?", he asked impatiently.

"Your son… is dead."

"…what?"

No, no, no! That couldn't be! Vader felt for the bond he shared with Luke and felt cold dread settle in his stomach when he found it severed and flayed with no other end to hold onto.

"What… what happened?"

"I warned you that you had a security leak. There was a Jedi spy hiding in your midst. Apparently she was with him on a ship and they were recovering from a mission. She manipulated the hyperdrive into leaking poisonous substances and gassed the whole ship, killing everyone on board."

Vader blanched. Knowing his sons wouldn't be able to prevent Mallie Marek getting captured, he had resolved to at least prevent Starkiller from witnessing whatever happened to her. That's why he'd commanded PROXY to incapacitate his apprentice using whatever means necessary as long as he didn't kill him.

The Force showed him the truth of it: PROXY had sedated Starkiller under the pretense of treating his injuries and Mallie had wrongly assumed he'd killed him. In a rage and confused as she was after what happened on Felucia, she thought Vader had ordered to kill her son for failing the mission and had wished to cause him the same pain by killing Luke. Knowing she couldn't stand up to him in a fight though she had gasses the ship before Luke even found out what happened to Starkiller, killing herself, her comatose son and Luke. They'd been dead before the Emperor even reached the fleet. Vader, who always forced himself to close the mental bond he shared with his son in the Emperor's presence so as to hide the depth of their relationship, had not noticed before now.

Guilt and grief came crushing down at Vader as he realized that in an attempt to protect his children, he had killed them. Their blood was on his hands and all those years where he battled the light in him… They were for nothing.

The Emperor laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, he told him how sad it was and what a great waste of potential. But they had to concentrate on the threat of the Jedi and take up the war with them with new vigor.

Vader didn't hear him. The weight on his shoulders was so huge and his anguish so great.

"It's the Jedi's fault", Sidious whispered. "They're hypocrites, all of them. The one thing that brought you light and joy…ripped away in an act of pure malice. But you can make them pay."

And pay they would.

Vader felt the dark side swirl around him stronger than he'd felt it in years. He remembered his beautiful son's face and imagined how it would be twisted in pain as his lungs struggled with the poisonous air. He knew it was not truly the Jedi's fault but his own. His hatred was mostly faced inwards but he felt so energized by it, so powerful that it would not allow him to act self-destructive. He wanted to kill… someone. Make someone pay for his son's demise.

"Good… your strength is coming back to you", Sidious whispered and for a moment Vader contemplated striking out against him but that would be petty. Sidious truly had nothing to do with his loss. He never had, not when he lost his wife and not when he lost his children. It was all the Jedi's fault.

"If you… will excuse me, Master", Vader growled.

"Of course, my apprentice. Gather your strength. Prepare for battle. Soon we will wipe out the last of the Jedi, I promise you."

The Emperor left and a few hours later Vader took a ship back to Felucia, searching for remains of the Jedi his apprentice and son had been hunting. He managed to find an old Felucian shaman who under severe torture revealed all he knew about the Jedi and their most likely destinations. Vader started to hunt them down, coming upon more Jedi as he went. He killed Shaak Ti and her Padawan. Then he went to wipe out Alderaan's royal family, father, mother and child, remembering how his apprentice had told him that the Organas were hiding more Jedi. He ripped part their minds. The father was particularly resilient and died before revealing anything. Vader had more luck with the daughter and while it surprised him that she had apparently held a bond with his son, he was beyond caring at this point and simply tortured her until she revealed the locations of one old Clone Wars general as well as Vader's old Jedi Master.

Vader set out to kill them too and when he was done with that the dark side had a firm grasp of him again. His body, which had been weakening for years, felt strong and young again. He instructed a team of researchers to develop a new alloying for his armor that would protect him from lightning. It took years for them to finish and implement it but once they were done Vader took his personal fleet and laid siege to Coruscant. He burned down the whole planet and when Sidious tried to flee with a shuttle he caught it and challenged him to a duel as according to the old Sith traditions. It was a close victory but without any soldiers to back him up, Vader was more than a match for the old Sith who was by now weakening as well.

After slaying his Master, Vader declared himself Emperor and his rule was accepted without challenge. Thus he led the galaxy into a new age of darkness.

XxX

Vader opened his eyes again. His soul burned from the echo of pain, self-hatred and hunger for power that accompanied his latest vision. It took a moment for him to gather himself, to remember where he was. He understood now what his old Master had planned.

The upcoming confrontation was meant as a test for Starkiller: to see his mother die, to be forced to chose between one bond and the other. Yet it was a test for Vader as well. He couldn't kill the Emperor as he was now, yet Sidious demanded he chose. If he acted like a true Sith, sacrificing his children for his own power, he could he reclaim mastery over the dark side and become the Sith Lord his Master wanted him to be.

Having gotten a glimpse of what such a decision would bring him, Vader had no desire to venture into this future. As much pain as his son had brought him, the last couple of years had been the happiest ever since he lost his wife and he would not give that up, not even for the throne of the galaxy. He might have preferred to have both but if he had to chose, he would chose his family.

What they really needed was more time. Time for Starkiller to abandon mindless rage, time for Vader to find a more permanent cure to his condition or at least a way to protect himself from lightning and time for Luke to build bonds outside of the Sith ranks so when everything came crashing down they wouldn't pull him down with them. Yet time was something they did not have. The Emperor's fleet had excited hyperspace and the Rogue Shadow would follow soon after. The Emperor would demand to see the crew... Except if the crew was not there.

Vader motioned for the droids surrounding his hyperbaric chamber to reattach his helmet and mask. Then he stood and walked to a holo receiver, selecting the frequency that would connect him to PROXY. All he had to do was give a warning to the ship, tell them not to come here.

Just as Vader's hand touched the holopad though, his senses began to blur as the Force showed him another vision.

Darth Vader's holoimage flickered to life around the assassin droid and captured the attention of his sons at once.

"Father?", Luke asked confused. They had spoken to him through PROXY just a few hours ago after leaving Felucia.

"There is no time, you have to listen closely", Vader said. "The Emperor is with Death Squadron. He seeks a confrontation, one we are not ready for. You must leave hyperspace immediately and change your course. Leave Imperial space and don't return until I call for you."

"What are you talking about?", Starkiller demanded to know. "This is the opportunity we've been waiting for. The Emperor is away from Coruscant and cut off from his troops."

"He has brought his own fleet and a small army with it. This is not the time."

"But we can fight! If he has a fleet, destroy his ships. If he has an army, slaughter them. I'm sick of waiting!"

"And what if he survives?", Vader snapped. "Even if I led my troops against his, if the Emperor survives - and rest assured he wouldn't have come here without taking precautions that he does - then this would be our death sentence or worse, it would spark a civil war and split the Empire. No, you have to go and await my word."

"Alright father. If you think that's best", Luke said slowly. Then he looked at Starkiller who was standing there with his hands clenched, looking as if he was about to explode.

"Starkiller...", Vader said warningly.

The Sith apprentice took a deep breath and gave a stiff nod.

The vision became more blurry after that. Vader saw a planet circling two suns - Tatooine? - and blood started to creep in from the edges. There was a war fought below and Starkiller was in the middle of it. Driven by hatred and frustration for being denied his final battle, he failed to keep hidden and instead ignited the spark of war.

From Tatooine, it spread further. In the vision Vader could only see shadows but they grew to encompass more and more systems until it spilled over the Outer Rim and into Imperial space.

A holoimage of his apprentice appeared in front of him, older but battle hardened.

"What have you done?", Vader asked, the words coming out of his mouth without his will. "The entire galaxy is burning. You are ripping apart the Empire we are trying to protect!"

"You said it yourself, Master", the apprentice hissed, his yellow eyes glowing maliciously. "If we want to lure out the Emperor, we need a... distraction."

"This isn't a distraction, it's a civil war! What use will killing the Emperor have when there's nobody left to rule over?"

"You think I care about the Empire? All the worlds I'm burning down, they're just a means to an end. These people are meaningless. The true war is fought between Jedi and Sith."

"There are no Jedi anymore."

"You'd be surprised how many survived your purge. Of course, today you are right. They all came to me, they thought me the one they'd been waiting for, the one to restore the Republic. It was so easy to kill them, one after another without anybody ever knowing. Everyone that's left is blind to the Force. To them I am the last Jedi and for that alone they will follow me.

I am sick of you always saying we have to wait. Sidious will die through my hand and when I'm done with him... then I will come for you."

"You want to kill me?", Vader spat out angrily. "Why, because I tried to save you? Because I tried to protect you from repeating my mistakes? Because I called you a son?"

Starkiller laughed, actually laughed at that.

"Oh, you silly old man. Of course not. I care about none of that. I will kill you simply because you are my Master and that is the way of the Sith."

"And what about Luke? Will you kill him too?"

Starkiller didn't answer immediately, simply glared at Vader. At last he said: "You haven't heard, have you?"

"What?", Vader asked.

"The reason why Luke is no longer speaking to you through your connection... It's not because he doesn't want to or because he fears the Emperor might find him through the Force. It's because he has lost his powers."

"...what?"

"He cut himself off from the Force. He cannot feel or use it anymore. It started after he destroyed the Emperor's little toy... and got worse with every planet we delivered orbital bombardment on. All the death, the billions of people dying at once, whether they were friend or foe... He could not take the pain of feeling their death through the Force so he abandoned it. Now he's little more than a common foot soldier. He has become... insignificant."

Vader blanched, barely able to imagine giving up such a huge part of oneself.

"Why... why didn't you help him? You were supposed to look after him... He is your brother."

"He is not my brother. He is your obsession, not mine. I haven't seen him in months. He could've died during the last battle in Corellia and I wouldn't know. Every great war is a war between Jedi and Sith and now that there are no more Jedi, it is simply a matter of the apprentice taking his proper role in replacing the Master. You are still invited to join me when I attack Coruscant but I strongly suggest you die during the battle. We both know I can defeat you easily but I'm not going to make it quick... or painless. If you want a death of honor and be remembered as the powerful Sith Lord you once were, you will crash your ship in a suicide run."

Vader's shoulders sagged, feeling a crushing hopelessness overcome him.

"I always feared you would repeat my mistakes... I always feared you'd become like me", he muttered. "But you don't take after me. You take after Sidious."

Vader forcefully pulled himself out of the vision. He didn't need to see where it went. To lose yourself to the dark side because of grief or pain was one thing but to abandon all honor and humanity for a single minded hunger for power, to chose so of your own volition with no regret and no care for those you destroyed... Vader knew that he'd committed his fair share of horrible, inhuman deeds but in the end he'd been driven by a noble cause. First to rescue his wife, than to protect the peace of the Empire and finally to protect his children. Starkiller in the vision had no such purpose. People were truly just pawns to him.

Starkiller had never been able to accept Vader as family. He'd always only seen him as his Master and for the Sith, it was obvious what that meant. He should've seen it coming. Maybe he truly had lost the boy when he'd first given him to Sidious and there had never been a chance to gain him back? He had hoped...

In the vision, both of his children were alive. It was the one way the Force showed him where they survived but he found he had little desire to call the Rogue Shadow and make it true. Was that a life worth living? Luke who rejected the Force, fighting blindly for a cause he probably no longer believed in. Starkiller, so embedded in the dark side that you couldn't recognize him anymore, having forsaken everything that was good and beautiful for more power. Did he want that kind of life for his children?

His first vision had shown death for Luke and darkness for Starkiller. The second had shown death for Starkiller and darkness for Luke. The third had shown death for both and the fourth darkness for both.

It seemed no matter what he did, the dark side would damn them both.

One last time Vader closed his eyes. He searched for the guidance of the Force desperately, shedding the darkness surrounding him and seeking truth in the light. Maybe he had to sacrifice one of his children. Maybe it was inevitable. But couldn't there be some light and joy for at least one of them?

The view of his red tinted visor made room for another vision but this one was less colorful and clear. It seemed just beyond his grasp, changing rapidly.

Starkiller laid restrained on a medical bed with Vader looming over him.

"You...! You betrayed me! You tried to kill me - again!"

"I did not try to kill you. I saved you", Vader corrected him. "It was not the time to challenge the Emperor. He has to continue thinking you are dead. Only then can you complete your mission."

Starkiller tensed when Vader moved his hand but he merely released him from the restrains. He still looked furious but willing to listen. "What kind of mission?"

"You will find and rally the Empire's enemies. You will have your own fleet and attack the Empire. If you succeed you will have killed the Emperor out of your own strength but even if you fail he is prideful enough to want to be present when he destroys your forces. That will give a single man a chance to sneak past his defenses."

Starkiller stood from the medical bed. "That mission will take months, possibly years", he complained.

"Yes. But the victory will be complete."

"What about Luke?"

"He will accompany you. He will be instrumental in gaining the help of the Jedi that you will undoubtedly encounter. Luke is readying the Shadow as we speak. You must not be seen on your way to him."

"Yes... Master."

The vision changed. Starkiller wasn't content to organize a small but strong attack on a few pivotal planets as Vader had expected. He started a full out rebellion and enemies long forgotten came to join him in a frighteningly short time. If he didn't want to see the Empire ripped apart, Vader had to make sure the rebellion was crushed even while he organized the Emperor's death.

The rebellion itself meant little to Starkiller but his victory over the Emperor did and when it was Vader who stopped his fleet from advancing, he felt the familiar stab of betrayal once again.

The vision changed still.

Starkiller's hate filled eyes stared at him as a stab of pain went through the haze of Vader's many injuries. Then, blackness. Then a stream of purple lightning. Starkiller on the ground, twitching and screaming in agony. Vader was no longer watching through his own eyes. As if he was just floating, a body less spectator, Vader saw his apprentice reach out for a dead man lying just beyond his reach. The roaring of a ship could be heard just before Sidious raised his arms. The craft came crushing down, Starkiller screamed. The vision fizzled out under the ominous sound of a breathing machine and Starkiller's hatred and pain flowing powerfully through the Force. The image changed again to a snow covered field, a twisted caricature of a helmeted Starkiller facing off against Luke before the younger threw his lightsaber away, surrendering to the Sith.

Abruptly, the image changed. Now instead Starkiller was fighting the Emperor with Vader watching in his own body. Starkiller was filled with protectiveness instead of hatred, hope instead of desperation, determination instead of anger. He was fighting good but in the end, not good enough. His life was snuffed out and Vader stepped up to his Master. He looked into the old man's eyes and saw battleships and laser fire, something that looked like a metallic moon, a giant explosion – and death. He saw his Empire ripped apart and thrown in chaos, the peace he had fought so hard to uphold crumbling as the citizen fought each other. He saw himself lying dead in front of a large window showing the stars and Luke kneeling next to him with tears running down his face, desperately trying to heal him even though it was useless. Then there was fire, so much heat, engulfing them both and ending everything.

Vader rose from his meditation, shaken to his core. It was no use. Even the light damned his family. Either he and his children would die or Luke and Starkiller would both become slaves of the Emperor. His original plan to deal with the Emperor seemed to be doomed as well, causing too much damage to the Empire to be called a victory.

Thorough the visions, Starkiller seemed to be the main threat and Vader had no idea how to deal with him. If he fought alongside him like Starkiller wanted, Sidious would defeat them. If he gave him a command as his Master or even just as a father figure, he would obey but turn against Vader when embracing the Sith ways. If he gave him a mission to hold on but coupled it with the emotional turmoil of pretended betrayal, there was a chance he would eventually find his own way while working with the Empire's enemies but it would also weaken his natural strength so he'd die a martyr.

There was.. one last possibility. If Vader's betrayal of Starkiller were complete, if he severed their bond forever all while teaching him a lesson of humility, speaking directly to that primal part of his apprentice that had always though to be not good enough ever since Luke came along, then he would turn away from Vader forever. He would lose his one goal in life. His obsession with killing the Emperor came from his desire to please Vader and without that, there was a chance Starkiller would turn away from the Sith as a whole and keep away from the Empire completely. Sidious would never get his hands on either of the boys.

If he defeated his student today - not in a fair duel as the visions showed him he wouldn't survive it but in a cowardly, backstabbing way - but let him live, this would anger Sidious. One man who failed in combat, one man who failed in mind; it would make them both unworthy of the title Sith in his eyes. Yet it wasn't like the Emperor had another choice. Nobody else was strong enough to take Vader's place. Starkiller would have to flee and fight off assassins for the rest of his life but at least he would have a chance and it would only be Vader who remained in chains.

The only problem was that if Starkiller hated him so much he might try to return for revenge or even turn against Luke to spite him. He had to prevent that, had to make sure the bond between the brothers could continue to grow. There was only one way... Luke too had to believe he betrayed and tried to kill Starkiller and go with him to protect him. He had to distance himself from the boy so Starkiller's hatred wouldn't fall on him.

The only way to save his children... was to betray them.

 

XxX

 

"Is it just me or did Death Squadron double in size?", Luke asked nervously as the Rogue Shadow excited hyperspace. Next to him Starkiller stood tensely, regarding the mass of ships through the front window.

 

"It's the Emperor. He's here."

 

Luke's look darkened. "I have a terrible feeling about this."

 

Juno, having only recently learned of Vader's little conspiracy, shifted nervously in her seat.

 

"Master", PROXY's voice could be heard as the droid started down the corridor towards them. "I have an incoming message from Lord Vader."

 

"What is it?"

 

"He wished for you to meet him on deck 2 immediately."

 

Starkiller scowled. "He's not on the bridge?"

 

"No Master."

 

The royal fleet didn't look as if they had arrived very long ago. In fact the ships were still in the process of taking formation. The Emperor couldn't have been here for too long and to ignore his presence was as rude as it was risky. Also it was strange that Vader wouldn't simply meet them at the hangar they were docking at but in another bay one level above them.

 

"What about us?", Luke wanted to know.

 

"Sir, the crew is to stay on board until called for."

 

"Alright. I will see you later then", Starkiller said to Luke.

 

The young Sith lightly brushed Juno's shoulder as he turned around and she gave him a worried glance but didn't say anything. On his way out he stopped at the med bay where his mother was nursing her arm. He scowled, still somewhat angry with her at her actions on Felucia, or rather lack thereof.

 

"Galen...?", she asked hesitantly when she caught his gaze.

 

"Nothing", he said curtly. "We'll talk later."

 

He closed the door behind him, trying to ignore the odd feeling of having missed something.

In the cockpit, Luke and Juno stayed behind. The Shadow entered the hangar bay reserved for them and Starkiller left to the meeting point just one level above the hangar.

 

"I don't like this", Luke muttered. "Something feels... wrong."

 

In that moment Mallie came towards them.

 

"What's going on?", she asked. "Galen stopped by and... Are we there already?"

 

"Yes", Juno confirmed. "He's been called to Lord Vader."

 

"Alone?"

 

"That's not unusual", Luke explained. "But he said the Emperor is nearby... And there is this looming darkness, I don't like it."

 

With a scowl, Luke stood. "Excuse me."

 

Without another word he left the cockpit and went to the ship's meditation chamber. There he sat down and closed his eyes, quickly shutting everything else out as he concentrated on the Force.

First he tried to reach his father but the usually strong bond was blocked so he couldn't sense anything from it. So instead he tried to follow his brother. Their connection was strong enough that he could easily make him out. There were days when meditating was hard for him but not today. Today he had to put barely any effort in it to follow the thin threat but then... it slipped through his fingers.

 

He saw... something. A corridor. It was empty but then it wasn't. He saw Starkiller walking down it. Then Mallie, rushing down that same corridor, passing straight through Starkiller as if he wasn't even there. For just a moment their images blurred together before Mallie continued running down the same way that Starkiller walked at a calm but not exactly slow pace. There was a crossing and Luke could see a squad of red clad troopers that came down another corridor and chased in the same direction, passing through both figures.

 

Luke continued on after the ghostly images. He floated down the corridor, passing Starkiller and slipped right through the closed door at its end. There was his father, standing in the hangar bay that held his personal TIE fighter Black One. It was ready for flight, likely in case Vader wanted to go over to the Emperor's flagship.

 

His father was alone, standing facing the closed hangar doors with is arms crossed, waiting. But as Luke watched the image blurred and it was as if there was a second layer overlapping it. One in which Starkiller stepped next to his father. He couldn't hear what they were saying but suddenly Vader whirled around and a moment later a glowing red blade pierced through Starkiller's chest.

Luke watched in horror as Starkiller looked down at the wound with his mouth slightly open, disbelieving. There was a swish when the opposing entrance doors opened and the Emperor stepped in, followed by half a dozen royal guards. But Luke had no eyes for them as his brother let out a gasp of pain and began to sway on his feet. With a jerk Vader pulled back the weapon, whirled around and in the same movement hit a switch at the wall. The hangar doors swished open and all the air in the bay was suddenly sucked outside.

 

Luke could do nothing but watch as Starkiller was lifted from his feet and sucked into space. Vader was holding onto a railing near the wall, the Emperor was hidden behind a thin blue shimmering shield. There was a shriek and when Luke turned he saw in the doorway he'd come through Mallie stood, a look of horror on her face before she too was lifted off her feet and towards the open hangar doors. Before she could be sucked into space though an emergency energy field sprung into action and the vents hissed as they pumped air back into the bay. Mallie hit the energy field with a hiss of electrical discharge and for a few seconds she laid there, groaning. Then she was on her feet, shouting something angrily at Vader before she drew her saber and charged at him. Her attack was cut short through when a blast of purple lighting hit her.

 

The Emperor had approached, glaring down with hatred and disgust at the woman as she writhed on the floor. Another stream of lighting hit her and she screamed and screamed as her flesh began to smoke.

 

Luke woke up from the sound of screaming and it took him a few seconds to notice that it was himself who was screaming. Something was restraining him and he fought against it until the concerned voices of Mallie and Juno got through to him.

 

"Luke! Luke, what's going on?", Juno asked.

 

The two woman knelt next to him with PROXY standing guard at the door.

 

"S.K.... Father... He's... He's going to kill him!", Luke called out, trying in vain to calm his racing heart.

 

He looked up and caught Mallie's gaze. The woman froze mid motion and he knew at once that he'd made a mistake.

 

"Mallie... no!"

 

But the former Jedi was already on her feet, rushing towards the ramp.

 

"Dammit", Luke cursed as he tried to get to his feet himself, still feeling dizzy and shaken up.

 

"We have to help him!", Juno exclaimed and made a move to follow Mallie but Luke grabbed her by the arm.

 

"No, we won't make it in time! PROXY... go after Mallie, you have to stop her, bring her back! And open the hangar doors for us!"

 

"Yes Sir", the droid said and went to follow the woman.

 

"To the cockpit", Luke said, pulling Juno with him. "We have to go, now!"

 

"We can't just leave him alone!", Juno protested.

 

"Listen, Captain!", Luke shouted at her and the mere fact that the usually calm boy raised his voice made her shut up. "If you want to have any chance at saving him you'll have to trust me!"

 

Juno froze for a moment but in the end, she nodded.

 

The two rushed back to the cockpit. Once PROXY left the ship he opened the hangar doors for them and Juno steered the ship outside, ignoring the blaring alarm warning them of an unauthorized start.

 

"Go up", he told Juno, "Vader threw him out of the airlock. I'll try to get him in."

 

Juno blanched but did as told while Luke rushed down the corridor. He lifted up some floor panels in the meditation chamber. He'd discovered these hidden compartments during his first sabotage act when he sneaked on board for the Nar Shaddaa mission. There was a spacesuit stuffed in here that he quickly pulled on. He activated the safety that closed the doors at the ramp and then opened it so he stood in an open gap with the vast emptiness of space in front of him. The suit had a safety line attached to it that he attached to the ramp.

 

They had almost reached the hangar on deck 2 and just a few seconds passed before suddenly the door opened for a split second and a singe body was pushed outside.

 

Juno accelerated and the Shadow slid in view of the hangar for just a second after the doors closed again. Without hesitating Luke pushed off and sped towards Starkiller. His brother was completely unprotected to the vacuum. Even if his Force sensitivity could strengthen his body against the change of temperature for a short time, without oxygen he'd die within minutes.

 

Luke used the Force to pull his brother towards him and slung one arm around his torso. Then he grabbed the safety line and pulled himself back to the ramp. The ramp closed, sealing the ship and Luke activated the atmospheric pressurization system that would restore normal atmosphere and open the doors to the ship. He ripped off his helmet and gazed anxiously down at his brother. He was incredibly pale. There were little cracks and fissures littering his skin, especially around the dark shadows around his closed eyes. He was unconscious but his face was still set in a pained grimace and Luke flinched back when he realized he'd accidentally put pressure on the scorched wound in the middle of his torso when he grabbed him.

 

Luke carried Starkiller into the med bay with some trouble, shouting in the direction of the cockpit for Juno to get the hell out of here. He activated the medical droid and only then shed the space suit. He helped the droid to get the armor off his brother and laid two hands to either side of the gaping hole in his chest, far too close to the heart for comfort. The droid started to analyze, clean and treat the wound while Luke started channeling Force energy into the body. At the same time that he tried to heal his physical wounds, Luke reached for his brother's mind, shouting, begging him to stay with him, to keep going.

 

While Luke fought for his brother's life, Juno raced the Shadow alongside the hull of the Star Destroyer where she knew a tractor beam wouldn't catch them. She had a bad feeling though when her scanner showed her a squad of eight TIE fighters racing after them.

 

Juno cursed but was not surprised. Standard procedure demanded for every vessel that had launched without authorization to be shot down. With Luke busy and PROXY gone there was nobody to man the guns. But Juno wasn't a Captain for nothing. She activated the Shadow's cloaking device, which caused the ship to essentially vanish from the enemy's radar. They could still see it but their targeting computers would be useless and the Shadow was small enough that Juno had little trouble dodging the laser beams fired at her. Until the turbolasers on the hull of the Star Destroyer she was still using for cover started to fire at her as well.

 

The Shadow was hit once straight on her belly and was thrown off course. Juno struggled to keep her straight. She was racing down towards the tip of the Star Destroyer which was closest to the edge of the armada of ships belonging to the fleet around them. The TIE's were still hot on her heels. Juno flew closer to the edge of the bigger ship and made a barrel roll to now fly underneath it upside down - she thanked the stars for artificial gravity that allowed her such a maneuver without too much trouble.

 

Juno lost the TIE's long enough to activate the navi computer. She didn't have time to chose a target and just set it to reset. This would bring them to the last set coordinates - Felucia. It didn't matter where they went as long as they just made the hyper jump. Said jump couldn't be made as long as they were still so close to the gravity well of the massive fleet and so Juno was forced to leave her cover. She dipped downwards and pushed the Shadow's engines to maximum sublight speed, knowing that even with their radar useless the TIE squad might spot her vessel and come after her again.

 

Sure enough the scanners reported hostile fighters mere seconds later and Juno set a crazy zigzag course to avoid the green beams of light rushing in her direction. Since the coordinates were already in the computer, it didn't need long to plot their course and Juno breathed out in relief when the stars blurred together in front of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am again! Wow, I really felt evil writing all those possible endings. Some said that they couldn't imagine the regular FU I plot to continue the same way but I thought differently. In FU Vader saved SK by arranging his 'death' because he still needed him as a tool. Now, he still wants to save him only for different reasons. As for Sidious, he has to do something to break up his students alliance and by forcing a confrontation before they're ready he forces them to chose between fighting each other or dying. Having Mallie ensures that even if they decide to fight and be defeated by him, he can still convert at least one of them to do his bidding. If Vader had been the one to survive the duel, Sidious would've just taken Luke as hostage.
> 
> In the end the whole thing ended the same way as FU I with one difference: SK never got the mission to gather a rebel army. He's now free to do whatever he wants completely alone.
> 
> Vader saw the two FU endings. In the dark one SK fell to the Force Rage and was a slave of the dark side, which he didn't want. In the light (the canon) one SK died and the Empire was destroyed, both of which he doesn't want. I added Luke's death on board of Death Star 2.0 as well. Think about it, Luke is under orders to accompany SK, join in with SK's rebellion and we're sort of back in canon except that Luke is more powerful. However, at the final battle on the Death Star when Vader dies to protect Luke, in canon Luke may be a little sad but overall not care all that much because his father was a Sith. He's glad that he turned away from the dark side in the end but he doesn't love him the way this Luke does. This Luke, even after a few years of war, would still love his father very much. Maybe Vader would even secretly support the rebellion to bring everything to that point where they can lure out and kill the Emperor. Thus when Vader does die Luke would be far more devastated. He'd grieve for him and try in vain to heal him. Remember how close a call it was though for Luke to escape the exploding Death Star? It's not like his allies can wait all that long for him, considering the Imperial fleet is in the process of wiping the floor with them. Thus, in this version Luke would not make it off the Death Star in time. Even though for the galaxy this might be the best ending, for Vader it is unacceptable.
> 
> After deciding he would have to betray both his children, Vader got no further vision. Partly it was because time was up and the Emperor had arrived but also he didn't want to meditate any further, afraid that this solution too was doomed and so he didn't want to see the future, fearing what it might bring.


	53. Chapter 53

Sidious was not pleased. He was sure that his plan had been perfect and yet nothing turned out the way he wanted it.

Things had started out badly when the Emperor set foot on the bridge of his apprentice' flagship only to find his fellow Sith Lord missing. He'd called for his security to find out where he was and made his way to the hangar instead. 

As soon as he heard that the ship with Galen Marek and his Jedi mother on it had reached Death Squadron, he had sent his men to arrest the Jedi. Yet they had been stopped by a crazy battle droid running amok. Sidious had confronted his apprentice only to find him in the process of killing the Marek boy.

Of course the old Sith Lord had considered the possibility that Vader would sense his intention and act accordingly. He had even considered that he might find his way back to the Sith and the dark side by killing the young upstart meant to replace him. Such an action would've redeemed him in Sidious' eyes.

But then Vader had thrown the boy out of the airlock. Sidious had trained Galen for five years and while their bond was filled with hatred it was still strong enough for him to sense that his young student did not die. Somehow he had survived. Vader had to sense this too yet said nothing.

It had never been his intention to kill his replacement. He had tried to save him. Vader had failed his test.

Sidious had expected as much. That was the whole reason why he went through the trouble with Galen's Jedi mother. If Vader failed, Galen would be next in line for his test. But now the boy was gone.

Well, at least he still had the Jedi. The woman was hurt severely but with the proper treatment, she would live. If her rage at her son's supposed death was anything to go by, he meant a lot to her and with some luck her feelings were reciprocated. Galen would come for her. She would make a good hostage. Except if...

Sidious smiled maliciously as he got an even better idea. He would have to hurry to get it done in time but it should be little trouble. Vader's punishment would have to wait. He had more important matters to attend to than his failure of an apprentice.

XxX

Vader was back in his hyperbaric chamber, meditating. The Emperor had left that same day and he had wasted no time in contacting the droids he had given orders to previously to bring in his apprentice. Only the droids had come back empty handed, having found no body in space beyond the hangar. It would have worried him, immensely so if it wasn't for the fact that he had felt Starkiller's mind, weak and unconscious but still alive, for several long minutes after he'd thrown him out. Longer certainly than he should've been able to survive there. Then the connection broke but it was not the final cut of death and more the sudden absence that Vader had come to associate with the feeling of massive distance put between them in a short time. Such as generated through a hyperjump.

A quick check confirmed that the Rogue Shadow was no longer present and his son's presence had vanished in the same way. They must have escaped together.

For the first time since the Emperor had declared his intention to visit, Vader allowed himself to relax. His sons had both been able to flee. His original plan had been to let Starkiller awake in the med bay, from where he would've undoubtedly started a rampage that would alert Luke. The way events had unfolded was undoubtedly better since it meant no troopers had to die needlessly and Starkiller wouldn't have to fight for his life to get off the ship. Not to mention Vader might've had a hard time distracting the Emperor long enough for them to slip by.

The Jedi though... That was unfortunate. He'd hoped she would be spared this fate but considering she died in every vision that saw her anywhere near the Emperor, it was a risk he'd been willing to take. It wasn't just because he didn't like the woman, he wasn't that petty. But her death provided the necessary traumatic strength behind the experience for Starkiller. The loss of a loved one would force him to face the darkness in his soul and decide what he was willing to risk to save those left he cared about.

What did worry Vader was that the Emperor had taken her body with him. She'd still been alive, if barely and Vader dearly hoped she would succumb to her wounds during the day because if she did not... Well, he didn't envy her, that was for sure.

XxX

Starkiller woke up with a scream. Luke jumped from his seat next to the medical bed but was wise enough not to get too close as the young Sith thrashed around, stilling only after several moments when he took in his surroundings. His entire body trembled. With a disbelieving expression he slowly raised a hand to his chest where white bandages were wrapped tightly around his torso. He couldn't feel any pain and that sort of made it worse. He wanted to feel the pain. He'd take ten lightsabers to the chest if the pain could make the agony go away that existed in his mind and heart.

"He killed me", Starkiller rasped, trying to wrap his mind around that idea. "Bloody idiot that I am, I trusted him and he killed me again!"

Luke lowered his gaze at that and Starkiller turned to look at this brother as if noticing him for the first time. He looked tired and downtrodden and through their bond Starkiller could sense pain, betrayal, disbelief, and shame from him.

A part of Starkiller wanted to ask him if he'd been in on it, if he had known all along what Vader planned but his expression stopped him. Instead he asked:

"What happened?"

"Shortly after you left, I... I had a vision in the Force. I saw what was going to happen. I knew I wouldn't arrive in time so Juno and I took the Shadow and picked you up after you... Well... And then we escaped into hyperspace." Luke shook his head. "I don't understand... Why did he do that to you?"

Starkiller felt a spark of anger fighting its way through his own state of shock.

"You think I have an answer to that?!", he snapped. "Why did he try to kill me the first time?! Because he's a bloody Sith Lord, that's why! I don't... I don't even know why I'm surprised... I should have seen it coming!"

But he hadn't. He hadn't seen it coming because he had believed his Master had changed. Vader had offered him what he'd always wanted, a family. Starkiller had rejected that offer time and time again because his head told him it was a lie and obviously he'd been right. But his heart... In his heart, Starkiller realized, there was still a portion left from the child he'd been that had wanted it to be true so bad that he had believed it. It was that portion of him that was now screaming out in agony at being betrayed.

"Vader never wanted to kill the Emperor... Or if he wanted, he was too cowardly in the end. He chose to kill me to evade his Master's wrath and secure his own position as the Emperor's right hand."

"I don't believe that", Luke stated. "Father would never do that. He... He must have had a reason."

"What reason would justify that!? What reason cold possibly be good enough to excuse all that he's done to me!" Starkiller tried to sit up but was forced down again when blood started to seep through the bandages. His mind was dizzy and he was sure he was full of painkillers but even he understood that this was a bad sign.

"Where are Juno... and mother?", he asked, suddenly feeling very tired.

"The Captain's in the cockpit. She wanted to know as soon as you wake up, I can send her in if you'd like."

"And what about mother?"

Luke didn't answer.

Starkiller scowled and looked at his brother. "Luke, what about my mother?" She was so obsessed with him, he would expect her to stay at his side together with Luke.

"I... She... She ran after you. I sent PROXY to get her but I... I don't know what happened. Juno and I had to pick you up and then there were TIE fighters after us and we... we had to leave them behind."

Something cold settled in Starkiller's stomach.

"You want to tell me... that my mother is alone... with Vader and Sidious!?"

"I'm sorry", Luke whispered.

"You... No, you are not!", Starkiller shouted and sat up again, ignoring the opening of his wound as he still couldn't feel the pain. "You never got along with her, you never cared - of course you'd leave her behind! Do you... Do you have any idea what they'll do to her?!"

Starkiller was afraid himself to look and check. His Force bond with his mother was still not very strong and to reach her over such a distance would be hard but with all the painkillers the medical droid had given him it would be impossible.

"Maybe we could... go back for her", Luke tried without conviction.

"To what end?", Starkiller sneered. "She's either dead or kept as a hostage, in which case she'll be transported to who knows where by the time we get back. You left her there to die, Luke. You... you killed my mother."

Luke looked as if he'd been slapped but after a moment of shock, only sadness was left in his eyes.  
"I had a choice to make, brother. To go after her or save you. Would you have rather that I let you die?"

Starkiller was so furious he was tempted to say yes but he took a moment to mull over that question. His mother loved him, he was sure of that and that love had been precious to him but he was a Sith first and foremost. His mother was a pawn, one that had failed to prove her final dedication. He had other people that cared about him, Luke and Juno and while it wasn't quite the same, Starkiller knew he would not sacrifice his own life to save his mother. He might risk it, yes, but when faced with a clear scenario where one of them had to die, he would always choose himself. It wasn't just because he knew that was what his mother would want as well. It was simply the way he'd been brought up.

"No", Starkiller admitted at last. "You... You saved my life. I believe that evens out your guilt but that doesn't mean I'm not royally pissed off at you."

Luke relaxed slightly. There was a moment he'd feared his brother would attack him and in his current state he really couldn't afford to jostle his wound in a fight.

"You should lay back down", Luke said and Starkiller complied reluctantly.

"Where are we going?"

"I don't actually know", Luke admitted. "I'll get Juno, then you can ask her."

Sure enough, Luke left the med bay and a minute later returned with Juno. She looked very worried about him but didn't say anything at first. Instead her fingers lightly brushed over his temple as she regarded him with a mixture of concern and yearning.

"How do you feel?", she whispered.

Starkiller's mouth was very dry. How did he feel? Furious at Vader's betrayal. Anguished at his mother's loss. Grateful for Juno and even Luke to still support him even when it obviously went against the wishes of Lord Vader.

"Tired", he answered quietly. 

"You can sleep a bit. There's nothing going on in hyperspace, we're safe here."

"Not that kind of tired", the young Sith let out.

"You... you can't dwell on it too much. We just have to go on", she tried. "I know it's hard. You've been... cast aside for no reason. But you're not alone. Luke and I believe in you. You're our leader and we need you."

She took his hand gently. "We're all in the same boat now. Deserters. Renegades. With your former position being as it is, the Empire will hunt us down. We will have to decide how to proceed." She turned to look at Luke. "I'm not sure about you... You saved Starkiller but you're Lord Vader's son. He might be willing to cover it up. I'm just a lowly Captain, I won't be allowed back and I want to stay with Starkiller anyway but you..."

Luke shook his head. "I'll stay with you as well. I don't know why my father did that... I don't understand it... But he had no right to do it. He already had much to repay to my brother and he threw away the chance to make it up to him. S.K. needs me now and I won't leave him."

"I don't need anybody", Starkiller huffed, torn between anger at being talked about as if he wasn't there and a tiny amount of gratitude for their loyalty.

"Then we have to decide where we're going."

Juno gave a shrug. "First we'll have to go into hiding, lose our tracks. The ship is set to Felucia because that were the last coordinates but I suggest pulling out of hyperspace early and setting a new course anyway in case they tracked our trajectory. As for our destination, Nar Shaddaa would be a good place. It's in Hutt space and nobody really cares about Imperial law there."

"That might not be the best idea", Luke intervened. "Remember, the last time we were there we killed a couple of hundred citizens by dropping a space station on the moon."

Juno winced. "Right, I forgot about that."

"With some luck they don't know our faces or blame the Jedi but it's still a huge risk."

"I know of a place where we can go", Starkiller interrupted them. "We will be welcomed... and relatively safe there. It's in the Outer Rim, so no Imperial law. If Vader goes through the trouble of hunting us down, we'll have fair warning and resources to hide in time."

"Sounds exactly like what we need right now", Luke said. "Where is it?"

Starkiller allowed a small smile to curl around his lips. "On Tatooine."

XxX

"So, let me get this straight", Luke said as Juno steered the Shadow over the dune sea of Tatooine, "when I first went to search for my father... He imprisoned my Aunt and Uncle and it was only three months ago after I went to Kachirho that they were pardoned and you brought them back here."

"Yes", Starkiller confirmed.

"You were tasked with helping them to rebuild the farm but ended up freeing a few dozen slaves after killing Jabba the Hutt."

"That's right."

"The slaves came to the farm which grew to be a small village and my relatives are in the middle of it." Luke pointed out of the cockpit window at the two dozen towers rising up in the distance.

"That's no small village", he said flatly.

"I admit I didn't expect they would grow so... large", Starkiller admitted.

Juno turned to look at the two young men confused. "What are you talking about?"

"These towers", Luke said. "Look closely. They keep up a force field around that dome in the middle. It's a shield reactor. But what's more important is what lies underneath. Tatooine's climate doesn't allow any houses on the ground let alone farms. But there are some large caves under the desert and from that compound over there... I can sense the Force shift as it only does when a lot of people come together. There must be a hundred or so."

"Someone is hailing us", Juno said. "Okay, we have a problem. The scanners show turrets behind the force field. Are you sure they won't shoot us down?"

"Answer the hail and we'll see."

Juno switched on the communication system.

"This is Commander James Elvoy . You have entered our territory unauthorized. State your business or prepare to be shot down."

"Yes, that might be a problem", Starkiller muttered.

"What is it?", Luke wanted to know.

"Elvoy is one of the Imperials that I used to boost the farm's defenses initially. If we've been put on an Imperial wanted list..."

"Well, we can't just turn around!", Luke called out. "My Aunt and Uncle are with them."

Starkiller gave a short nod and went to answer the hail. "This is the Rogue Shadow, we're here to see the Lars family. It has been a while, Commander, but I doubt you have forgotten about me."

There was a silence. Then: "Who is this?"

Starkiller rolled his eyes, the idiot really didn't recognize him. "It's the Chainbreaker", he said. 

Luke let out a laugh. "Really?"

"It's the only name the people here know me under", Starkiller replied. "Which considering I'm now probably a wanted man works in our favor."

"Ah, Sir! Finally you are back. We were wondering if you would ever return. Hold on, I'll send you the landing coordinates."

The crew relaxed slightly as the shield covering the towers flickered. Juno landed the Shadow on a raised platform that was completely empty. However there was a trapdoor and a staircase leading down that the team had some trouble finding due to it being almost covered by sand. The staircase led to a set of caves. Originally they might have been the caves Luke's family inhabited but people seemed to have dug deeper, widening the natural caves under the desert.

The camp they came upon was huge. Luke could only look around with wide eyes. They passed sections where people were camped together with sleeping bags and some where they had built their own small huts with torn clothing, hides and other material that looked like it came out of a scavenger shop. Most of them looked thin, even malnourished but the Force hummed with their contentment, happiness, pride and hope.

"Were all of those people slaves before?", Luke asked, turning to Starkiller with a new sense of wonder. He loved his brother, he really did, but he hadn't expected him to be capable of such... goodness without outside prompting.

"I don't know", Starkiller said. "I recognize some of them... But most must've arrived after I left."

The group had made it through maybe a quarter of the caves when the whispers started. Luke turned to see that there was a small group of Freed Ones following them. Or rather, following Starkiller. He heard the name 'Chainbreaker' more than once whispered between them until one brave young boy, maybe around ten years, stepped forward and tugged at Starkiller's sleeve.

The Sith turned around annoyed and met the boy's wide eyed gaze.

"What?!", he snapped and the boy flinched back a bit but didn't turn away.

"Is it true?", he asked. "Are you really the Chainbreaker?"

"It would appear so", he answered stiffly. 

"That can't be true!", a muscled man sitting in one of the improvised camps said. "The Chainbreaker is over two meters tall!"

"He's also far older, he fought in the Clone Wars! This is just a teenager!"

Luke hid a smirk behind his hand when he spotted an angry vein pulsing at Starkiller's temple.

"That's right and he goes from city to city in shining white armor to free Tatooine!", another commented. 

"Shining white armor?", Luke asked incredulously.

"I believe he wore robes", Juno supplied. "And they were beige, not white. You'd get a heatstroke after a single hour in black clothing under those suns."

More whispers arose as more people joined the growing crowd.

"I heard the Chainbreaker killed a hundred bounty hunters when he took over Jabba's palace!"

"I heard there were two hundred!"

"No, stupid, he blew up the whole building. There were thousands of slavers that died that day!"

Starkiller was growing increasingly annoyed. "Right, and I can breathe fire and shoot lasers from my ass!"

"And lightning from your fingertips", Juno added with a chuckle.

Starkiller chose to ignore her jab. "Listen here", he told the growing crowd. "My name is Galen Marek. Yes, I came to Tatooine a couple of months ago. I killed Jabba and helped a few slaves to get their freedom. I helped them to start building a home for themselves. But this place is far larger than what I left here and you've obviously continued to recruit. Chainbreaker is a name you gave me but you don't need a savior or hero. You are perfectly capable of writing your own history. I just started you on your way."

There was silence for a moment before the whispers started again, louder this time and more and more people joined in.

"It really is the Chainbreaker!"

"He has returned to us!"

"We're finally safe now!"

"Can you save my daughter? She's still being hold in Mos Espa!"

"Please save my aunt, she's a slave in Mos Doba!"

"My son was abducted by sandpeople!"

"Can you go look for my mother?"

"My uncle?"

"My children?"

The voices grew louder with every second. People approached that wanted to touch Starkiller, to hold his hand or beg him to save this or that loved one. Luke felt the panic rise in his brother and shot him a worried look. It was not a good idea to close in on a Sith like that.

"What's going on here?", a booming voice called out and everyone turned their heads.

Luke felt his heart plummet to his stomach and jump back to his throat. There at the edge of the crowd stood his Uncle Owen.

He had a lot more gray hairs than Luke remembered but he held himself proud and tall. Luke remembered how he'd talk back to merchants trying to sell him rubbish or how he'd scold Luke for one reason or another. As a child he'd thought his uncle was very strict. Then of course he'd met his father and realized just how much freedom had been granted to him in the deadly environment of Tatooine.

"Uncle Owen", Luke said, which totally didn't come out as a squeak. Not at all.

Owen's eyes widened. "Luke!?"

Luke smiled nervously. "Uhm, hi... I'm...back?"

He honestly had no idea how to act around his relatives. Because of him they had been imprisoned. If he was honest, he hadn't thought of them in years and now he felt guilty for that. Owen and Beru had always been good to him. Sure, they had lied to him about his father but he could kind of see why. He had asked about them a lot during the first few months when he came to Vader but Sith training had quickly distracted him from it and when his father had started to teach him about the light side of the Force, he'd received all the love and care he'd always wished for and had stopped missing his relatives.

When Starkiller first told him what Vader had done with his parents he'd been angry. He'd been told they would receive financial support to help them over the sandstorm season so staying with Vader and ensuring he'd continue to express good will for his family had seemed like a smart idea. Now he had to learn that his father went behind his back to imprison his family. Yes, he had pardoned them and even fulfilled the promise of granting them help by sending Starkiller but that was years later. After what Vader had done to his brother, Luke had begun to doubt his intentions, and now to be presented with such news...

He knew his father wasn't a saint. He knew he'd done terrible, dishonorable things. But he had still kept believing there was good in him, even if it was only to his family, those closest to him, that he showed it. But he had betrayed Starkiller and in a way, he had betrayed Luke as well. That knowledge hurt. It hurt deeply but for the sake of his friends, Luke put on a brave front, one that was now crumbling as his Uncle gazed down at him.

Owen Lars came closer, the crowd parting for him. He stood in front of Luke, who felt very awkward. The look of strangely passive anger and frustration, that he remembered his Uncle wearing very often, didn't help any. Then suddenly Owen pulled him into a bone crushing hug and Luke only hesitated for a moment before returning it.

Over Luke's shoulder, Owen shot a look at Starkiller.

"You weren't lying after all when you said you knew Luke."

"What, you actually doubted my word?", Starkiller snapped. He was still watching the crowd guardedly in case someone else dared to try and touch him.

Owen chose not to answer and instead turned back to Luke. "It's... good to have you back, boy. Your... Your aunt will want to see you."

Luke looked at him with wide eyes, sensing the turmoil of emotion that the farmer didn't allow to reach his eyes. His uncle wouldn't start crying now would he!?

"Uhm, I'd like to see her too." He turned to Starkiller. "Are you coming?"

The Sith shook his head. "I want to meet with Elvoy, see what the situation is."

"I'll be going with him", Juno said and Luke nodded, knowing they wanted to give him time to reunite with his family.

Owen led him to a portion of the caves that looked as if they had done their best to rebuild their old home in it. When Beru saw him she couldn't stop switching between laughing and crying for almost twenty minutes, then scurrying off into the kitchen to make him dinner because apparently he looked far too thin for her tastes.

Luke looked around the homely small house built in the cave and reveled in the pleasant memories it brought back. It was almost as if he was ten years old again, at home with his Aunt and Uncle. And a hundred other strangers.

"What happened after I left?", Luke wanted to know when he came back from a tour through the house. He'd been searching for his old bedroom only to discover that in its place was workshop with various broken droids.

"We searched for you", his uncle replied, watching him thoughtfully. "Asked around with all the neighbors. That old Ben Kenobi came to help and found out that you'd left the planet." His expression darkened. "Then Vader came..."

Luke looked at him in worry. "He didn't do anything to you or Aunt Beru, did he?"

"Except for threatening to torture us both to death if we didn't sell out Kenobi and then throwing us into prison?" Owen gave a snort.

Luke bit his lip. He was hurt that his father would do that to his relatives but there was a part of him that still couldn't help defending him.

"Kenobi was a Jedi. Apparently he was the one who maimed my father so he needs to spend the rest of his life in that suit."

"That... That was him?", Owen said incredulously. "But I thought... I thought those two were friends. Before Vader decided to go nuts and join the Empire."

Luke shrugged. "All the more reason to feel betrayed, I guess." Silently he added: "On both sides."

"Vader is the one who betrayed the Jedi", Owen said. "I still can't believe you actually call that man your father. I... I never wanted you to know. You shouldn't have to think there was anything connecting you to that monster."

Luke gave a sigh. "I don't blame you for not telling me. But Vader isn't a monster. He's just a man. He fought in the Clone Wars as a Jedi and as a Republic General. You can say he betrayed the Jedi when he turned against them. You can also say that all Jedi Generals who didn't stand with the Republic when it was voted to move on to Empire betrayed their oath to their government and thus it was Kenobi who betrayed my father. It's wasn't a matter of who was right or wrong but who they chose to follow."

"Well, your father chose to follow a lunatic then."

"I won't argue with you on that, because I completely agree", Luke returned. "The problem is that said lunatic is incredibly powerful and an evil genius. You can follow a weak but morally strong order or a strong but morally weak single person. The advantage in following a single powerful person is that you have better chances getting powerful yourself and overthrowing said single person in time. This is how my father explained it to me."

"He could have always stayed and helped me with that brat dropped on my doorstep", Owen mumbled.

Luke laughed at that. "Yeah, I would've preferred that too. But that's just not who my father is. He sees light and he sees dark but no choice in between. But enough of that. I'm not here on his behalf."

"Why are you here then?", Owen wanted to know. "Are you staying for good? What made you come back?"

"Well, you've met my brother, apparently. Not by blood", he added when Owen looked suspicious, "but in everything that counts. He... got into a fight with my father. I'm not entirely sure what triggered it but as far as I can see it was completely unprovoked on S.K.'s side, yet Vader almost killed him. Juno and I had to rescue him and now we need a place to stay and hide for a while." Luke shook his head sadly. "It came out of nothing. I mean, those two always had problems but I know father was trying to mend things. And then he goes and does something like that. I don't understand it. I was thinking about going back and confronting him about it but S.K. needs me right now and I believe he wouldn't take it too well if I returned. That and father was getting a bit obsessed in never letting me go anywhere alone so this is a nice change."

Owen mulled that over for a bit before he answered. "Well, what can I say. I half expected you to come back all dark and grim and set out for blood from what old Kenobi told us so I'm glad you... haven't changed too much. You know my opinion of Vader. You'd be a total moron to return to him. But you're all grownup now, I can't tell you what to do. If you want to return, that's your choice. If you want to keep that bastard Starkiller around you, that's your choice as well but I'm warning you that he stinks of trouble."

"Oh, I know what you mean", Luke grinned. "But that's kind of what makes him fun to be around, don't you think?"

"Sure. If with fun you mean going out to buy a vaporator and come back covered in blood from head to toe with a half a dozen new mouths to fill trailing behind and no vaporator."

"Remind me to ask him for that story." Luke chuckled to himself.

From the kitchen Beru called for them when dinner was finished and over the course of the evening they asked Luke questions about the last couple of years and how he had fared. He told them everything, leaving nothing out. They didn't understand all of what he said, like the significance in Vader teaching him about the light side but they understood that he was happy, that he was not out there slaughtering innocents and that he would never ever be content again to work as a farmer. That last one wasn't something he said but they heard it in his voice when he described the Force or the many foreign planets he'd visited and the fights he'd been in. As much as they would like to deny it, there was much of his father in him.

XxX

When Starkiller entered the cave that had been pointed out to him as being the command center, he was met with around ten soldiers who saluted him - after flinching nervously from his sudden entrance and recognizing him. Some of them still wore the remains of Stormtrooper armor, though it was either dirtied or painted to be brown as to fit in better with the desert. Others wore light armor or simply normal clothes.

One of the soldiers still wearing trooper armor stepped forward.

"Sir, it's good to have you back", the trooper said, sounding unusually relieved. Starkiller recognized him as Commander Elvoy, the one the Empire had put in charge of the Imperial presence on Tatooine and that he had recruited during his first stay.

"Is there a particular reason why I can't go around without people trying to kiss my robes?", he asked, annoyed. He'd thought Tatooine would be a good place to hide out at since Luke's relatives, annoying as they were, might be willing to take them in. He'd wanted to go for inconspicuous... so much for that.

"Uh, well, you did a great service to these people and they're grateful..."

"Nonsense", Starkiller cut him off. "I only freed maybe a hundred slaves when I was here and most of them have traveled off world or back to their families. You've clearly progressed since then without any help so why did so many of them recognize me?"

Elvoy continued to search for excuses but was cut off by one of the other men.

"That was my idea actually."

Starkiller fixed his attention on a brown haired man. He was definitely no soldier, he could tell just by looking at him. He only wore a light shirt and a dark vest, no armor and a single blaster at his hip was his only weapon. He was the only one who hadn't stood when Starkiller entered, instead preferring to sit on his chair by the table in the middle of the cave that sported a holo map of the section of Tatooine they were in. The scoundrel even dared to put his feet on said table. He only missed a drink in his hand to complete the look of sunbathing tourist at the beach.

"And you are?", Starkiller asked, already annoyed.

The guy raised an eyebrow at him. "What, you've already forgotten about me? Name's Han. Han Solo. You hired me to ferry some stuff for the Homestead, remember?"

Starkiller grimaced. He did remember. He also remembered that the smuggler had been annoying the first time. Unfortunately he'd been the only one he could find for the job.

"So you decided that just because I hired you once it means you have to hang out here from now on?"

"What's your problem? You'd think if I did you a favor of raising you to godhood you'd thank me. Think of all the ladies! Though you don't seem to have a problem in that regard", he added, winking at Juno.

The Captain made a disgusted face. "My face is up here, scoundrel."

"Mr. Solo has helped us in building up the trade with other planets", Elvoy explained. "Most of the Freed Ones never learned a trade. We have built farms underground both for water and food but there are other things that we need that simply aren't produced on Tatooine."

"Maybe it's time for a full status report", Juno suggested. "What has happened here since we left?"

Elvoy straightened a bit and began.

"The Freed Ones wanted to build their own community, to have a school, a cantina and such things. They started exploring the caves and building up a small town on their own underground while we kept the farming grounds a bit south of here in basins so they're protected from the sand. They're frequently attacked by Tusken raiders though so a large part of our patrols are busy guarding them. As I said, Mr. Solo continued to help us out in getting what we need from off-world. We asked for reinforcements from the Empire to secure our hold over Tatooine but we were rejected. That's why we can't get Imperial transports. The private companies charge too much money and what's left are smugglers who work for the Hutts. Obviously we couldn't ask those so we kept contracting Mr. Solo. He contacted some friends and associates to work with as well so we now have a small trade network. We have to give him food and lodging on top of credits, which when considering his Wookie friend is no small thing but it worked out. Eventually though the loot the Freed Ones got from Jabba's palace and your raid of Anchorhead run out. We have plenty of space, food and water but we need school supplies, clothes and all kind of other things for everyday use. Some of the people tried to apply for work in Anchorhead but they were recognized as former slaves and murdered. That enraged the rest of the Freed Ones. A group of them banded together and stormed Anchorhead. Many of them died. Others put together small squads that went to Mos Espa and Mos Doba to try and free what family members of them were still in slavery.”

“Jabba the Hutt's death has left a power vacuum on Tatooine that many upstarts have tied to fill. Bounty hunters and other associates of his found themselves unemployed or never got their last paycheck. This resulted in high crime rates in towns. Many people, mainly criminals, came here to seek refuge from the Hutts. As an Outer Rim planet away from the Empire it's a good hiding place. Eventually the Hutt crime cartel decided to strike back and get revenge for Jabba. They sent mercenaries here to find out who killed him. Your plan in spreading your name to the Cartel has worked somewhat as they haven't attacked the Homestead directly but since they couldn't find a trace of you, some of the Freed Ones we had here were accosted or even killed by them for information.”

“Mr. Solo spread some rumors about you, some deliberately contradicting, to confuse the Cartel and make them believe Tatooine was the beginning of a bigger slave rebellion against them so they might focus on other places where you were supposedly spotted. Such talking has woken unexpected support from slaves all around the planet. There have been uprisings and many slaves were killed by their owners. You have become a symbol of hope for them. Most slaves never stand up to their Masters because they don't know where else to go. Those that did make it through have taken to traveling to the Homestead, which is why there are so many people.”

“As the situation is now we have almost no financial resources, we're in the middle of a civil war with the rest of the immigrated population of Tatooine as well as the Tusken and the Cartel has set a bounty on your head so high it attracts the attention of professionals such as Boba Fett."

"That kind of makes us wonder why you're relieved we're here", Juno commented.

"Well, this rebellion is something you have started. The people scream for blood, they’re eager and willing to fight. We have even begun to train some of them. But I'm just a commander, I can led a squad, not an army. My men are willing to take on the Cartel. We have been discarded by the Empire for one small failure or another or speaking our mind and most of us want to take that chance to make a difference. Maybe it will get the Empire's attention and they finally decide to do something about the Cartel. But none of us are leaders. The people need someone to look up to. If I look at what you have accomplished in the small time you were with us then I believe you're just the man we need."

"Screaming for blood, huh? Maybe there is something I can do for you after all." 

Starkiller gave a small smirk. He'd come to Tatooine for a small respite with no plans how to move on in the future. But now he could imagine staying for a little longer. The Empire didn't care for the Outer Rim. During his time with Vader, Starkiller had received some lessons on how to deal with larger squads and armies so he had more knowledge now than he did when he first came here. A war with the Hutt Cartel would allow him to practice these new skills, to learn how to take care of many people and build up his own army that could... That could what? Attack the Empire? Storm Coruscant? Distract the Emperor long enough for him to sneak in and kill him? That sounded like something Vader would command him to do. He owed nothing to the Sith Lord though, not anymore. Maybe he could get enough people to find out where his mother was kept, if she was still alive, and free her but the Empire would then hunt him down relentlessly. He had a feeling both Vader and the Emperor expected him to fight them. Vader wanted the Emperor dead to take his place and Sidious may encourage him to try his hand at killing Vader simply to make up for being defeated so easily by him. If he did this... he would play right into their hands.

This was seriously annoying. Starkiller wanted to get back at the two Sith Lords but he didn't want to play by their rules. If he attacked the Empire or Vader for his own revenge, Sidious would approve. If he attacked Coruscant or the Emperor, Vader would approve. He wanted to see them both dead but even if he managed to defeat one, the other would try to use his exhaustion to either force him to submit or kill him. Vader had almost done so before. It hadn't been a fair fight but he'd still been defeated. He'd been tricked and underestimated his enemy. It was... a humbling experience, he had to admit. Maybe... Maybe he was not ready after all. He had to get stronger.

But if he had to wait and train, he wanted to at least do so while pissing off the Sith Lords. Aside from finding a Jedi to train under and going all brainwashed (the mere thought of which almost made him vomit) there was only one thing he could do that he thought might seriously annoy the Sith Lords and that was wasting his potential. Hiding, fighting against enemies so far below him it wasn't even funny and protecting the weak that didn't deserve to live all while never challenging the Empire itself.

Yes, it sounded like a slave rebellion against the Hutt Cartel would be a fine route to take. It would allow him to hone his skills in battle. He would make the Lords think he forgot about the pain they caused him or that he was too cowardly to challenge them. He would make them think his hatred vanished to make room for a sense of justice in protecting the slaves. In truth, he would be fighting them every single day. Not in a physical battle but in his mind, he would break whatever hold they had over him. As he freed the slaves of their physical chains, he would shed his mental ones. 

"Spread the word of my return", Starkiller commanded. "Gather twenty of your best trained soldiers and prepare them for a raid tomorrow. We'll be taking Anchorhead and prepare the town for colonization."

"You want to take the town with twenty men?", Elvoy asked incredulously.

"I want to take the town by myself but I need men to carry stuff and set up patrols afterwards", Starkiller corrected him.

Everyone stared at him as if he was crazy but Juno, having witnessed him wiping out a Felucian settlement no smaller than Anchorhead with minimal help, only smiled.

The next day everyone in the Homestead had heard of the news: The Chainbreaker was back and the fight for Tatooine had reached its next stage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, this was harder to write than usual. Still not entirely happy with it, considering it's the first chapter to a new story arc but it will do. Let the Tatooine rebellion begin!


	54. Chapter 54

Luke slowed his landspeeder to a halt, took off the helmet and wiped the sweat off his forehead. Faintly he could make out the roofs of some round tents and huts in the distance. There was a fence around the compound and if his information was correct, it was also protected by laser turrets. Getting in there wouldn't be easy.

"Habata ku kulata!", a worried voice called out and Luke turned to his passenger.

"It's alright, Tirri. I know how to get past the gates and if worst comes to worst, I can block laser beams with my lightsaber."

Tirri didn't sound too pleased but refrained from complaining.

Luke left the landspeeder and helped the small Jawa in tow to get out of his seat as well. Then they began their march towards the Tusken enclave.

It had been one month since Luke had arrived back on his home planet. What should've been a simple reunion with his family had quickly become far more exciting as anything anyone else had ever experienced on Tatooine as his brother openly declared war with the Hutt Cartel.

The Homestead and the surrounding farm basins were well protected by shield generators and many patrols. They could withstand everything from mercenary assaults to orbital bombardment but the real war was fought on the streets of Tatooine's cities. His brother was handling that part rather well on his own. All he had to do was plant himself in the middle of a town square and shout some nonsense of taking control of the city and within minutes every bounty hunter in the vicinity would come down on him. After killing everyone pointing a gun at him, he would then led a squad of Freed Ones into the town that would start breaking down doors looking for slaves. More often than not, a house would be relieved of all its inhabitants and Starkiller would enlist his people to fill the spots and take over shops and businesses to keep the economy running. 

For the first two raids Luke had been at his side but soon he found that he couldn't stand the ruthless slaughter and particularly the very bloodthirsty and cruel revenge the Freed Ones enacted on their former slavers. He knew why they did it, he knew it was justified but he couldn't stand it. Maybe it was all the blood. When fighting with a lightsaber, battle was a lot cleaner but most Freed Ones preferred vibroblades so they could get close and personal with their oppressors. Since they were fighting in towns or even buildings, the long range of blasters was less of an advantage for their foes than it would normally be.

Quickly growing tired of the battles, Luke had searched for other ways to make himself useful to the cause. He admired his brother for standing up for the slaves and wanted to help him in his own way. 

What he eventually set his mind on was the constant conflict with the sandpeople. The Tusken raiders frequently attacked the farms and patrols and even caravans of fleeing slaves that wanted to join them as well as supply routes. Starkiller had wanted to just wipe them all out, especially when he discovered that they were enslaving people themselves. Mainly they set their eyes on Jawas but some humans had been caught by them as well. Starkiller himself didn't care much for Jawas, seeing them as a weak race and little more than insects but Luke had drilled into him the importance of treating people equally. Jawas had their own uses in that nobody had quite as good a nose for digging up treasures as them. Considering their current financial situation, their help might come in handy.

Eventually they had agreed that Luke would try to negotiate and find a peaceful solution with the Tusken. If he failed, they could always wait until they had enough armed men to clear them out with force.

For this purpose Luke had researched the Tusken, which sadly took a lot of time as there was little known about them. Apparently there were several clans who were all at war with each other. That made negotiations difficult but Luke found the most influential and strongest clan and took to traveling to its main enclave. He had asked Juno to fly him here with the Rogue Shadow since he had to cross a good quarter of the planet. He'd been lucky to run across a Jawa whose people had been enslaved by the Tusken and who agreed to come with him and translate in exchange for Luke trying to free his people. The native tongue of both Tusken and Jawa was impossible for other species to imitate as they relied both on body language as well as a combination of smell and vocal sounds humans couldn't make. However, Luke understood the Jawa trade talk, and Jawa and Tusken understood each other's native tongues.

Luke concentrated and pulled the Force around himself like a protective cloak, covering himself and Tirri. He spread out his senses, touching every living being he could reach and send them a subtle suggestion not to look too closely at him. As long as he stayed within a certain distance, he hoped they wouldn't attack him immediately.

He made sure Tirri knew to stay close to him and then approached the enclave. Sure enough he got past the turrets and through the gates but here Tusken were everywhere and he barely made two steps before someone noticed him.

The Tusken gave a series of angry cries that alerted everyone around and Luke hurried to hold up his hands in a peaceful gesture. However, Tirri tugged at his sleeve and shook his head.

"Hapalappa kavuvu!", he protested.

"Oh come on, really?!" Quickly Luke dropped his arms. He didn't want the Tusken to think he was about to summon the anger of the sky onto them. Damn, Tirri could have told him that before!

"Tell them we come in peace", Luke urged his little friend, who was hiding behind him fearfully.  
Hesitantly Tirri took a step aside and began waving his arms and speak quickly in Jawaese. Luke had to smile at his high squeaks. Suddenly the Tusken raised their gaderffii sticks and Luke had to resist the urge to raise his hands again.

"Filli ma kupa tu lapa", Tirri told him.

"Alright, no smiling, I got it", he answered. Honestly... He wasn't an animal and his teeth couldn't possibly look that threatening, could they? But body language was a big part of the Tusken language, he knew that so he would just have to make an effort to stand still while Tirri translated.  
There was more grunting and screaming and fidgeting with gaderffii sticks before Tirri told him they were to follow the Tusken to their Chieftain.

"Abala ka zumma fa dindi", Tirri whispered to him as they followed the raiders. "Wee nama kla lupichapa."

Luke scowled, not sure if he had understood that correctly. His knowledge in Jawa trade talk was just enough to argue about the price of various goods. It was close enough to Huttese though to fill in most of the gaps.

"Did you just say that they think I'm possessed by a sandstorm?"

"Nee nama kla falipicha", Tiiri corrected him.

"Their Chieftain thinks I'm some kind of desert spirit? But I haven't even met him yet!"

"Konna ku fallipu cha kapa."

"I'm not possessed by anything. And what do you mean he saw me coming? I'm pretty sure they haven't noticed us until now or they would've shot."

Regardless, Luke and Tirri were led deeper into the enclave, passing masked Tusken male and female, the latter only distinguished from the former by their lack of weapons. It was also the first time Luke ever saw Tusken children and despite looking positively mummified, they were still kind of cute. Until they started shaking their fists at him threateningly and waving little sticks at him.

"Lapa imi kachuha?"

"No I don't have a bad feeling yet", Luke lied. "I'm very optimistic."

The Tusken Chieftain lived in a hut not unlike all the others except it was a bit bigger and in the middle of the enclave. Luke was led inside by four raiders. There were another three inside of the hut, all wearing the same brown robes, the same masks and coverings. The middle one however bore a gaderffii stick that looked slightly more adorned with what looked like bone pieces, animal fangs... and... was that a scalp!?

The Chieftain let out a series of growls and cries that Tirri fearfully translated.

"One reason not to kill me?", Luke repeated, just to make sure he understood his Jawa friend correctly. He nodded. "Tell them my friends and I are at war with the Hutts and since they have been attacking their towns as well, I'm offering to join forces."

He knew the Tusken were highly unlikely to agree to that. In fact he was counting on it, seeing as he didn't believe the Freed Ones would be all too happy about such an alliance.

Tirri started talking to the Chieftain in an even higher and faster voice than he used for humans. The Chieftain waved his gaderffii stick around and Luke did his best not to blink as the end of it, which had a short metallic blade bound to it, came too close to him for comfort.

"Akula ma taka fi nidi", Tirri told him. "Asum wa schi kalamaluka."

The more afraid Tirri grew the faster he was talking and Luke had trouble keeping up. He did however understand that the Chieftain had his doubts about his intentions and might have even thought Luke meant to insult him.

"Did he really say that he will never negotiate with a human?", Luke asked incredulously. "It's not like he can win against the Hutts or even just destroy those on the planet. I'm here with a peace offering. I never ever hurt a single Tusken and neither did my friends, except maybe in self-defense."

More growling and squealed responses and suddenly the other raiders started shouting as well. Luke didn't need to know their language to know they were angry.

"Aftana ma kiki wo sasa!", Tirri called out.

"What? No! No, I'm not here to attack them, much less kill anyone. What do I have to do to make them believe me?"

More growling but after a few moments the Chieftain made a swiping gesture with his arm and the other raiders fell silent. Tirri translated his next words.

"Prove it? How?", Luke wanted to know.

The Chieftain said something to his men and before the Jawa could translate, Luke was poked and prodded by the raiders with the dull end of their sticks and herded back towards the entrance of the enclave. One of the raiders drew a large circle in the sand just a few steps away from the front gates and on Tirri’s prompting, Luke stepped inside, feeling confused. More and more Tusken came out to join the group, all of them seemingly male warriors. Luke gulped a bit as they surrounded him. There was a total of twenty now and every single one looked as if he'd have fun beating him to death.

The Chieftain began to speak, more to the crowd than to Luke but Tirri kept whispering to him, translating what they were saying.

"That doesn't make any sense", Luke protested quietly. "I am to prove my strength to them by fighting their warriors? How is that supposed to prove that I'm honest about wanting to negotiate?"

"Hakusta ma kata fu nagisa", Tirri said. "Aluma fa kinna ti dema kacha."

"I have to duel and kill twelve of his best warriors? He will refuse to negotiate with me if I can't manage that?" Luke didn't believe it, that sounded crazy! "Wait.... did he actually say 'kill' or just 'defeat'?"

Tirri thought about that for a moment. "Amana ka wi kicha."

"There is no difference between the two words in Tusken? Okay, then ask him if he really wants to see his warriors dead."

Tirri did but if anything it seemed to make the other raiders angry.

"Let me guess, he doesn't believe I can actually kill them?"

"Kula fa narada timi as kut."

"And they will... celebrate my death and sacrifice my disemboweled corpse to the spirits if I refuse to fight with all I have. Great." Looking at the excited raiders, he had no doubt that they would do their best to try and kill him.

Tirri tugged at his sleeve. "Wee ma chinga la katuta!"

"Don't worry", he said to the Jawa, shivering a bit. "I won't let them do that to you, I promise."

The first raider entered the circle and without further warning swung his gaderffii stick at his head. The stick had a blunt end formed like a club and three blades at the other that the male was using to try and stab him. Luke dodged and reluctantly drew his lightsaber. A whisper went through the crowd when he activated the azure blade. His opponent gave a howl and charged at him angrily. Luke took a step to the side, turned around and cut through the metal weapon. The bladed end fell to the ground but the Tusken simply turned it around, attacking him with the now shortened weapon and using it like a club. Luke anticipated the move and blocked, his saber cutting through the weapon again and leaving the Tusken with just a short, useless metal stick. He howled and attacked again. Luke could sense his fear but he still attacked him with bare hands. 

Luke didn't want to hurt the raider if it could be avoided. He'd hoped the Chieftain would call off the fight after he managed to disarm his opponent but no such luck it seemed.

Luke shut off his saber when the Tusken was in danger of running right into it. For a moment that left him open and he took a heavy punch right to the face before he ducked under the next one and aimed a kick for the raider's knee. The Tusken though, unlike Luke, seemed to know what he was doing in hand-to-hand combat. He tried a kick himself that, while mid-motion, would've sent Luke sprawling to the floor. Fortunately Luke was well-attuned to the Force and sensed the danger, managed to draw back just in time. The two duelists regarded each other for a moment, slowly circling around. Luke could've ended the duel easily with his lightsaber but he didn't want to actually kill this person. This test was stupid and he could only hope that if he managed to defeat all twelve without killing them, the Chieftain would listen to him. Unfortunately though, Luke was good at fighting with a sword or even a blaster but weaponless he had little idea what to do. He did however have the Force and he'd been told to use everything...

Luke reached out with his hand and his opponent was lifted into the air. He thrashed around helplessly but he couldn't do anything to escape.

"Tirri, tell him to surrender", he said.

The floating Tusken growled in response and fear made room for anger.

The Jawa translated and Luke felt his heart sink. If he would be ostracized and exiled for surrendering, even to a clearly superior foe, there was little chance he would give up.

For a moment Luke thought about simply snapping his neck with the Force but the mere thought of it already made him sick. With a sigh he dropped the Tusken and adopted a defensive stance.

Luke was hopelessly inferior to the raider just using his bare hands. He got punched and kicked and probably had his nose broken as well. However, he barely noticed the pain. Trusting in the Force Luke let it guide his movements. He was just a bit faster than the raider, dodged his punches when he could and looking for an opening. And through it all he drew on the Force, healing himself. When the raider scrapped him the wounds closed and when he bruised him it faded. Luke wasn't fast enough to dodge all hits so he concentrated on those that would shatter his bones and slowly but surely he wore his opponent out. At last his movements became slow and sloppy and Luke took the chance and started to go on the offense. He didn't know very well how to knock someone out but at last a particularly nasty hit to the head seemed to do the trick.

Luke stood in the circle, panting heavily. The Tusken stood in stunned silence but before long they begun to howl and not one but three raiders stormed into the circle to challenge him. Two of them were armed with gaderffii sticks and one with a blaster rifle that he used to rapidly fire red laser beams at him.

Luke panicked for a second. If he used his lightsaber to deflect the blaster bolts than he might hurt the two that were charging at him in melee. 

The young man ducked under the first salvo and now the others were so close the third Tusken couldn't shoot without having to be afraid to hit his comrades so he had to change his position. Luke used that moment to activate his lightsaber. The Tusken he aimed for failed to dodge and he cleaved his stick in half. However Luke immediately deactivated his saber again and now used the Force to pull the second's stick from his hands. He ducked again when the third fired another salvo with his blaster. Luke held the stick in one hand and used the other to catch the third's rifle with the Force but that left him pretty much open for the stick's owner who gave him a good kick in the gut. Luke groaned but kept concentrating on the rifle, keeping it floating over his head. Then, faster than any of his enemies expected, he whirled around and started hitting them over their heads with the blunt end of the gaderffii stick. The weapon was heavier and meant to be handled with both hands so Luke was quite unused to it but it was still better than fighting with just his hands and before long the three Tusken laid on the ground unconscious.

Luke knew what would happen next and he threw away the gaderffii stick, instead grabbing the rifle from where it was still floating. He sighed in relief when he found that it could be set on stun and when the next group of Tusken came to assault him, he mowed them all down within seconds. Heavier and larger than any pistol, the blaster rifle could fire many shots in quick succession so he didn't even have to aim all that well. Some Tusken still avoided being shot and even came close enough to hurt him. Luke only moved when the Force warned him of real danger, otherwise taking the hits and healing himself.

Then it was over, the Tusken laid defeated - certainly more than twelve, he was sure - but none dead.

"I passed your test!", Luke called out, starting to feel the exhaustion. "Now let us act like civilized beings and by the stars, stop reaching for each other's throats."

Everyone was silent for a moment after Tirri translated his words. At last the Chieftain addressed the rest of his men with a series of growls and cries.

"Kumala kata fa dungugu", Tirri said happily.

"Finally", Luke muttered.

A group of sandpeople started waking up their downed clansmen while Luke followed the Chieftain back into the enclave. There, the Chieftain sent away the rest of his guard so only he, Luke and Tirri stayed behind. The Jawa continued to translate and thus Luke learned the following:

The Tusken leader was called Kazgul Mah'kata and he ruled over the largest Tusken clan on Tatooine. The clans were often enemies of each other but the Mah'kata clan as the strongest and most prestigious one had influence with four smaller ones. For as long as their history reached, aliens had invaded, exploited and raped their home world, slaughtered their people, stolen their bantha and desecrated their holy sites. In their eyes, all aliens whether they were Human, Hutt, Twi'lek, Rodian or even Jawa were demons and monsters.   
The Tusken stayed strictly amongst themselves. On the rare occasions that aliens had tried to make contact with them it was usually to steal for them or infiltrate their enclaves to better slaughter them by smuggling in explosives or mines or poison.

Their legends said that once, Tatooine had been covered by vegetation. With the first aliens though, their ecosystem was destroyed. The Tusken believed that once, when Tatooine had been rich in life, the spirits of nature coursed the planet. They believed that spirits could live everywhere and guarded their home jealously. The aliens killed most of the spirits though, which was a great crime in their eyes as in dong so, they also killed Tatooine. Ever since then, the planet has been slowly dying. The Tusken did what they could to halt or at least slow this process. They attacked alien factories and cities that threatened the nature spirits and hunted down the Jawa that would dig into the planet's core in search for treasures that didn't belong to them.

When Luke first approached the enclave, the sandpeople had been convinced he was just going to find a way to kill them as well. Kazgul had sent couriers to the hunting parties to come back and reinforce the enclave. However, they needed to stall Luke and thus came up with the fighting circle. If they could kill him before he could implement his nefarious plans, that would be best. However, even if he managed to kill all the warriors, the turrets at the front gates would have killed him for sure. They had not realized that he could deflect blaster bolts with his glowing sword, which had made the sandpeople quite nervous and caused them to attack in groups, ignoring the rules of the fighting circle.

However, Luke had not killed a single Tusken despite all their expectations. Honor demanded that he be given a chance to speak and Kazgul even admitted to being impressed, which is why he bothered to explain the source of his people's hatred, even though to him it was totally obvious and to even ask was an insult.

When Luke asked what the whole deal with the being possessed by a sandstorm was about, Kazgul explained:

While the spirits of nature that still existed today usually lived in caves or canyons - or sandstorms - sometimes they lived in people as well. Occasionally it happened that a spirit took a liking to a Tusken. The spirit would speak to and through him and grant the Tusken great wisdom and strength. Kazgul was blessed in such a way and it was the main reason why he'd been able to lead his clan to dominance over so many others. However, as there were good spirits who wanted to help the Tusken regain their planet, there were also unforgiving ones who wanted to punish them for losing it to the aliens in the first place.

Around two decades ago such an unforgiving spirit possessed an alien and used it to wipe out an entire clan. The clan had been counting almost a hundred. There were only three survivors to the massacre and half a dozen that hadn't been there at the time who'd been taken in by other clans and spread the horrifying legend.  
When Luke came here, Kazgul sensed the spirit in him. Not only that but he wielded a glowing blue sword, just as the unforgiving spirit was rumored to have used and apparently, he even fit the description. Naturally the Tusken had been very nervous that they too might now be punished for not being able to have driven the aliens away.

For Luke it was obvious that Kazgul was Force-sensitive and that a couple of years ago a Jedi must have fought the Tusken, likely to protect the people in town. The irony that the Tusken thought they could appease a 'spirit' by doing the very same thing that person came to stop was not lost on him. He absentmindedly wondered why a Jedi would be on Tatooine to begin with. As far as he knew, Jedi didn't tend to wander around the Outer Rim planets uselessly, especially not in the Clone Wars era. Maybe his father knew something about it. For that matter, maybe his father had been the one 'possessed by an unforgiving spirit'. Slaughtering a village of sandpeople, sadly, sounded like something he would do. Better not mention that to the Chieftain though...

Luke knew had to treat this delicately. He couldn't just tell them their religion was stupid and they'd been doing it wrong all the time. However if he could make them believe that he was a helpful 'spirit', maybe they would listen to him. Kazgul at least seemed more open-minded now that he knew Luke wouldn't try to slaughter them all.

"There is indeed a.. spirit talking to me", Luke began. "He sent me here to tell you... of an opportunity to make Tatooine a better place to live in. But there are some spirits still angry at the aliens that invaded this planet. You see, the aliens themselves are fighting each other and the spirits have decided to play both sides against each other. Your people have not managed to drive them away and likely never will but this war will make sure there are less aliens around. There are two clans that fight each other. The Hutt clan tried to oppress the, uh, Marek clan which is now fighting back. Many people of the Marek were abducted from other planets or have families there so if the Mareks win, many of them will leave Tatooine forever to return to them. Not all of them might go but those that stay might be willing to help the Tusken against more invaders coming to reclaim the planet."

"The Spirit that speaks through me wants to help the Tusken. However, there's an unforgiving spirit who wants to kill everyone on Tatooine, aliens and Tusken alike. I spoke to him and convinced him to kill the Hutts first that have damaged Tatooine most. He's been using the Mareks to do so. However, he will turn against the Tusken next for failing to stop the Hutts before finally killing the Mareks as well when he no longer has use for them."

"However, if you help me and your clan joins the Mareks in fighting the Hutts, your clan will have earned the spirit's forgiveness and he might spare you."

He will spare my people and help us to free the planet of all aliens?, Kazgul wanted to know. Tirri was sounding quite nervous as he translated this, considering his people were counted as aliens as well.

"Well, he might take the Mareks with him to bring his wrath down on other planets. I might even convince him to let some of them stay and help you rebuilding Tatooine but that will take some effort", Luke claimed. He felt a bit bad for deceiving Kazgul but none of what he said was, strictly speaking, a lie. He just made use of metaphors that fit his world view.

Kazgul wanted to know if it was the same unforgiving spirit that had plagued the Tusken years ago.

"Uhm, no. You made a lot of spirits angry accomplishing nothing all those years", Luke returned. "Or maybe it is the same and he's just speaking through another alien now."

Kazgul wanted to know what the spirit asked of them.

"Well, first I would like you to release Tirri's people that you captured", Luke said, which was eagerly translated by the Jawa. "He's been doing a favor to my spirit by acting as my mouthpiece and my spirit tends to reward those that serve it."

Kazgul was suspicious and wanted to know why Luke's spirit didn't simply tell him that himself.

"Oh, but you know how the spirits are, always so vague! And my spirit can't talk to you anyway because you already have your own. It would be terribly rude for one spirit to take away someone else' spokeperson."

The Chieftain reluctantly agreed that made sense, however he insisted that he would have to ask his own spirit first if that was something he had to do. After all his people would be upset when he released their slaves just like that.

Luke assumed he meant he wanted to meditate on the matter, which was fine. He didn't think Kazgul was overly dark side corrupted and in Luke's experience, the Force generally didn't encourage you to kill or enslave people. At least not when there was a perfectly good other option at hand that involved no violence.

"Then it would be a great help already if you could convince your people and the other clans not to attack the Mareks anymore as they are the tools of the unforgiving spirit. They are easy to recognize in that their homesteads bear the symbol of the spirit" Luke drew the symbol of the rising bird into the sand. "This is the unforgiving spirit's symbol, the bird made of blood that he left on its enemy's walls and graves and that protects its holy caves."

Kazgul howled something and Tirri translated that he recognized the symbol. Rumors of the bloody winged one had reached even the enclave.

"For those aliens traveling around, it would be nice if you could capture instead of kill them and we can send someone to sort through them and see if there's a Marek among them", Luke continued, knowing that once this got out their enemies might decide to carry the Marek symbol just to bypass the Tusken or fool them so they could better kill them, which would undo all the work he did here today. He would make sure to spread the news that traveling Freed Ones or even slaves should not fight back to the Tusken unless mortally threatened - he didn't think he could convince all the clans, at any rate.

Kazgul too saw this problem. While he was greatly admired amongst his clan, most of the others valued him only because of his leadership and fighting prowess and would not take kindly to having to stop attacking aliens. For some, that was all they lived for. If any group of Tusken went so far as to join the aliens in their fight against the Hutts, they would be seen as traitors. The Chieftain did believe Luke both about his intentions and about the other spirit and he thought it best to appease him now before the unforgiving spirit turned on his clan. But even he would have a hard time convincing his people. Some of them thought the spirits had no right to mess with their lives anymore since they didn't do anything to stop the aliens either. Some - dare you believe it? - didn't even believe the spirits were real.

"Well, I do believe I can help you with that at least", Luke said. "You saw yourself how I incapacitated that one warrior or how I got the rifle. I did that using the F- uh, I did that with power loaned to me by my spirit. Through me, the spirits are doing something to help Tatooine and it's proof that they exist as well."

The Chieftain admitted that many of his people had been impressed by that display. Such powers existed in legends only. However, while it proved that Luke was blessed by a spirit, it did not mean that he wouldn't wish the Tusken harm. He might have convinced the Mah'kata clan during his test but it would be far harder to convince other clans.

"What if I were to teach you?", Luke offered. "The spirits sometimes speak in images or sounds or even sensations that are hard to understand. Your spirit might have offered you that same power, you simply do not know how to use the gift. I can show it to you. You have been chosen by the spirits to lead your people and when they see how you've been blessed, maybe you can even unite them all and show them the way into a new age."

That may be laying it on a bit thick but Kazgul seemed taken with the idea. He was now quite eager to converse with his spirit over the idea and Luke and Tirri were invited to stay the night at the enclave - an unprecedented privilege, he was sure - till he was done. As a sign of good faith he promised to release the Jawa slaves, which threw Tirri into an overjoyed rant about being eternally grateful to Luke for freeing his people. In fact, the little guy was so elated he promised to stay with Luke and continued to translate should the Tusken decide to take him up on his offer. Secretly Luke suspected he just wanted to have a chance at taking part in the looting of various cities Starkiller planned to attack. The Jawa were the born scavengers after all.

Luke personally oversaw the release of the Jawas. There was a heartfelt goodbye and what he guessed was an expression of gratitude before the little horde of hooded gnomes left the enclave.  
Luke went to rest in one of the tents, though he was regarded most carefully by two guards planted at the entrance. He thought it best not to sleep and instead meditate himself. The prospect of having a student on his own - albeit a grown up, weird alien that he couldn't understand - was quite exciting and though it wasn't something he'd planned, he didn't mind how things had turned out. Kazgul seemed nice enough. He was somewhat biased by some terrible traditions his people had but it spoke for him that he was willing to break quite a few of them to help Luke and save his people.

The next day Luke's concentration was broken when the guards demanded he meet their Chieftain shortly before sunrise. Tirri was still very tired and mumbled some complaints to him in his native tongue that Luke didn't understand but that one of the guards gave him a slap on the back of his head for. The little guy shuffled behind them as they went to see Kazgul. With a series of growls and shouts that Luke tried very hard to ignore the pain it caused his ears, he let them know that he had decided that the spirits had offered him a unique opportunity. He felt that everything he had accomplished so far with his clan paled before the importance of making peace with the spirits that had abandoned his people. Tirri sounded a bit doubtful as he translated such but Luke simply smiled. He knew exactly what Kazgul was talking about. Luke remembered when he'd first 'made contact' with the Force consciously. He hadn't known what he was doing or even just exactly what it was, just as Kazgul only had a vague understanding through his religion. It had felt as if the galaxy was open to him, that there was an endless number of possibilities. For a clan that never had any choice beyond run or die fighting, the chance to learn how to make those choices available must seem like the one thing he'd searched for his entire life, the one thing that could save everyone and everything and solve all his problems. The truth was, it couldn't but it could at least give you some tools and a greater understanding about the consequences using them brought with it.

"Does he realize that it would mean leaving his clan for a an unknown length of time?", Luke said. "Does he understand that he would have to work with aliens, or at least tolerate to be round them? Even if he learns how to use the For - I mean, how to use his gift, it might take time and effort to get his people to accept him back."

Kazgul understood and was still willing to learn. They had a sparse breakfast and then Kazgul called his clan together to tell them that he would be going on a pilgrimage with the bearer of the spirit. He entrusted the leadership of his clan to his second-in-command. Kazgul spoke of how his spirit had entrusted the fate of more than just the Mah'kata clan to him but of the whole planet and that his people would have to prepare for the final liberation. They were to spread the world, to send all their captured slaves to the Bloodwing, the spirit that used different alien clans against each other to cleanse Tatooine. Furthermore the Chieftain promised that he would no sooner return than that he had proven himself worthy to his spirit and been granted its gifts that he could use to restore their planet.

To Luke it all sounded like a series of growls, shout and cries and when Tirri translated something, it could be a joke or a funeral speech, it would sound equally funny in his high pitched squeak. For the Tusken however, it was apparently a moving and inspiring speech as they all howled and cheered for their leader. There was so much hope and pride in them that Luke felt it through the Force even though none of them were sensitive to it. Not even the displeasure of losing their slaves could dampen their mood.

There wasn't much Kazgul wished to bring with him, just his gaderffii stick, a bundle of clothing and some rations. Luke had to talk him out of riding his bantha back to the Homestead - it didn't fit on any of their spaceships and by foot the journey would take months. It took even more effort to convince him to squeeze into the landspeeder with him and Tirri. Apparently the Tusken despised technology. They only made an exception for weapons. Just because they fought fire with fire though didn't mean they wanted to be surrounded by it. Well, that would be fun when he called Juno to pick them up with the Shadow.

Luke took one last glance back at the enclave and couldn't help but think how his father would be severely disappointed in how he dealt with the sandpeople. A thought that usually made him very sad and ashamed, today it simply made him smile. He did threaten his father once that he would raise a pseudo-Jedi order from the Tusken. It had been a joke at that time - but the Force worked in confusing ways. Or maybe it just really liked the joke. All the same, for the first time in his life Luke didn't feel the least bit guilty about disappointing his father and that was incredibly liberating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luke gets a Padawan! Horray! Who saw that coming?


	55. Chapter 55

2BBY Tatooine - Month 1

Galen sat on the edge of a building overlooking the spaceport of Anchorhead. His eyes were closed but his mind was open, touching every mind around him, sending out subtle suggestions not to look over to that roof over there. Considering the average traveler wasn't in the habit of looking up to random roofs, not much was needed to keep up the technique even in the presence of more resistant people. But Galen gained more from it than just not being noticed. He caught glimpses and flashes of their thoughts. Not enough to really read their minds but enough to recognize who was a merchant, who a farmer, who was a bounty hunter and who a smuggler, who was criminal and who was Imperial, who was a slave and who was a slaver.

He'd been sitting on that roof for two hours and by now he was pretty sure he had a good idea who his victims would be. Anchorhead wasn't that big of a town, barely 500 inhabitants. There used to be more but the attacks of the Freed Ones and revolts of the slaves had thinned out the crowd. Galen didn't expect to find any slaves here since those would have already joined the Freed Ones. He didn't have to worry about the Jawas, they were useless in combat. Maybe 100 or so would be farmers who either lived here or came to town to buy things. They were likely to just hide until everything was over. Another 20% would be too cowardly to act up, either because they didn't think it was their business or because they were halfway intelligent and knew not to stand in the way of a maniac throwing lightning and waving a red lightsaber around. That left him with around 300 people of various species. There were bounty hunters working for the Hutts who were after the price on Galen's head. There were smugglers who carried weapons out of principle and shot at everything that looked like trouble. There were Imperials who might or might not be informed of his deserter status or would just aim at him for causing trouble. There were slavers who were angry at him for stealing their goods or lackeys of Jabba who came for retribution. And of course there might be the odd civilian who carried a weapon because this was Tatooine and he would shoot at him out of principle because he was effectively attacking their home.

Of course, not all 300 would come at him at once. They would need time to notice what was going on and then time to get here in the first place. Also he expected he wouldn't have to kill more than two thirds before the rest got the message and made themselves scarce. That was the reason why he would start here, at the spaceport. 

Galen got to his feet. He'd quietly assassinated a couple of bounty hunters shortly after entering the city. Luck had been on his side as they'd had quite a few explosives with them.

The young Sith made his way to the street below. He kept his Force Cloak up but now and then he would bump into people, slip a timed detonator into their pocket and whisper a Force suggestion into their ear. Ten minutes later he was back on his roof and prepared to trigger his opening slaughter.

Anchorhead's spaceport went up in a series of explosions that shook the entire city. Various crew members had gone on board their ships carrying the bombs and when those went up it destroyed their ships, causing their energy source to explode as well and trigger a chain reaction.

Chaos broke out and Galen abandoned subtlety in favor of his blood red lightsaber and sending bolts of lightning into the crowd.

That's when the fighting began. Galen quickly felled the enemies closest to him. Those that came after him after that were mostly shooting at him with blasters, which he could easily deflect. For a time it was fun to aim the beams back at his opponents, to show that that he could stand here doing this all day. Occasionally he would let out a stream of lightning to thin out the crowd. Then the first grenades started to fly. Those could not be deflected with a lightsaber. They could however be turned on his enemies just as well by levitating them with the Force. If he was fast enough to notice them.

Then came the guys with the vibroblades and other assorted melee weapons. Galen adopted a quick and fluid fighting style that allowed him to touch blades with everyone around him at least once. Those who were not protected by armor or weapons made out of a material that could withstand a lightsaber were killed quickly but the rest provided somewhat of a challenge. Especially when their friends were still peppering the battlefield with laser fire.

When exhaustion started to set in Galen jumped out of the fray to catch his breath. He jumped from roof to roof, blasting his enemies with lightning and feeding off their energy when they died. The dark side was strong in him and the many cries of pain and suffering fueled his strength. With every enemy he slew, with every person he killed he became stronger.

I wonder if I could kill them all, he mused to himself. Everyone there is in the galaxy.

Galen brushed away the thought. That was ridiculous. He didn't need nor want to kill everyone. But the rush of battle made it hard for him to remember why he was fighting. Why was it alright to kill these people but not everyone else?

For a moment Juno's face flickered in front of his inner eye and in a moment of distraction he almost got shot down from his perch. He had to concentrate. His friends were counting on him. Juno and Luke and all the Freed Ones were depending on him. He wasn't killing these people because it was fun (even though it was). He was killing them to protect those that were his and to get revenge for a hundred lives in slavery. That was what he was fighting for and that anger, that justified rage turned out to produce far stronger lightning bolts than the mere joy of a good battle.

Galen didn't know how long it was but at last he stood in the middle of a market place, the sand dyed red around him with corpses everywhere and nobody was shooting at him anymore. He looked around, panting heavily. He spotted someone hiding in a corner between two buildings. His fingers twitched, the lightning already on his fingertips. The last one. Yet he hesitated. There was something nagging him, something in the back of his mind. What was it? Oh, right. He was only here to kill the bad guys. There, he could control himself.

Galen walked over to the alien who cried out in terror as the Sith hurled him out into the open.

"Please, please don't kill me, I beg you, I don't want to die!", the male Rodian whimpered. "I have family, please, I have two little daughters, please don't hurt me!"

Without bothering to answer Galen grabbed his head and forced him to look up at him. Then he ripped through the Rodian's mind. It probably wasn't necessary to use such brute force but the alien was wearing a blaster and light armor. Sure enough, he discovered that the Rodian, while not a bounty hunter or criminal himself, held himself a house slave to do the cooking for him and his daughters. Well, at least he wasn't mistreating the slave overly much, as far as he could see. That warranted a quick death.

With a snap Galen turned the Rodian's head around and dropped his body to the ground without a second glance.

That was it. More people had chosen to flee than he had calculated but it was no matter. The spaceport had held the majority of the vehicles so they wouldn't get very far. If the Freed Ones didn't get them, the desert would.

Galen searched for his commlink.

"This is the Chainbreaker, I've cleared out the central place", he said.

There was a bit of static before a voice answered him.

"Understood, Commander. Moving in now."

The mixed group of troopers and volunteers emerged from where they'd been hiding in the eastern dunes and made their way into the city. Some picked up a weapon or two from the corpses lying around and by the time they reached the central place they made a nice, heavily armed squad.

"Open every door, climb on every tower, and check every floor for basements", Galen commanded. "Kill the slavers and criminals whose identity you can confirm. Bring the rest to me. Only those bearing my sign are allowed to leave the town."

He received a series of "Roger Sir" and nodded satisfied. The troopers had done good work in training the volunteers. They had already adopted the military attitude of real soldiers. They also followed his orders without question and didn't bat an eyelash at the mass or corpses. If any, he spotted a freed slave or two kick a random corpse and sneer at them.

Before long the first prisoners were brought to him. It seemed to be a family of five, three children and their parents. They were all obviously terrified of him, whimpering and crying and begging him for their lives. Galen didn't care for their weakness. He chose to test the man first. Having had the chance to cool down a bit, he was more careful this time to look over the memories.

"Stop fighting me", he growled annoyed when his victim resisted. "If you do that I'm just going to assume that you're guiltily and kill you all."

"I-I'm not guiltily of anything!", the man tried to protest. "I haven't done anything."

"Please, whatever you do", the woman said under tears, "please don't hurt the children."

"Shut your damn mouth", Galen snapped at her and continued to browse through the man's mind who was no longer resisting. The guy was a retired smuggler, it seemed. The woman's family had been living on Tatooine for at least three generations. Her parents had still held slaves but this family wasn't rich enough for that. They only had a small business that traded hunting trophies and shipped them off world. Not exactly legal but they were no slavers and as far as he could see, didn't belong to the scum that generally fled to the desert planet.

Galen picked up a vibroblade from a fallen foe, sliced up the next corpse and covered his left hand with his blood. He then pressed that hand on the left shoulder of the shivering smuggler who jumped and looked at him terrified. Ignoring their continued pleas to spare them, he moved on to mark the woman and children.

"You are free to go", he said than, much to the disbelief and relief of the family. "As long as you bear my sign, none of my men will attack you. Stay in town till the cleanup is finished or try your luck in the desert, I don't care. Next."

The family was too stunned to say much of anything but his squad had already brought the next prisoners, a group of three. One was a Rodian and one was of a reptile species he didn't recognize. The third was a Wookie and even without using the Force actively Galen could sense the hatred from this one.

The armored aliens began to rapidly talk to him in Huttese, which Galen only understood a few words of. He didn't much care for it though and simply started to go through the mind of the Rodian. He offered some resistance and so Galen brushed through the mind of the Wookie as well to confirm what he'd seen. The Rodian and the other armored alien were crew members of a smuggling ship. Their Captain had gone out to fight Galen when he'd heard the noise. The Chainbreaker was no unknown legend. The Captain had gone to join the fight in hope of gaining the Hutt's bounty and ordered the other two to guard the Wookie so he wouldn't get any funny ideas.  
The Wookie, apparently, was a female (which the crew hadn't bothered to find out). She'd been enslaved by the Empire some years ago and forced to work on a small space station that overlooked the trade of a small farming world. Like all Wookie slaves she'd received a small detonator that now laid under her skin. The smuggling crew had stopped at the station for a robbery, came across the detonator codes and simply added the Wookie to their goods like any other object.

Galen looked at one of his men.

"Fetch me some kind of bowl, will you?"

The solider looked confused but went back into one of the houses already searched and returned with a stone bowl. Galen cut off the head a nearby corpse and hung it over the bowl, filling it with blood. The Rodian smuggler leaned to the side and vomited. Galen rolled his eyes, gathered some blood on his palm and pressed it to the female Wookie's shoulder.

"This one goes free", he said to his squad. "The other two, kill them."

"You heard what the boss said", one of the trooper said.

The aliens tried to protest but Galen didn't understand what they were saying and didn't care. The squad shot them down and the Wookie gave a surprised but satisfied growl.

"You're free to go if you can find transportation or know your way around the desert", he said to the furry alien. "Otherwise you may accompany my team back to our base after we're done here."

The Wookie gave a series of growls and cries.

"I have no idea what that means", he returned flatly. "They can remove your slave transmitter and maybe give you a job that'll earn you enough money to get off world. Or you can join in our effort to bring down the Hutt Cartel. Your choice. Next."

The Freed Ones tried to bypass the Wookie to present the next prisoner but the Wookie was very insistent to get some kind of message across that nobody understood.

"Get that furball out of my sight", Galen snarled. Two men moved to grab the Wookie. She shook off their arms angrily and howled at them but didn't attack when they made placating gestures. She got out of the way at last but instead of leaving she simply went with the two that had brought her and the two aliens in. They regarded the tall furry alien warily for a moment but allowed her to come with them and help in rounding up slavers.

The next prisoner was a lone Twi'lek girl, scantly clad and terrified. According to his men she had been found in the presence of two armed Gammoreans who'd had to be killed because of their resistance. It seemed unnecessary to even check her but Galen went through her mind anyway. Then he pointed a finger at her chest and electrocuted her with a single bolt of lightning.

The Fred Ones and other prisoners gasped.

"Commander, she was a slave girl!", one of the soldiers protested. "Why'd you do that?"

"She may have been a slave at one point but she's long since moved up to a slave overseer, working for Ajourn the Hutt on Ryloth. She came here to buy slaves from those that feared to lose their investment during to our revolution. She was a traitor to her kind and a whore. More so, she even dressed like that when news came of my attack just because she hoped to be mistaken for a slave and be spared. Next."

It annoyed him that he even had to explain himself but it wouldn't do for his men to think he murdered people randomly. 

The next group was brought in front of him and then the next. After a while Galen had made a pile of corpses that he could comfortably sit on and that provided him with a constant stream of blood to mark the Freed Ones. He didn't care what it looked like. He didn't even care about the dirt or the smell. It was the smell of battle, of victory. Not to mention that terrified victims were much easier to read.

It wasn't always that easy to pass judgment on the prisoners. There were some that opposed slavery but frequently robbed and murdered people. There were some who killed and raped unashamed but only targeted Imperials during to some personal grudge. There were even some working for the Cartel who'd never killed or enslaved a single soul but often blackmailed, beat and threatened people who owed money to the Hutts. Where to pull the line of who deserved to die and who didn't? It was easy to determine who would join the Freed Ones and be willing to follow their rules. It was easy to simply kill off everyone currently owning a slave. The criminals were harder to figure out, considering his little organization didn't really have the means to punish them with anything other than death. He let go most of the spineless ones, not caring if they spread the word about him. He killed those that he thought might come after him or his people later as well as those that would continue to work for the Cartel if given the chance. Then there were those that, while they had done some pretty horrible things, could become allies if they could be convinced to change their ways. Though he was starting to get tired, Galen took the time to talk to them and then sent them off with his men to help in rounding up the prisoners. They would have to see how they acted. If they tried to flee, how they treated the slaves they found and if they could follow orders. If they behaved well, at the end of the day they got the chance to either join the Freed Ones, stay in town and leave the planet when the spaceport was built up again or take a backpack of food and water and try to reach the next town.

When Galen had first announced that he was going to read the minds of the prisoners to see who was trustworthy, nobody had objected. Some may have doubted him but after today's demonstration he expected the rumors would only grow and become more ridiculous. Of course he couldn't read everyone's mind. Quite a few had managed to resist his probe but if they didn't budge upon being called on it, he simply killed them. In his eyes everyone was guiltily until proven otherwise. They should be glad he even gave them the chance to show him the truth.

The team was still busy until late in the evening. All the marked ones who'd decided to come with them (a total of 29) got enough water to last them for the march back to the Homestead.

Galen took the assortment of freed slaves back himself while the squad stayed to set up patrols in the city and get rid of the corpses. Of course it was too much to ask though to reach the Homestead unmolested. Halfway on their journey the caravan was attacked by a group of masked primitives. The slaves weren't about to have their newfound freedom taken from them and since all of them were armed, they put up a good fight. Galen barely had to kill anyone. Obviously the raiders had thought them a harmless caravan and got a nasty surprise instead.

Back in the caves all Galen wanted to do was get a good nights sleep (or day, considering the time).   
However, no such luck. He was accosted by Luke just after he finished to clean up.

"Is it true?", Luke wanted to know. "Did you really lead a raid on Anchorhead?"

"Yes", he replied simply.

"Why didn't you tell me?", he asked further. "Why didn't you take me with you?"

"You were busy with your relatives", Galen evaded.

"But - we're a team!", the young man protested, sounding hurt. "Aren't we?"

Galen sighed. "Of course we are. And I promise if you want to you can come for the next raid. But this one, I had to do on my own."

"Why?"

"Thanks to that idiot Solo the whole Cartel thinks me some kind of supernatural hero. I needed to make a statement. I needed to show my power. The Hutts are the kind of people who would target your allies if they can't get you. They don't cower for anybody but they aren't stupid. They're wary of the Empire because they know that they're stronger and more important, that they wouldn't think twice about wiping them out if provoked. I needed them to think me worse than the Empire. I can't have them think me some silly misguided hero who would willingly walk into a trap to rescue his friends. I need them to think I won't hesitate to burn down their cities and put the head of their children onto spears if they dare to hurt those that are mine. I need them to come crawling and begging me to give them a quick death because they fear what else I might do to them if they refuse to surrender." 

Galen looked at Luke's rapidly paling face seriously. "You don't want to see what I did in Anchorhead. I didn't free these people to throw them into a war they're not prepared for. There's no point to that. If I wanted to I could go to Nal Hutta and slay the heads of all Hutt families and be done with it. That's not what I'm here to do though."

"What are you here to do then?"

"I want to give these people the chance of revenge of their own. Those that can be content with the death of their slavers and move on to live in peace can do so. But there will always be those filled with hatred who are unable to find any peace unless they see the galaxy burn, unless every last of their kind has been set free. Anchorhead was a message to my enemies as much as it was to my allies."

"You won't gather a very big army with those methods", Luke warned.

"Maybe not", Galen admitted. "But the army I will have will be feared across the whole galaxy."

"I'm not sure you know what you're doing", Luke said hesitantly. "This... This can't be good for you."

"I didn't ask you to follow on my path."

"And I won't. But... I still want to do what I can to help you. The battlefield is where you belong. But I believe it would be a mistake to make your own allies fear you. Try... Just try to be yourself at least around us, will you? You need it. You need a break."

"Be myself?", Galen repeated dubiously. "Who's to say I'm not myself on the battlefield?"

"You're not. You let the Force fill you and... and change you. Don't do that. Not here, not in the Homestead. Please."

"I can't just cut myself off from the Force just because you don't like it when my eyes flash yellow", Galen returned annoyed.

"That's not what I’m asking! But... Remember on Death Squadron you could use the dark side just as well while using positive emotions to fuel your power. You're not just a tool for their vengeance for these people but a protector and a guardian. Solo is right, they need a symbol. Give it to them and you'll never be forgotten."

"I... will try", Galen agreed reluctantly. It wasn't too much to ask for and it might be good way to practice his control.

"Thank you", Luke said with a smile.

A tension Galen hadn't known existed left him and he hesitantly returned the smile. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

XxX

2BBY Tatooine Month 2

Galen had changed ever since Vader had literally thrown him out, Juno had decided. At first it wasn't very noticeable. He threw himself into the war with the Hutts without care for his own life. On the second day of their arrival, he killed every inhabitant of Anchorhead that wore a weapon and dozens of slaves that had been working there and some civilian families joined the Freed Ones. He spent hours with Elvoy, the former Imperial trooper who'd taken charge of the Homestead's defense in his absence, mulling over strategy plans. When he came to Juno at night his need was raw and burning hot like a raging inferno and as much as she enjoyed his passion, it scared her that he wouldn't talk. He wouldn't talk about what happened with Vader and he wouldn't talk about his mother that was left behind.

It was Luke who eventually pulled him out of it. He made him play with the children that inhabited the Homestead. He made him attend family dinner with his Aunt and Uncle. He made him go out with a stupid Twi'lek schutta and face Juno's wrath afterwards. He taught him how to ride a swoop bike and raced him through the canyon.

And slowly, he changed. He dropped the name Starkiller in favor of his given one - though the Freed Ones still called him by that iconic nickname, 'Chainbreaker'. When he now touched her it was more careful, almost tender, though it still only took a slight sway of her hips and a cocky smile to ignite the flames in his eyes. He spent time with the Freed Ones, and not just the military leaders. He made an effort to remember the name of the woman who cooked their food, the girl that cleaned their clothes, the man that took care of his armor and gear and even the designation of the med droid that put him back together when he came back from a battle bruised and bloodied.

Galen hat set his mind on freeing Tatooine from the Hutts and he did so by marching into every single city and searching every corner for smugglers, slavers and bounty hunters. One of the cities actually went and executed all their slaves when they heard that the Chainbreaker was approaching. Galen buried the whole town in a massive sandstorm.   
From there on the war became a bloodbath. The Freed Ones wanted to fight at the front too. Galen would go ahead, plunging for the center of criminal occupation and the soldiers following him would break down doors, drag people out into the streets, take in slaves and civilians where they found them and eliminate those known for their crimes. Sorting through the prisoners by reading their minds actually took Galen more time than the fighting. He had help though. Apparently the Freed Ones had ransacked Jabba's palace after his death and secured a bunch of contracts. Since the Hutt Cartel was in charge of slave trade, they kept track of their customers. This meant they had a list of people to go after and they were quite good at separating those cowardly begging for their lives from those that truly were innocent.

Soon enough, the Hutts withdrew all their lackeys from the desert planet, though the bounty on the 'Chainbreaker's head remained. There were still bounty hunters and still people who simply wouldn't roll over and die when former slaves took control of their cities. And then there were the sandpeople, attacking and abducting Freed Ones were they found them. The war had destroyed many vehicles so the former slaves often had to travel by foot, making them easy targets.

The last city they had conquered was Mos Espa, which counted as a big victory. They secured a good number of spaceships and had started to build up a small fleet of their own.

Today Galen was busy teaching a group of fifteen soldiers how to wield a vibroblade. He paced up and down in front of them as they practiced katas, occasionally correcting their forms. Juno had adopted a teaching position herself, though she led a beginner's course in blaster pistols.

A small boy, around five, approached them in a jog. Fearlessly he came up to Galen and tugged at his sleeve. That was quite unnecessary to get his attention and Galen suspected that the brat just wanted a chance to touch him - the kids seemed oddly fond of crawling all over him when he submitted to their affections because of Juno or Luke watching him with hawk eyes.

"What is it?", he asked, suppressing an eye roll.

"Sir, the Jedi is back again."

There was only one Jedi in the Homestead and that was Luke. Of course whether or not Luke was a Jedi was debatable. He himself claimed this was not the case as he didn't follow their Code or rules. The Freed Ones didn't really understand what he was talking about. He used the light side of the Force, he was wanted by the Empire, he was nice to everyone and preferred diplomacy over violence - of course he was a Jedi. The first time Galen had heard that argument he'd cringed. He'd been taught all his life to hate Jedi but Luke was, well, Luke. Jedi or not, he was his friend and it wasn't as if he could trust anything Vader or Sidious said anyway.

At least nobody had taken to calling Galen a Jedi. Neither was he a Sith to them - most normal people didn't even know what that words meant. He was just 'the Chainbreaker'.

Luke had left the Homestead a few days ago to try and negotiate with the sandpeople. Galen thought that was a hopeless cause but he honestly didn't care enough to argue and he knew his brother could take care of himself.

"Thanks", he told the boy offhandedly, who grinned as if his birthday had come early.

"I want you to continue practicing these katas for twenty more minutes, then get yourself some lunch", he told the recruits, who made appreciative comments. They didn't like staying under the suns for so long but Galen insisted as these were the conditions they might have to fight under for real later.

Galen reached out through the Force to find his brother and followed the pull down into the caves, through a system of tunnels and up again to the surface into one of the farm basins connected to the Homestead. Luke was standing by one of the vaporators and next to him stood a... creature.

Galen drew his lightsaber, igniting the blood red blade. There was a high pitched squeak from a little Jawa hiding behind the vaporator. The masked Tusken Raider raised his weird weapon but otherwise made no moves to attack. Then Luke turned around, smiling widely when he saw Galen and came forward a few steps so he was standing between the Sith and the odd pair of locals.

"Kazgul, Tirri, I want to introduce you to my brother, Galen. Also known as Starkiller, Chainbreaker or Bloodwing."

Galen raised an eyebrow at the last one, he hadn't heard it before.

"Galen, these are my friends Tirri, he's translating for me, and my new student, Kazgul Mah'kata."

Galen threw a glance at the Tusken who seemed to regard him warily, ready to defend himself. Then he looked over to the Jawa that was still hiding behind the vaporator but stuck his head to the side to glance at him with eerily glowing yellow eyes under his pitch black hood. Then over to Luke, who was outwardly smiling but his shoulders were tense and his eyes seemed to plead him not to make a scene.

"Your student, huh?"

"That's right. Kazgul is Force-sensitive and I promised to each him how to use it in exchange for the support of his clan."

Galen let out a long suffering sigh. He really should be used to these kinds of surprises from Luke. Luke, teaching a Tusken Raider about the Force... Lord Vader would have s heart attack. Hm, maybe he should go and tell him...

"Does that mean my people won't be attacked left and right by these savages?", Galen asked.

"Well, not by the Mah'kata at any rate. It might take some time to spread the word but if you have the chance to capture any attackers, Kazgul might be able to convince them to go peacefully."

"I suppose if it means having one less front to fight on, I can't argue with that. But I will hold you responsible for any future troubles they will cause."

There was some squeaking and growling as the Tatooine locals translated what had been said but Galen was already turning away. He would tolerate the Tusken for now but that didn't mean he had to like him. Or be polite.

It was time for lunch and Galen headed down into the caves. He wanted to meet up with Juno so they could go to the cantina together. He admitted to being a bit worried for her. Juno was a really good pilot but she wasn't as used to battle as he was. Even though the Captain was two years older than him, she hadn't had quite as many fights where you were really confronted with the destruction you brought afterwards. The stress was getting to her. On top of that he thought that maybe she was coming down with something as she had occasionally complained about a stomach ache.

He found the blonde in one of home caves. She was in the fresher and kept feverishly washing her hands, rubbing them together in the bowl of water and inspecting her nails every few seconds only to keep scrubbing. She flinched when Galen laid a hand on her shoulder but she didn't turn around.

"Juno, what's wrong?"

She recognized Galen's voice and relaxed slightly.

"Nothing", she muttered. "Just washing my hands."

Galen carefully took the bowl from her and set it aside, then turned her around to face him. Juno immediately looked down, ashamed. She knew how precious water was on Tatooine and yet she had wasted it in such a way.

"I - I'm sorry. I just... sonic just doesn't do it, it can't... it can't get that.... that blood off my hands", she stammered.

"What are you talking about?", he wanted to know. He took one of her hands in his. "Your hands are clean."

"No", Juno muttered. "No they're not."

"They were slavers and criminals. The scum of the galaxy", Galen said to her.

"I know", she whispered.

"There were even less civilian deaths than expected. The slaves themselves fought against their oppressors, knowing we were coming. Mos Espa was burning for days before we even set foot there and when we prompted them to capitulate, many chose to stay in the safety of their houses."

"I know that", Juno said a bit more forceful. "I know we did the right thing and I don't regret it. It's just... I haven't been on active duty ever since... Since Callus. What we did there in the name of the Emperor, in the name of Vader... It was terrible. When I was assigned to the Shadow I had hoped I would never have to bomb a city again."

Galen took her face into his hands and Juno leaned into his touch.

"This time, we're fighting for the right side. For our side", he whispered. "Every Freed One on this planet owes their life to us."

"And every death that came during our war lies on our conscience." She smiled weakly. "Quite a definition of freedom."

Juno looked down at her hands lying in Galen's. To her, they were still stained red.

"I fought for the Empire because I wanted to prove myself", she admitted. "It was never about preserving peace or maintaining order. But after Callus... I never wanted to do that kind of thing ever again. And now we're at war and... I just wish..." She couldn't continue. She couldn't say it.

"The war won't go on for much longer. Tatooine will be free soon", Galen said slowly. "We don't have to go any further. The Cartel will retaliate... it will be hard keeping the planet if we stay on the defensive but it might be possible. You just have to wonder... is it worth it? Is it worth it to let millions of people suffer in slavery just to keep your hands clean?"

Juno took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant, Galen."

She looked up, meeting his impassive stare. 

"I'm pregnant with your child", she repeated when he didn't say anything, just in case the first time had been too quiet. 

"Wait, but you said... You said you used protection."

"I did. Except for that first time", Juno admitted and looked down. "I'm sorry."

Galen turned away from her and she worried what kind of expression he tried to hide from her. Until he slammed a fist against the wall next to him so hard the sandstone cracked. She knew then that he was furious.

Juno tried to keep the sobs in her throat.

She had learned the news four days ago when her period hadn't come for the second time in a row and she made the test. It had turned her world upside down. It was terrible timing for a baby. They were at war, there was a bounty on each of the heads of the Shadow's crew and - and she was only 21 years old! She was still in the process of discovering her place in the galaxy and had no desire to settle down. Galen was even younger and their future was uncertain and - how could she ever justify bringing a child into this galaxy? Not to mention it might come out Force-sensitive and she knew the crap Galen and Luke had to put up with because of that. She wasn't ready to be a mother and Galen most certainly wasn't ready to be a father. It was just another problem to add to their pile and they really, really didn't need that.

Still... When she saw her lover's first reaction to the news, Juno felt a tad bit disappointed. Some dreamy part of her had imagined him to be happy. She might have still argued against the baby. She had asked the local doctor if he did abortions before she even told Galen. She hadn't wanted to tell him at first but a part of her... a small part wanted him to talk her out of it.

"I spoke to Doctor Zeylin yesterday", she muttered. "He's going to take care of it."

Galen turned around, still angry, still on the verge of exploding. "What do you mean by that?!", he snapped.

"I... I can't have a baby right now. This is the best way."

"You want to give it to Zeylin of all people? He would hardly be my first choice when it comes to raising children", the Sith spat.

Juno stared at him. "Galen, I'm talking about abortion."

Some of the anger fled from his eyes, making room for surprise.

"You... You want to kill it?"

"Well, it's not really alive yet", she said carefully, not liking the sound of that.

Galen licked his suddenly dry lips. "But you... You can't do that."

She sighed. "Galen, this is terrible timing. I can't take care of a baby, I don't know how and there's the war and - and don't you think Vader or the Emperor might target it because it's yours? It would only hold us back."

"I know that!", Galen snapped but then closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.

"I know that", he said again, more quietly. "But it's a child - a baby. A helpless, innocent baby - my baby, our baby. You - we - can't kill it."

Juno felt her stomach drop and her spirits rise at the same time. "But then - who's going to take care of it? When you're fighting at the front and I'm steering the Shadow over the battlefield, who's going to take care of our baby? Who's going to protect it when... If we die?"

"We'll figure something out", Galen promised and Juno didn't fight when he took her in his arms. In fact she dug her fingers into his clothes and held him tight.

"I thought... I thought you wouldn't want it", she admitted. "You're angry, even now. I know it."

Galen sighed. "Juno, I'm a Sith, anger is my first reaction to pretty much everything. Just... give me some time. I'll figure something out. Stars, I'm responsible for over three hundred people in the Homestead and a couple of thousand more on the rest of the planet, many of which are children. What is one more soul to add to that?"

Juno relaxed in his embrace and sighed. So that was it. She was going to become a mother. What a strange and terrifying thought. But Galen was right. It wasn't like she was alone, there were plenty of people around who would love to help her. With the hero-worship Galen provoked from the common people, their child would probably be glorified beyond measure. It would be alright. It had to be.

Two hours later Galen sat in the shadow of a small plateau and watched Luke explain to his new student how to operate a vaporator. His thoughts and emotions were a mess. He could still barely believe it - he was going to have a child. A little boy or a little girl. He didn't know what would be weirder. Juno was right, it was terrible timing. Maybe he was being paranoid but he was pretty certain the Emperor would be after his child. Maybe even Vader, because he didn't think Galen would be fit to take care of it. The mere thought of one of them taking his offspring away made Galen growl in rage and possessiveness. But then he thought of Tatooine and of all the plans Elvoy and him had thought up against the Hutt Cartel. If he were to raise a child, he had every intention to be everything Vader had never been to him. If he were to be a father, he wanted to be there for the brat, he wanted to care and he wanted to let it know that he cared. But he couldn't do that while fighting for the freedom of the millions of slaves out there. The obvious solution would be then to just not become a... a father. To let Juno kill it. To let her... murder... his child.

Fuck. He couldn't do that. Just voicing it in his head sounded so utterly wrong.

"Hey S.K.", his brother said, having come down to him. "Is something wrong?"

Galen looked up to his brother who must've felt his messed up emotions through their bond.

"Juno, she... She's pregnant", he managed to get out after a few moments.

Luke's eyes widened. "Really!? That's great news! Congratulations, brother!"

Galen cleared his throat, suddenly feel embarrassed. "Yes, well, thanks... I guess."

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I have no idea. I learned of it five minutes ago Luke, I'm still kinda in shock."

"Oh. Well, if it's a boy, feel free to call him Luke", he offered grinning.

"I'm not naming my son after you", Galen replied and rolled his eyes. He shuddered a bit. My son. Whether it was going to be one or not but somehow that sounded far more personal than just 'my child'.

"Well, we should totally celebrate that!"

"No."

"But-"

"Luke, I'm not much in a celebrating mood, if you haven't noticed."

Luke deflated a bit. "But why not? Don't you want your own family?"

His own family. Again, such a strange concept. After struggling almost his entire life to fit into a family that rejected him, he'd found a semblance of peace in a small number of people, most of which weren't even related to him but who he could feel to be part of. All of them, Luke, Juno and even Mallie, he had thought of them as family. But now he imagined Juno with a tiny little bundle in her arms and he felt... something well up inside of him. His companions were friends, not family. No less important but on an entirely different level. Friends stood next to you in battle and had your back. Family however was something to be protected at all cost. Juno must never set foot into a bomber again. Not until the child was born at the very least.

"I want a family", Galen whispered. "I want that child. But I have no idea what to do with it. Or how to protect it."

"I'm going to help you", Luke promised immediately. "It can't be too hard to take care of a baby. We can take shifts in watching over it."

"And what about the Hutts? I don't want to take Juno with me into a warzone."

"You know, you don't have to save everyone. You said you wanted to give those that want revenge the means to fight against oppression. But you don't have fight at the front with them to do that. You can train people. Give them the weapons to defend themselves but stay behind and have their back."

That didn't sound all that unreasonable. He rarely ever encountered a serious challenge so every battle he took part in was almost a guaranteed victory. That was why he had tried to take part in as many battles as possible, leaving his men to clean up afterwards. Even if the Hutts weren't a proper challenge to him, they could still be so for the Freed Ones after all. But Luke was right, they had to grow stronger on their own. They had to learn how to act independently. Then he could stay behind more often.

There would be a lot more casualties but Galen wasn’t a hero. He wasn't even a particularly good person. He was a Sith. He wanted to win the war because damn it. He'd chosen to fight against slavery because it reminded him of his own childhood and because he wanted to hone his skills. While he had grown fond of the Freed Ones, he didn't care about them enough to not put his own needs over them. Or that of his family. Galen wasn't one to fight for ideas or philosophies. He fought for himself and for the people he cared about.

"There is still a risk", he mused aloud. "What if something happens to Juno or me?"

"Nothing will happen", Luke reassured him. "And if it does, I would be more than happy to take care of the child, I promise."

Galen gave him a shrewd look. "You know, I'm not sure I'd like that."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because you'd turn it into a Jedi."

Luke looked hurt. "I'm not a Jedi."

"As good as." Galen stood and began to pace. "Just think about it. If my child winds up Force-sensitive, I'm definitely going to teach it. It would have to learn how to defend itself after all. But you, you'd fill its head with your light side nonsense."

"Would you rather it didn't learn about the Force at all?"

"Of course not, but-"

"And would you hurt it and force it to hurt others the way Vader taught you about the dark side?"

"No but-"

"I don't think the dark side is very child friendly. Its uses are mostly combat based anyway. I really don't think you should start off training with it."

"I won't allow any child of mine to become a Jedi."

"Would you kill it if it ran away and became one anyway?"

"I... I don't know. Probably not. But that's not the point!"

"Yes it is. Whether you use the light or the dark side, it's a choice everybody should make on their own. I'm naturally more capable of using the light, just as you are more talented in using the dark."

"But that's heavily influenced by the way we've been brought up. I can control which choice my child may make, at least to a certain extent."

Luke sighed. "I'm just saying... I've been through that before. Vader tried to make me embrace the dark side but he couldn't. Not without hurting me. What if that is the choice it comes down to? Will you hurt and break your child so it will grow up in darkness? Or will you allow it to live normally so it may choose on its own, even if you may not like that choice? Of course you can teach it dark side techniques that aren't too harmful. It didn't work with me but it might with your child because it would be younger. Who knows, maybe it can end up mastering both sides."

"That's ridiculous", Galen decided. "The two sides are exclusive from each other. Using the dark weakens your connection to the light and vice versa."

"Who ever said that? The Sith? They're liars. The Jedi? They're hypocrites."

"Vader uses both sides and he's steadily growing weaker", Galen argued.

"Father is getting old. You can't know if that has anything to do with it. But if the child were to learn of both sides it would at least know what it signs up for if it does end up making a final choice."

"It's my child Luke, I don't want you messing with its education!"

Luke threw up his arms. "You were the one concerned about raising it alone!"

That was true but Galen couldn't help but feel a bit threatened. As much as he liked Luke, he didn't want him to influence his family too much.

"You're not getting my kid if I die", he decided at last. "I'm telling Juno to take it and run if it comes to that and you are not to tell him or her anything about the Force unless the entire Empire is on Juno's heels and she comes to you for help herself."

Luke looked dejected. "You... You wouldn't trust me with them? Not even when you're not there to protect them yourself anymore?"

"I'd trust you with their life but I don't trust you not to corrupt them."

"You know, if I had any children I wouldn't mind giving them to you if I died. I might make you swear an oath to never hurt them, physically or emotionally, but then I would trust you to keep that oath."

Galen didn't doubt for a moment that Luke would never hurt his child if it were to be given to him but that was just it. He couldn't allow his child to be pampered and grow soft. He might not go and hunt down his offspring if it decided to go rogue and become a Jedi but it wasn't something he wanted. It was a matter of pride that he wanted his kid to be able to take care of itself.

Then again, wasn't Vader's sole reason for teaching Luke about the light side so he could defend himself? Would Galen in the event of his death be willing to keep the knowledge of the Force from his child just because there wasn't a dark side teacher around that he trusted?

"Okay fine", the Sith conceded. "If I die tomorrow you get to teach my kid. But don't you dare make it call you father! If I die in ten years or so you can complete its training but let it continue its self studies and support it in it."

"Yes!", Luke called out, sounding quite victorious. "I promise not to disappoint you!"

In that moment Juno who'd spotted them by the plateau came over to them.

"Hello Luke, I've heard you're back again", she greeted him. "What are you doing out here in the suns though?"

"We're planning the Force carrier of S.K.'s little kid", Luke replied brightly.

"What was that?"

"I've been talked into letting him teach it in the event of my death", Galen supplied. "Luke will protect you and the child with his life."

"Oh, it's gonna be great!", Luke said. "I can teach him about the light side of the Force and S.K. can start him on the dark side and-"

"By the stars, I'm barely two months pregnant!", Juno protested. "You don't even know yet if the child will be Force-sensitive. Let it learn how to talk and walk first before you give it a bloody lightsaber already!"

"We're still at war though", Galen reminded her. "I could die tomorrow. I have to make contingency plans."

"Don't say things like that! You are not going to dare abandon me now!"

"I'm not planning to. I don't think I will either but in the most unlikely case that I do..."

"It will be years before any kind of training will become an issue. So much can happen in a few years."

"That's right", Galen said with a thoughtful expression. "I could have the cartel wiped out by then, then I'll have all the time in the galaxy to teach the kid..."

"Or you could die", Luke supplied helpfully, "and I get to teach it."

"If I didn't know any better", Galen said with a glare to his brother, "I might be worried you'd stab me in the back and kill me just so you can have my kid. You're entirely too enthusiastic about this."

"I would never do that. I'm not PROXY. I might end up taking over the parental role if you spend too much time on the battlefield though."

"Now that'd be even worse. At least give me the courtesy of a duel to end your pathetic existence."

Juno recognized that the boys were falling back into their usual bickering. With as sigh she turned around to head back into the caves. At least that answered the question of whether or not Galen would really be willing to take on his role as father. He was already planning the child's higher education. If he'd known the gender, he might already be picking out potential brides or grooms. Juno didn't know if that was a good or a bad sign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything is still stressful around here. Things have been going up and down.
> 
> Last chapter was bout Luke, now this chapter about SK. Part of this chapter happened before the last so I've taken to writing down Month X for it. In Month 1 it's about half a year no since Galen was first sent to Vader. Of course it's purely coincidence that we're at the start of a new year here. The SW universe doesn't seem to have names for the months (and there are 10 months to a year).
> 
> The following chapter may still contain small scenes happening in Month 1 or 2 from different POV's even while we move on further.
> 
> I'm exited to hear your opinion on SK's new situation!


	56. Chapter 56

2BBY Alderaan, Month 1

Luke looked around confused, taking in the big round room and the many pods lining the walls. He was standing next to Leia in one of them and there were a lot of people around, all shouting and arguing loudly.

"Wow", he said, vaguely impressed. "I didn't know the Imperial senate was that messy."

Leia chuckled a bit. "It's not. Usually there's just one person in the middle floating and everybody else listens, only two or three throwing in comments. But they can argue for hours over the most useless of things.”

"Your dreams are weird", Luke decided.

"I would love to see what yours look like", the princess returned teasingly.

"Hey, I have completely normal dreams. Except for that one..."

"Which one?", she asked when he hesitated to speak further.

"It wasn't a real dream. It was a Force vision. I had them before, but only ever as a sort of hunch of what was happening elsewhere. This one was my first actual vision of the future."

Leia shifted a bit uncomfortably. She knew that technically the Force wasn't evil but the only known Force user these days was Vader, who certainly used it for evil. Well, he and the Emperor but she only knew that he had the same strange powers because Luke told her. Leia had met Jedi before but she hadn't had the chance to talk to them all that much.

"Do you want to talk about it?", she asked. If he'd foreseen some important event of the future she knew he was unlikely to tell her. He might not know that she had officially joined the resistance but she doubted he'd be surprised if he learned of it.

"I only got a warning a few minutes before it happened. The vision was about my brother. He... He got into a fight with father." Luke laughed hollowly and Leia scowled in worry. Her friend didn't look so good. He looked exhausted and... haunted.

"Calling it a fight would be exaggerated though. Father just.. He stabbed him in the back… Literally. He ran him through with his lightsaber, no provocation, no warning. And then he threw him away like a piece of trash."

Leia's eyes widened. "That's horrible!"

"I don't know why he did it! I don't understand it! But S.K. wasn't even surprised.. Said he should've seen it coming."

"What happened to your brother? Is he..."

"I was able to save him because of my vision, if barely. He should be able to recover."

"Luke, you have to get away from Vader", Leia whispered urgently. "Surely you have to realize how mad and dangerous he is? If he could do that to your brother, what's stopping him from doing it to you?"

"My father wouldn't hurt me", Luke said reflexively.

"I'm sure that's what S.K. thought as well."

"I - it's different. We're different."

"You always told me how you wanted him to fit into your family. How your father was doing so much better in accepting you two as equal. Well, if he sees you as the same then you're in danger as well."

Luke stared at her. "I... never thought about it that way."

"Please Luke, you have to leave him."

Now it was Luke who shifted uncomfortably. "I... kind of already did. I don't think I'm in danger, I don't think father would hurt me. But he meant to kill my brother and so I took him and fled with him. We went into hiding three days ago."

Leia breathed out in relief. She almost felt bad for it, Luke shouldn't have to go through this. But if it made him realize what a horrible person his father really was and that he'd be far better off without him, it would reassure her greatly. She didn't like being on opposing sides with her best friend, however indirectly.

"And your... Your brother, he won't return to Vader either?"  
Leia knew that Luke's brother - who she still only knew the initials of - had been trained by Vader for longer than Luke and that he was more... adept at the evil, dark teachings of his 'Master'. She didn't know exactly what his position was since he didn't appear at any official functions but to her it sounded like Vader was training him as his successor. 

Leia knew that defeating the Empire wasn't as easy as getting rid of the Emperor or even his evil lab dog. Still ridding the galaxy of such a prominent figure would give hope to many. It wouldn't do much though if there was an equally powerful and ruthless man ready to take the place.

"Actually, I'm surprised S.K. hasn't set out to kill Vader yet", Luke said. "If it weren't for the fact that he's grievously wounded and that the Emperor is with the fleet as well, he'd have probably ordered us to turn around." Luke sighed. "I don't understand what happened but I know that I don't want two people that are both very important to me to fight. I will do my best to keep S.K. away from the Empire."

Leia hesitated. "If you need to... uh... 'vanish', I might have some... friends I could call for help." Ironically that was the same offer Luke had once made her.  
The princess was briefly worried that she was walking into a trap, that Luke's story was a lie and he just wanted to get her to admit to her contacts. Then she mentally slapped herself. Luke was the most pure, compassionate and honest soul she knew. He might hide things from her occasionally because of obvious reasons but he would never lie to her.

Luke smiled weakly. "I appreciate it but I don't think that will be necessary. We're at a safe place right now and we're probably staying some time. S.K. already picked up a new hobby. It will keep him busy and distract him."

"I'm glad that you're away from that monster at least", Leia said. "If there's anything I can do to help, let me know."

"Will do. I already feel better just talking to you." Luke gave her a smile and waved in goodbye, then his image started to fade.

XxX

2BBY, Dagobah, Month 1

Obi-Wan Kenobi pushed aside the thick lichen blocking his way and almost stepped into a hole in the ground. A slight tremor in the Force warned him however and he was able to circumvent that potentially embarrassing danger.

The old Jedi stopped for a moment and looked up at the thick roof made of leaves. He longed to see the stars again. On Tatooine he'd seen them every night but here it was always dark, even during the day and pitch black during the night. The dark side was strong on this planet but the sheer amount of life made up for it at least a little bit.

Obi-Wan continued his way until he eventually reached the small abode hidden under the great roots of a thousand year old tree. In front of it sat a small gnome-like creature with big flapping ears and dark green, wrinkled skin. He was holding onto a short gnarled staff. His dull, almost blind eyes stared at the ground but Obi-Wan knew he saw more than even the most sharp-sighted eagle would.

"Master Yoda", he greeted the small alien and gave him a tense nod.

"Ah, Obi-Wan. Wondered when you would come, I did."

It had been three months since Obi-Wan had given up on arguing with the Organa's about Leia's training and had retreated into exile again. Except his self-imposed duty of watching over Luke was long since pointless. He'd received Yoda's call through the Force years ago but he hadn't been ready to give up on the twins yet, on the last hope of the Jedi. When he had finally relented and gone to see the former Grandmaster of the Jedi order, he'd found a weakened, old dwarf, half mad from solitude. He was more powerful in the Force than ever and maybe even wiser but he was also visibly unhinged. He rarely ever spoke about the Empire and sometimes turned away his attempts at conversation with a joke.

Obi-Wan understood the need to lay low, to observe and understand. Even to wait for the next generation to show up, to survive for the sake of survival and preserving their knowledge. That's what he'd done for a full decade. Right until that very abrupt wake-up call.

The last couple of years he'd seen more of the Empire than he'd ever wanted to. He saw how people were getting complacent and accepted the tyrannical rule. He saw discontent and resistance as well but it was so little, so far in between. It was disorganized and demoralized. What the people needed was a leader, a spokesperson that wasn't afraid of the Empire. There was a time when he'd had dreams of teaching Luke and raising him to be such a leader.

Of course such a leader didn't have to be Force-sensitive but history showed that it certainly helped. The Empire was so strong that a miracle would be necessary to bring it down and miracles were the Force’s forte.

But there was no leader, no hero and no chance for freedom, at least in his lifetime. In all those years traveling he hadn't found a suitable Padawan either and so he had followed Yoda's call to try and find a new purpose.

Yoda had started to teach him of hard to grasp concepts of the Force. They had spent days in meditation together and Obi-Wan had taken residence in a hut made of foliage by himself not too far from Yoda's dwelling. It was during one such meditation that Obi-Wan had sensed it.

"There has been a shift in the Force", he said quietly.

"Hm", was all Yoda said.

"I barely noticed it at first. But something was set into motion. Something got loose... escaped. It's not fully there yet but it's coming." Obi-Wan was not bothered by the old Master's silence. It wasn't all that unusual of him. 

"A storm, coming there is", Yoda muttered at last. "Of many futures, the most uncertain one has been picked."

It was ironic how twenty years ago, such prophetic words would've unsettled, even scared him. Today, it stirred excitement and hope within him.

"Should we prepare for it?"

"A war of the young ones, this is. Done all the preparations we could, we already have."

Obi-Wan immediately quenched the small spark of anger that wanted to rise in him. "So you opt that we do nothing. It might be our chance to revive the Jedi order but we will let it pass."

"There is no death, there is the Force. Joined it, our order has. Never return, they will", Yoda answered sagely. 

"There are still Jedi out there though", Obi-Wan protested. "They're not all dead."

"Dead they all will be or lose their ways so Jedi they can no longer be called."

"If there is no hope, then what have we survivors been waiting for?"

"Hope? Never said no hope there was, I did. You and I, like old dusty paintings we are of a once lush garden. Good only as an example for new hope to plan a new garden after. If ever Jedi there will be again, different from us they have to be. Maybe not even called Jedi they will be anymore."

"I'm not sure I'm content being an old painting", Obi-Wan replied a bit cynical.

"Then go and be a gardener instead. Too old for that I am, bend down so far my knees won't allow me to."

Obi-Wan shook his head and turned away from the old Jedi Master. He supposed it was true, if the Jedi wanted to come back they would have to adapt and change. He didn't know if he still had the will to take part in that though. If he couldn't believe that the Empire was evil and the Jedi were good then what was left to him? He might not have it in him to be a gardener.

The Jedi hermit absentmindedly brushed his fingers over the silver lightsaber hanging at his belt. There were two of them, the one he had constructed himself many years ago... and the other one. If he couldn't be a gardener, maybe he could at least lend some tools to one.

XxX

2BBY, High orbit over Kamino, Month 2

Emperor Palpatine leaned back at his desk in the sparse quarters of the corvette that was bringing him to his destination. Normally the corvette with its small assortment of prototype starfighters as escort would be entirely insufficient for the safety of the Emperor. However nobody knew - and nobody must know - when or where he was heading. Not one of the many Moffs and senators that he had to reschedule meetings with knew where he was going, especially not his foolish apprentice. This was a mission of secrecy. Of course, he could've sent a mere courier... He had many hands that could do such things for him but he wanted to add his most recent acquisition to his collection himself. The failure of what was supposed to be his true apprentice’s ascension was causing him to loose his composure the more he dwelled on it. Vader had failed. Starkiller had failed. It was time to move on to plan C.

There was still some time until the corvette would reach its destination so he busied himself to some other priority work. There it was, the report on Mallie Marek's status. She'd been brought to the Coruscant Social Science Academy - an assumed name for the place he send promising Force-sensitive children to that might one day become hands or inquisitors. What really took place in that academy was a carefully constructed horror. Special prisoners were brought there so students could practice interrogation methods on them, under the watchful eyes of trained Force-users so there was no chance for escape.

The Emperor scrolled through the report. There was a picture or two showing the quivering form of the woman on an operation table with a detailed list of drugs that had been administrated to her. He'd ordered no amputations for her, nor permanent brain damage, which reduced the means of his minions but they were nothing if not creative. They were only in the beginning phase of physical torture. It would get more interesting once they moved on to emotional abuse. By the end of it, the Jedi would do anything to escape the pain. Anything.

There was a knock at the door. Darth Sidious used the Force to slide it open and red clad royal guard was revealed.

"Sir, we have reached the station."

Darth Sidious stood, his dark hood obscuring his features. He set aside the datapad, which promptly locked itself and left the spaceship with three of his royal guards on either side of him.

There he was greeted by Dr. Seelas Kjorn, the Kaminoan in charge of the galaxy's most advanced cloning facilities.

He and the two assistants accompanying him bowed and greeted him:

"Your Highness, it is an honor that you visit our facilities. Your inspection is quite a surprise but we are confident that all of our work will fulfill your wishes."

"I am sure it will", Sidious allowed. "Unfortunately I do not have much time. I wish to see Project Eternity."

Dr. Kjorn gave another bow, slow and deliberate. His high stature and the long throat of his species gave him a flowing grace that was accentuated by his long blue and white robes. With long, spider-like fingers he motioned for the Emperor to follow him.

"Ever since the Empire ceased the production of clone troopers, we have increased our efforts in succeeding in this new project you have given us. It was not easy but you already inspected the first prototypes five years ago. We have since then progressed with several new lines with varying degrees of growth hormones dependence. As per your regulations, we have not activated them for mental conditioning or physical training. I feel the need to remind you though that unless steps are taken in that direction, the clones will remain empty shells with no combat ability. Their brains are mature enough to simulate an adults mind but they would have all the knowledge and education of an infant."

"I am well aware of these effects", the Emperor replied. "It will not be a problem."

They had reached the main area where the clones were grown. The Emperor hid a grimace under his hood as he entered the hall. It was like stepping into a cold pool or being covered by something slimy. For a moment he felt like his senses were dimmed. His eyes, normally enhanced through his powers, now struggled to make out any clear forms and colors. The Force was absent in this place. It was a hole to his perception and he felt weak without the dark side.

If Dr Kjorn noticed the slight falter in his steps, he didn't say anything but merely continued the tour. In the massive hall, hundreds of glass tanks were strung in a dozen lines. They were passing tanks with embryos, with children, teenagers and adults. Dr. Kjorn explained:

"As per your wishes in the F1 line we have six adult clones of each type ready at any time. These have been grown quickly with the help of hormones. In the F2 line, hormone treatment was induced only after the prepubescent stage was completed. This allowed for an accelerated yet more natural growth of the clones. The F3 line is growing without the help of hormones."

"What are their power levels?", Sidious wanted to know.

"As a standard we have used their midichlorian counts. The F1 line, as expected, showed only a slightly above average level to sustain human life. The F2 line reached 78% and 81% of the respective donor count from type A and B. This confirms the theory that midichlorians increase significantly faster before the specimen becomes sexually mature. The F3 line reaches almost 100% of the donor count but the long culturing duration is a rather significant disadvantage."

Sidious stepped closer to one of the tanks, squeezing his old eyes to get a better view. He could see two small cylinders attached to it, one with a clear fluid on the right, the other with a yellow one.  
Without prompting, the Kaminoan explained: "The right cylinder contains the conditioned donor DNA from the samples you supplied us with. The left one contains an oil that was processed from Ysalamir blood. The ability of these lizards to negate the Force is not entirely studied yet, nor is the negative effect of similar Force imprints on clones. In their presence though the clones grew much healthier and stopped dying in the infant stage, as was the problem with previous attempts to clone Force-sensitives. We have been able to reduce the amount of noise and dirt from having to use actual living animals by processing this oil. Of course we have to thank you, our Emperor, for bringing these curious creatures to our attention."

"Yes, they are quite the nuisance", Sidious snorted. He would have liked very much to just wipe out the entire species but they did have their uses. Not only did they make perfect tools to lure unsuspecting Jedi into traps but they also allowed for them to be cloned - something that had been thought impossible until recently. Of course Sidious didn't doubt that the only reason why science hadn't progressed in that direction was because the Republic had hailed the Jedi saints and the Force holy. Sidious saw nothing holy about the Force. It was a tool, a powerful one yes, but still a tool and he would use it as such.

"I am content with your work", Sidious said, "but I would like you to broaden your field a bit. Set up a few new lines with type C."

"Type C, your highness?"

Darth Sidious reached into a pocket in his robes and pulled out a sealed vial with blood.

"Type C, a promising one. It may serve as a template for a new army. I want you to develop the clones fast enough that the first 10,000 will be ready within the year."

"But - your highness! Even the F1 clones need ten years to mature, the F2 an additional five."

"I believe it is possible using the Spaarti cloning method. Surely you are familiar with it?"

"Well, of course... But your highness, the Cranscoc today do not nearly have the same expertise as the Khommite, their techniques are a cheap copy and of low quality. Not only would the clones be physically weaker than the original but it uses memory flashes from the donor to avoid training and mental conditioning, which can lead to severe psychological deficiencies and eventually madness. Also the maximum power level we could reach with this method is only 40%."

"I do not care if it goes against your pride, Doctor", the Emperor said sharply. He reached into his pocket again and revealed a glowing blue, round device that fit into his open palm and a small datastick.

"Here are all the memories that you will give the clones."

Reluctantly, the Kaminoan took the two devices. "If I may ask, your highness, why are there two? And is that a droid core?"

"The subject has been trained and conditioned for 19 years, first by Lord Vader, then by instructors of the royal palace. The stick contain recordings of his training at the palace. For his time before that, no recordings are available except for those that could be procured from the memory of a rather bothersome droid. Fortunately those are extensive and fairly complete."

"We will of course follow the wishes of our Emperor. Additional security measures might be appropriate though."

Sidious sneered. "You will receive all the funding you need."

Having done what he came for, the Emperor turned to leave but let his gaze wander over the tanks one last time. For a moment he lingered on the faces of the adult clones. His own, long forgotten face drifted inside of the clear fluid. Brown hair long since gone gray, sharp eyebrows long since burned and scarred and an athletic body that he would give half his Empire's fortune for - but not until it reached 100% performance. Then, next to it, the project that had become recently obsolete. When he had first ordered these clones he'd had high hopes for his apprentice. The body was meant as a reward for all those strenuous years in the cursed suit but now - he didn't deserve it anymore. Still he was hesitant to simply have it destroyed. Even a shell could be taught and manipulated into using its power for him. If Starkiller could not be convinced to return and be trained as a successor, Sidious would have to rule for another decade or two and this clone would be his apprentice. A poor substitute, considering the original had been created by the Force itself but it would have to suffice.

Sidious did not plan on living forever. He could - using cloning technologies to give himself new and stronger bodies - but that was not the point. The Sith Order had to grow and it could only do so under constant pressure and competition. He had to find an equal - a superior. He had to find the ultimate apprentice and if neither Vader nor Starkiller fit that role, he would simply have to live long enough to search in the next generation.

XxX

2 BBY, Tatooine, Month 3

Wedge' ship landed in the spaceport of a small town called Anchorhead. As cowardly as the so called resistance was in his opinion, they were pretty good at information gathering. It hadn't taken them long to establish a contact on the planet, one he was supposed to meet here. Before he could leave the spaceport though he was being stopped by a guard armed with a blaster rifle.

"Halt! Who are you and what is your business on Tatooine?"

Wedge wasn't too comfortable giving his true name, seeing as there was an Imperial bounty on his head. But if he were found out to be lying it might cost him the mission.

"My name is Wedge Antilles. I came to catch up with some comrades of mine."

"Yeah?", the guard said suspicious. "What kind of comrades?"

"Former Imperial.”

“The kind that got thrown out because their crimes were too much for even the Empire to handle?"

“No, the kind that have been wronged and seek justice.”

"Well, we do have some of those here. I've got to warn you though, this is territory of the Freed Ones. If you make any trouble you get a laser bolt to your head faster than you can say 'mercy'!"

 

"Lovely", Wedge said sarcastically. "I feel like I'm being back home again."

The guard let him pass and it wasn't long before the pilot heard a whispered 'psst!' from a side alley. He went to investigate and found a Twi'lek girl with blue skin wearing short pants and a white vest. She greeted him with a code phrase and Wedge answered in kind.

"The folks here seem pretty paranoid", he commented as she relaxed slightly.

"Well, they've got to be", the girl answered. "The cartel has tried to sneak in assassins before. I'm Eela by the way."

"Wedge, nice to meet you. What brought you to the resistance?"

Eela shook her head, making her head tails swing. "I'm not with the resistance. I'm with the Freed Ones. But my sister, she was enslaved too. We were separated but I heard how she got freed and recruited by the resistance. I'm doing this for her but I'll let you know right now that I don't like this secrecy thing. If you want to deal with us, you should go speak to one of our leaders directly."

"But that's what we need your help for", Wedge said. "I don't know much about your situation or even who your leaders are."

"Well, I can help you with that, if you tell me exactly what you're here for."

"I came with an offer of the resistance. In exchange for our help against the Hutts we could use Tatooine to hide refugees and eventually as a base of operations."

"I don't know if we can take in a lot of refugees and what you can do to help... But it sounds like you have to talk to the Chainbreaker about it. If you can gain his support, the rest will follow."

"The Chainbreaker?"

"He's the one who started this whole movement."

"Is - or was he Imperial?"

"I don't know. I met him a couple of times but he never talks about his past. There are the wildest rumors though." They stopped and Eela pointed towards a wall. "That's him."

If it weren't so hot already, Wedge might have started sweating now. The wall in question bore a crude painting. Most of the lower half was dyed a brownish red that looked like it was dripping down the wall. In the middle there was a pile of skulls and body parts and on top of that pile sat a man, his figure merely a black silhouette against the two suns rising in the background of the painting, their color the same golden tone as the man's eyes.

"Well... I'm sure he's a perfectly lovely chap", Wedge said dryly.

"He is... not very sociable but the soldiers love him. You will too, just you wait. Wherever he goes, stuff happens. After years of stillness, that's what people want. That's what they need."

Wedge had to admit, he did appreciate that and decided to reserve his judgment until he could actually meet the man.

Eela offered him a place on her speeder and drove him to a place called 'Homestead'. Apparently the war was still running hot but there was no major battle going on at the moment that she knew of and so this was where they would be most likely to find the Chainbreaker.

Wedge was quickly impressed by the base that had been built here. It was as large as the one on Dantooine (not that he'd ever been there), which became even more obvious once they descended into the caves. They were stopped again by guards but Wedge was let through after Eela vouched for him.

The Chainbreaker, as it turned out, was young, even younger than Wedge. His stance, the short haircut and his overall attitude spoke of a military background so he had to be Imperial after all. When Wedge approached him he was busy playing a game of Dejark with a blonde haired teenager and either he was really bad at it or it was the first time he ever played that game.

"No, no, no, you can't move the nexu to that field, it's against the rules!"

"Well the rules are stupid then! If it were a real nexu it could shoot its poisonous quills and kill your rancor all the way from over there anyway."

"Well, yeah but that's not how Dejark works."

Alright... so this was the fearsome Chainbreaker. He didn't look so bad after all.

Wedge cleared his throat and the two looked up at him.

"I'm sorry Sirs, my name is Wedge Antilles. I would like to speak to you if you have a minute?"

"If you want someone saved, go and bug Elvoy", the Chainbreaker snarled rudely. "It's my free day."

"Eh, please excuse him. What is it that we can help you with?", the blonde asked.

"Well you see, word has gotten around that you fight for freedom. The Cartel aren't the only ones enslaving people though. The Empire does it as well. I'm speaking for a group of like-minded people that think it would be best if we combined our efforts."

The Chainbreaker's expression darkened and Wedge couldn't help but think he'd already said something wrong.

"We... aren't exactly enemies of the Empire", the blonde said carefully.

"But they're no better than the Hutts!"

"The Empire is in an entirely different league than the cartel", the Chainbreaker cut him off.   
The other elaborated: "Unlike them, it's not rotten to the core. It's only few people somewhere up the chain of command that support slavery."

"Then we have to move against these people!"

"Yes but you don't wage war against a group of individuals", the Chainbreaker said. "That will only lead to soldiers dying needlessly on both sides."

"Look, I am a former Imperial myself. Their entire propaganda is focused on making you obedient, on making you a slave of your own mind."

"Yet you defected. You thought for yourself and retained your values."

"I like to think so, yes."

The Chainbreaker gave him an unnerving stare. "Then you ran away and avoided fighting for what you believe in."

"W-What? No! I recognized how bad the Empire was and left while I still could. What else should I have done?"

"Kill your superior and take his place", the Chainbreaker answered immediately. "Not only would that have saved your life but you would've been in a position to change things for the better."

"Are you mad? Killing my superior - or any Imperial - would've ended with me in prison. I certainly wouldn't have gotten promoted."

"You'd be surprised", he answered quietly. "The Empire supports a certain kind of ambition."

"Enough of that", the teenager said loudly. "Wedge, what exactly is it that you want to offer?"

The pilot straightened his back. "Your little civil war here will raise the attention of the Hutts. They aren't too interested in a mere desert planet though so we can negotiate with them to forget about Tatooine. There are several high ranking politicians with the resistance that could help you to make peace with them but retain Tatooine's independence. That way you'll be spared their revenge, which would no doubt be bloody. In return we'd ask that we be allowed to establish a hidden base here and to help us in our effort against the Empire."

The Chainbreaker didn't even stop to think about it. "No."

"No? It's a fair offer! Without help you'll be slaughtered before long, either by the Hutts or when the Empire comes to finish you off. They won't allow you to act outside of their control."

"We'd be even more of a target hiding a resistance base", the blonde argued.

"That's not even the point", the Chainbreaker said. "You want to make peace with the Cartel? With slavers and murderers and rapists? Absolutely not. There will be no negotiation. We will wipe them from the face of this galaxy forever, no mercy. That is the only way we can protect these free people. We don't need or want your help. Tatooine will be independent because I will make it so and if the Empire comes knocking they will find us capable of defending ourselves. If you want to deal with the people in the Empire that support slavery then hire an assassin and be done with it. I will not risk the lives of my people for a useless cause."

"You're afraid", Wedge accused him. "You think we can't defeat the Empire, you think it's hopeless."

"Not hopeless, but useless."

"If you're such a capable fighter as the people say, you could try to kill the slavers in the Empire as well."

"Now that's enough!", the blonde said angrily. "Not only are the higher ups in the Empire far harder to kill but they also aren't as big a threat to the freedom of people as the Cartel."

"Is that what you think? If you go against the Cartel they will shoot you. If you go against the Empire, they will torture you until you tell them the names of your friends and then they'll do the same with them until everyone you care about is dead."

"If you go up against the Empire, you know what you sign up for and so should your friends", the Chainbreaker argued. "But if you can't pay your dept to the Empire they will put you to forced work until you've repaid them. If you fail to pay your dept to the Cartel, they will enslave you for life as well as all your young children and your children's children. I know, I've freed slaves who'd been such for generations."

"That kind of slavery exists in the Empire as well!"

"On localized worlds, maybe. Replace the Moff or Governor and it can be resolved within a few years without additional bloodshed."

Wedge huffed. "I see it's no use arguing with you any longer. But the Empire will come for you, I promise you. If you change your mind", he pulled out a datastick and laid it on the table. "You can reach us with this information."

"We'll keep it in mind, thank you", the blonde said.

Wedge turned away. He could see where those two were coming from but he couldn't help but feel there was more to their reluctance to fight the Empire. They were hiding something. That shouldn't be surprising though. A man that was depicted by his followers as lording over a pile of corpses couldn't be trusted.


	57. Chapter 57

2BBY, Tatooine Month 5

"I think I felt him kicking me", Galen said with a deep scowl.

Juno rolled her eyes. "He's not kicking you, silly."

"I swear he is!"

"I do believe I can judge that a little better than you", she insisted and pulled a bit at his hair.

Galen, formerly content to press his ear against his love's belly, stood to give her a kiss instead.

"Kicking his own father like that, I'm sure he'll end up becoming a Sith", he muttered with a small smile.

"You do realize it might not even be a he but a she?", Juno reminded him.

"No, I'm quite certain it's going to be a boy", Galen returned.

"Oh? How would you know? Had some mysterious Force vision about it?"

"No but I asked the Medi droid and he confirmed it."

Juno playfully slapped his shoulder. "You didn't have to do that! I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Uh, surprise?"

"You are being ridiculous."

"Only ridiculously happy." Galen hugged her tightly before planting another searing kiss on her lips. "I don't know what I'd do without you. You and the little one, you changed my life."

Juno leaned into him and they kissed some more.

Unfortunately they were not in a locked room but in a tent, one that had its flap opened right then. Elvoy, the former Imperial Stormtrooper Commander, now leader of the Freed Ones army, stuck his head in. He was still wearing his armor. It was a customized Stormtrooper armor, covered in brown and yellow paint to make stealth in the desert possible, though the Marek symbol was prominent in red on his back.

"Sir, everyone is waiting for you outside!", Elvoy said with a big grin. Through the open flap the noise of an ongoing party was carried inside.

"I'm taking the day off", Galen said, not even looking at him. "Now shush, go away."

Elvoy's face fell a bit.

Juno discretely elbowed Galen. Ever since he had officially dropped leadership and given it to the former Imperial, Elvoy was technically of higher rank than him. Of course Galen was still the one with the most prestige. He was the hero, the savior, even when he no longer took part in every single battle. Those that he did have his hands in usually ended with the least casualties simply because of him swiping in front to take out half the enemy forces himself.

"Fine", Galen groaned, reluctantly letting go of Juno. "But I'm not holding a speech or something.”

“Well..."

"Oh come on. What do we have Luke for? He can sell sand to Jawas."

"He already held a speech. And the Tusken leader did as well, although nobody could understand what he was saying. His landsmen cheered, anyway. You need to say something as well and then we have to get clear about where to go from here."

"Let's just get it over with", Juno said and laid a calming hand on his arm. "Then afterwards, we can celebrate... in private."

"Well, okay. I think I can do that."

Galen stepped outside under the harsh two suns. He would've much preferred a nice stone house or even a cave but most of the more inhabitable places had to be secured by soldiers first and later got swarmed by Freed Ones.

They were in Mos Eisley, capital of Tatooine. The city had been conquered, invaded and reclaimed by their army. During the last battle the Hutts had suffered losses so great that it was considered unlikely they would ever return.

A platform had been build in the middle of a great marketplace and despite the heat there were hundreds of people gathered around. They where murmuring and whispering and when Galen stepped outside, the ones closest to him began to cheer, which quickly spread through the crowd. He at last made his way onto the platform, from where his voice would be carried across the crowd.  
Galen waited impatiently until the wild, enthusiastic applause subsided.

"I don't even know why you're all clapping for me", he said in a normal voice, through the loudspeaker amplified it greatly. "Most of the work done here was by your hands alone."

There was some laughter and more cheering and Galen got the feeling he was not taken seriously.  
Some voices in the first row called out to him and the Sith rolled his eyes, then answered:

"Yeah sure, I did wipe out a few dozen mercenaries on my own but that's hardly a great feat when all I need to do for it is raise my arm. It's the bravery of you completely normal people, of mechanics and pilots and cooks and healers who have never held a blaster or blade before and yet still charge in to protect their freedom that make out the heart of this movement. You were slaves. Yet you have learned how to defend yourself and your families. You have become soldiers.   
Of course some of you are only driven by revenge or bloodlust. And yes, I'm looking at you lot over there. Force knows how Luke convinced you raiders to fight with us. But it worked, somehow. It's been three months since the first of you joined us and one until a good chunk of your people came along. I dare say it's only because of the fact that your forces doubled our numbers that we were able to gain victory this fast.  
We freed Tatooine. We've driven away the mercenaries, the pirates, bandits and bounty hunters. Yet the people I see before me are no longer just former slaves. We also have Tusken, we have civilians, former Imperials and even some wayward smugglers and other hired criminals that switched sides. We are all free beings rising up from the shadows of our past. We are the Phoenix Alliance!"

There was loud cheering at this. Galen felt the Force swirl around him as he was swept up in the passion of the people. He didn't want to be a leader. All he wanted was to go back to Juno and start thinking about baby names but he couldn't abandon these people either. They were his responsibility, his… people.

"And we will not stop with Tatooine", he continued with undisturbed vehemence. "Under these two unrelenting suns a spark of fire has been cast, a spark of rebellion against the suffering under the Hutt Cartel. We must not allow this fire to die. The fight will go on. The chains must be broken.  
I do not expect those of you with family or other responsibility to risk your lives when you've only just gotten a chance to live it in peace. But those that do want to keep going, I will take them with me to the next world. We will gain the support of the oppressed people there. We will liberate one planet after another and gather more soldiers along the way. The Phoenix Alliance can rise up from the darkest places, from death and ashes. All it takes is a single person to spark the flame. From that flame can grow what we are now: an inferno!"

Galen raised his fist into the air and was met with thundering applause.

When he left the platform he was greeted by Luke, who was still clapping himself.

"Phoenix Alliance, huh? Well said", he praised with a grin. "Did you plan that?"

"Actually, I went with a hunch", Galen admitted. "It does have a certain ring to it though, doesn't it?"

Luke laughed. "And that's why the people love you so much. You are so passionate about the things that move them."

Elvoy used that moment to jump in. "We've been trying to get the Freed Ones reorganized for when we move off planet. A name change will do good in making our various allies feel more included. Though you might want to consider giving me a warning first the next time you pull something like that."

"What's the matter?", Galen asked distractedly as he'd spotted Juno and started walking towards her.

"Politics, dear", she answered after receiving her obligatory kiss. "With nobody really strong taking the reins, we've been trying to gather people for a council to lead the alliance."

Galen scowled and turned to Elvoy. "I thought you wanted that job."

"Nah, I'm a trooper, a soldier. I can plan a battle but actual ruling includes stuff like economy. Skywalker has been helping us out a lot in that regard."

"And before you ask", Luke cut in, "I don't want to be head of this organization either. I promised the sandpeople in helping them rebuild Tatooine and training Kazgul."

"So you're not even coming with us then."

Luke shook his head. "I'm staying here with my family. Once we get things rolling here I might catch up with you so Kazgul can get some experience using the Force in combat but that could still be a couple of months."

"Fine a council it is then. I really don't care."

"Maybe it would be wise though if one of us at least had an honorary seat in it or a veto right to their decisions", Luke suggested. "We're effectively building our own little Empire here. We might not have time to actually rule it but we don't want them to fall into the bureaucratic nightmare that was the Republic or worse, to turn on us out of jealousy or cause they get power hungry or something."

"Yeah, and I'd much prefer it if military matters stayed in my hands instead of some merchant or other commoner who's never spilled a single drop of blood", Elvoy agreed.

"Hey, why are you looking at me for that?", Galen complained.

"Well you have to be on the Council even if your seat may stay abandoned for most of the time. You need to be part of the planning in order to make it legitimate."

"Fine, put me down as founder or something. Every other council member can represent something specific."

"Then we just have to find the most influential people within our factions", Juno suggested. "Galen as our founder, Elvoy as the military Commander and representative of the Imperials and Kazgul for the sandpeople. I would also suggest Han Solo as the leader of the smuggling network that has been supporting us as well as some representative of Tatooine's locals. Preferably a merchant. I know you don't like bureaucracy but someone should know how to handle finances."

"Considering you were completely broke when I came back here, I'll concede the point", Galen said.

"The Jawas are great merchants", Luke offered. "And I know one who coincidentally could also translate in a setting that has Kazgul in it."

"Luke, I'm not sure if the Tatooine citizens would accept a Jawa as their representative", Juno cautioned. 

"Why not? They're definitely local to Tatooine. They are great merchants and hard workers. They might not be too common in the galaxy at large but it's not like we haven't got a colorful mix of alien races amongst the civilians anyway."

"And they are used to making the best with little money so they'd be able to keep the economy running even in war times", Elvoy mused. "It's crazy but if you find a volunteer, sure, why not."

"Of course the fact that they're also easily cowed so you can get through with whatever you want has nothing to do with your approval", Juno said sarcastically.

"Well, we can try it out for a couple of months at least", Luke suggested.

"I believe you should have a council seat as well though", Galen decided. "Even if you aren't sure whether you stay to use it. I can make people fight a common enemy but it's your influence that has kept them together and prevented all the different factions from killing each other."

"You are not putting me down as the representative of the Jedi", Luke said resolutely.

"I was thinking of head diplomat or something but whatever fits you. If you ever take up any other students besides Kazgul you can always found your own Force order and give it a new fancy name."

"I'm 17", Luke deadpanned. "I'm not ready to go into old bearded teacher mode."

Galen shrugged. "Suit yourself. Now that that's settled, I do believe I've been promised a private party. Go off and... do whatever needs to be done to set up a government for the planet."

Galen laid an arm over Juno's shoulders and started leading her off. Luke and Elvoy just grinned and left them to it. Then they split up to gather the rest of their soon to be council. They had an alliance to forge.

Two hours and some 'private' partying later Galen and Juno were lying in each other's arms in the tent that they had wisely sealed shut this time.

"There is... something I wanted to talk to you about", Galen said quietly while playing with a strand of Juno's hair.

The Captain recognized his melancholy expression. "Is it about your mother." 

"No... Yes. Maybe a bit. Did you hear how the sandpeople call me? Bloodwing. To the Freed Ones I am the Chainbreaker. To Luke I'm Starkiller and to you and mother, I'm Galen. I have so many names and all of them are me. I used to reject my birth name because it was a Jedi's name but if my life proves something then that you can't judge a person by their labels. From all my names and titles though, the one of Marek is the only one I can share. It's got none of that attached to it just... me. I want my son to have that name. And if you would like to... I want to share it with you as well."

Juno looked at him breathlessly. Was that really what she thought it was?

"Juno, would you marry me?"

"Galen, you... You really mean that?"

"Yes. The war might not be over but we have a brief respite at least so... We should enjoy it while it lasts. Either of us could end up dead before long."

Juno turned a bit and took his face in her hands. "Before I answer that I need to know... Do you... Do you love me?"

Galen actually blushed at that. "I... I think I do, yeah."

Juno had tears in her eyes. "You... we never said it."

"Do we need to?"

She laughed a bit. "It would've spared me a headache or two. I love you too, Galen. And yes, of course I'll marry you."

Galen held her just a little tighter at that.

"You'll be mine then", he muttered into her heart. "Nobody will ever take you from me."

There was a time when Juno would've shuddered at his possessiveness but with the threat of the war hanging over their heads, she was just glad to have someone so powerful and fierce to protect her and especially her little one. Still she freed herself from his grip but she only did so to kiss him and he let it happen, reluctantly at first but soon growing more eager. It was undoubtedly the happiest he'd ever been.

In hindsight, it did not surprise him that it didn't last long.

XxX

2BBY, Tatooine, Month 6

Luke lifted up the heavy iron pliers carefully, molten metal was still dripping from them back into the tub. In the pliers he held a small glass sphere with a glowing red crystal in it.

Next to him, Kazgul the Tusken watched him work warily as well as the small hooded figure of Tirri, their Jawa translator and lately, fellow member of the Phoenix Alliance Council.

“And that is it”, Luke proclaimed. “Your very own lightsaber crystal.”

Kazgul took a stone bowl from next to the tub that was filled with sand and held it up for Luke to drop the sphere in it. Upon contact the glass burst. Luke had wisely stepped back and the Tusken was protected by his cowl and mask, otherwise the glass might have cut them. Kazgul reached out for the red crystal that stayed behind but Luke grabbed his wrist.

“No, it’s still hot. Give it an hour or two to cool down in the shadow. Then I will show you how to assemble your own lightsaber.”

“Ke waka boku no choho. So mala ka fii buz-buz”, Tirri told the raider Chieftain.

Kazgul howled something in response which the Jawa translated for Luke.

“Yes, it will be a red lightsaber, like S.K.’s. We don’t have the time right now to go search for a naturally grown crystal, which would have the ability to change its color and power according to the emotions you feed into it. This crystal, since it’s artificial, won’t be able to hold your emotions or change color according to them but it will do good in your first practice saber.”

Kazgul held the bowl up and let his hand hover over the crystal reverently.

Luke had been training Kazgul in the ways of the Force for four months now. Ironically, he’d had less time to do so since Tatooine had been freed. What with council meetings, settling various disputes and spending time with his Aunt and Uncle, he’d been really busy. Then there had been Starkiller’s and Juno’s wedding, which had been small but beautiful. Not a week later though they already set off to Poytta, another Outer Rim planet a few light years away that was controlled by the Hutts and inhabited by their minions and their slaves. It was where they hoped to find a good number of spacecraft to start building their own fleet.

Luke left his student to his new crystal and left the cave they had been working in to get away from the fumes of the makeshift forge. It was almost as hot in there as on the surface.

The young man found himself a nice cool spot to rest in. He still had work to do – paperwork. Ugh. The Tusken wanted to have a law that forbid anyone but them form from holding banthas because apparently they were holy and mustn’t be slain for meat. He would have to talk to Kazgul about that but first it would be good to at least sent out messages to the other Council members to see how much they were against it.

Luke had just pulled out his datapad when he felt something tingle at the edge of his senses. He scowled and concentrated on his connection to the Force. Someone was calling for him. It wasn’t Leia, the feeling was too dark, and it wasn’t Starkiller either. It was… It was his father.

Luke dropped his pad on reflex. His father hadn’t tried to contact him in… well, since he’d run away. He had never doubted his decision but he had not…. He had not had the heart to sever his Force bond with his father either.

Suddenly he felt panic. What if Vader used the bond to track him down? He would have a hard time doing it if he was very far away since only directions could be sensed if the other didn’t open his mind but he could manage.

Then again, the brothers hadn’t exactly been subtle about what they were doing and if the Empire didn’t know about their rebellion yet, they had a pretty shoddy information network. Especially since they recently went intergalactic.

Hesitantly Luke answered the mental nudge. He kept all his barriers up, unwilling to walk into a trap and accidentally betray his brother but he had to know why his father called. And why now.

Luke, he heard the Sith Lord’s deep baritone in his mind.

Father, Luke thought back carefully.

He felt him probing and clamped down on his barrier, unwilling to let him see anything but what he wanted him to see. Which was nothing.

Are you well, son?, Vader asked after finding no breach in his defense.

As well as can be. Luke hesitated. Why are you calling now?

A weak wave of remorse and melancholy brushed against Luke’s mental shields.

I heard about your little project.

Luke thought about Kazgul and winced. I’m not training him to be a Jedi!

...What?

Luke froze, his stomach sank and he started hitting his head against the cave wall he was leaning against. Of course his father was talking about the rebellion.

You are training Jedi!?

Of course not, don’t be silly.

Luke! Vader started pushing against his barriers again but Luke was being stubborn.

And even if I did, there’s nothing you could do against it! I’m not in Death Squadron anymore, it’s not like you can ground me. There’s nothing you can do. You hurt S.K., you hurt him really bad and I’m not gonna talk to you until he forgives you, so there!

Luke tried to cut off the connection but Vader would have none of it. His presence in his mind grew stronger and while it wasn’t quite enough to break his shields, it was a tough fight.

Luke, wait! Stop that, dammit.

No! I’m still angry at you and I haven’t even heard an apology.

Fine, I’m sorry! Damn you little rebel, why do you have to be so stubborn? I called because I heard about the wedding.

Luke scowled. Wait, what? You didn’t call because of the Hutt war or my totally-not-teaching-Jedi but about the wedding?

The war was actually anticipated, your teaching habits I didn’t know about – and we will have words about that when you get home! - but yes, I head about the wedding. I knew when your brother and you left… when I cast you out… that I gave up all right to be a part of your life but nothing has driven that home as much as that.

Oh, if only he knew. Luke wasn’t sure how he learned about the wedding but he’d make sure to warn Starkiller that he was to step up security for his wife for when news about the baby started to get out as well.

Starkiller is still young and I’m afraid he’s rushing into this and in the middle of a war too. I did the same with your mother and look how that turned out. I just want to make sure he knows what he’s doing.

Luke protested Oh you have absolutely no right to say something like that! I mean, you make it sound like you care.

I do.

Well, you have a weird way of showing your love.

I’ve heard that before… But Luke, surely you realize that I had to do this to your brother. Faking his death was the only way he could gain enough time to get away from the Emperor.

But Luke was having none of it. He would have actually died if I hadn’t saved him and you couldn’t very well have known that I would!

No, I couldn’t. I had prepared a few drones to pick him up and take him to the med bay but you stepped in before they could. I am sorry for hurting him but it was the only way. Believe me, I went through a dozen possible futures, all ending terribly. The way it is now, it is best. You’re both alive, you’re happy and… I just want to make sure it stays that way.

Luke didn’t know what to think about that. On the one hand he wanted to believe his father. He had already thought it had to be something like that as his behavior didn’t make any sense otherwise but still…

What about S.K.’s mother?

Her loss is… unfortunate.

You could’ve prevented it!

Maybe. But then, the outcome would’ve been even worse. I don’t want either of you in the hands of the Emperor. You have to make sure her sacrifice was not in vain.

Why are you even telling me all of this? You should tell it to S.K.

Him feeling betrayed once again was sadly, also necessary. Look at him now and tell me it’s not because he decided to leave behind his past that he’s found himself some happiness?

 

But… You could tell him now. He’s angry but… maybe he would understand.

Maybe but I can’t reach him. Every time I try he tries to tear my mind apart.

Luke smiled a bit. Yes, he would do that.

Please let him know that I’m sorry and that I wish him luck in his... marriage. Vader hesitated, then spoke the next words very fast: And… it would be great if you could sent me a holo of the wedding next time you enter Imperial space. Please?

Luke actually laughed at that. I always thought if you would call, it would be to try and draw us back to your side so we can plan the Emperor’s death or at least you would try to interfere with our rebellion.

Son, you can burn down the entire galaxy for all I care. The only reason I’m staying with the Empire still is to cover for you. I’m almost certain Sidious is planning something big to get rid of me though so I might even end up joining you.

For a moment Luke’s heart beat faster at that thought before his mood sank again. I don’t think S.K. would allow that.

No… probably not. I just… miss you boys.

Luke swallowed a lump in his throat. I miss you too, father.


	58. Chapter 58

2BBY, Kashyyyk, Month 6  
   
Leia pulled the hood of her dark green cloak a bit lower and glanced behind her. Next to her her friend Winter had her blaster drawn but pointed to the ground as she too checked the surroundings.  
   
“Princess, this is a bad idea”, she whispered. “We should go back to the barracks.”  
   
“So that the troopers can leer at me when I go to get a shower? No thanks”, Leia answered with a disgusted grimace. She pushed forward and Winter had no other choice but to follow with a sigh.  
   
“One, two, three… This is it”, the princess said as they passed a line of small, round wooden huts that surrounded the wooden platform that served as a village square. It was the middle of the night. Everything was silent except for the noise of various animals and birds from the forest. The huts had been build into the giant branches of Kashyyyk’s enormous trees but there were plenty of walkways and rope bridges so that navigating through it was little different from any other town.  
   
“We should’ve at least taken the guards”, Winter complained further.  
   
“How are they supposed to convincingly claim they know nothing if we take them with us? Besides, like this we’re less likely to be seen”, Leia argued.  
   
Leia and Winter slipped through the door of one of the huts. Inside a good dozen Wookies were assembled in a circle. There was a small but high table in the middle with a few electric candles. It supplied a little light that couldn’t bee seen from outside during to all the Wookies blocking the sight.  
   
A tall gray Wookie was holding a speech, using the growls and cries his species was known for. When the two Wookies closest to the door noticed the girls entering, they reacted angry at first but the gray one quickly calmed them down and motioned for them to come to him.  
   
“I can’t understand a word of what he’s saying”, Winter complained quietly as the leading Wookie began to growl again.  
   
“That’s Grrwonga, the local chieftain. He’s introducing us and explaining that we’re here to help”, Leia whispered back.  
   
“If we are being seen talking to them, it’s us who are going to need help”, she muttered.  
   
Two weeks ago Leia and her escort had traveled to Kashyyyk. Officially it was just a courtesy visit to the local governor – they had visited half a dozen others before on different planets just so this wouldn’t look out of place. The excuse was that Leia aimed to succeed her father as senator and wanted to get to know the local rulers of other planets to establish relationships.   
   
In reality, Leia and Winter had kept eyes and ears open amongst the staff of the governor, seeing if they could find anyone they could swing to their course and that might be able to fill in the post if the governor of Kashyyyk were to find an… untimely end. For example during a minor Wookie rebellion.  
   
They had been successful in selecting a high ranking Imperial Officer who had a bit of a soft spot for the furry locals. He was still a local Imperial but under his rule the Wookies might be treated better and less of them would be shipped off into slavery. If she had her will, Leia would much rather just free all slaves, help them to overthrow the Imperial rule and set up a Wookie king. But then, if she had her will the Empire wouldn’t exist at all and neither would such people as Vader and his squadron that would be sent to reclaim Kashyyyk if that kind of plan ever succeeded. The Wookies did plan to rebel and Leia did plan to help them but she held no illusion of this action freeing the planet forever.  
   
When the chieftain was done talking to his supporters, Leia straightened her shoulders.  
   
“Thank you, Grrwonga. What has been done to your people is a crime of the worst sort and I want you to know that all of Alderaan feels with you. From what I’ve learned about your kind, the Wookies are strong and proud. Even after more than a decade of suppression, you are far from broken. All you need is a chance to fight back and that I can give you.”  
   
Leia reached for her pocket and pulled out a miniature holo pad. She set it on the table and activated it to reveal a three dimensional map of a clearing at the bottom of the forest, far under the village. In the middle of it there was a great mechanical contraption.  
   
“That’s the Skyhook that the Empire plans to use to shuttle Wookie slaves to the space station in orbit so they can be transferred to ships.”  
   
The Wookies growled in anger at seeing this symbol of their slavery.  
   
“The construction has been recently finished. It is being supported by seven tractor units. If we can sabotage those, the Skyhook will fail. Previously the Empire used spacecraft to transport the slaves but after the Skyhook was finished the ships got reassigned to other planets. That’s why towns and cities from all over the planet will have to delay their slave shipments. Each day there are so many Wookies rising up and punished by slavery that in the time it will take to repair the Skyhook, we can raise the number of Wookie willing to help us tenfold and the government can’t just ship them off. It will be the perfect time for a coup to take out Governor Korez.”  
   
The Wookie howled in joy and fighting spirit. Leia let them but then she continued in a serious voice:

“I won’t lie to you, there is a great risk to this plan. The tractor units are heavily guarded day and night. Winter and me, we want to approach it under the excuse of talking to the trooper Commander, who inspects the Skyhook every day. We want to slip a datachip with a virus into the main operating computer. If we can’t make it, Plan B is to destroy the tractor units manually. You would have to sent a heavily armored group and there would me many losses...”

Grrwonga growled something.  
   
“I know you don’t like to rely on armor but surely you could find some shields?”, Leia insisted. “If you come at them without protection the laser fire will rip you apart.” She turned back to the group. “Even if we manage to sabotage the Skyhook though, there is still the possibility that the Imperials will simply start to kill slaves when they start to rebel. You have to strike fast and determined. Alert as many settlements as you can in advance. And don’t forget: Even if you don’t manage to drive away the Empire completely, much will be won when we can get Governor Korez.”  
   
The Wookies cheered and Leia gave one last nod to the leader before she let herself be pulled out of the hut by her friend.  
   
“Did I mention that this is a crazy plan?”, she complained. “If they catch you, princess, they could kill you!”

“It’s no more a risk than what the Wookies take”, Leia replied grimly. “I have to help them, Winter, don’t you see? I can’t just keep sitting in the senate doing nothing while my father is out there helping the resistance.”  
   
What she didn’t mention was that it wasn’t just about her father but also about her best friend, Luke. Last time she’d talked to him she had mentioned the rebellion going on on Tatooine. She had thought it might interest him since it was his home planet. Luke had a bit sheepishly admitted to having hid there the entire time and being right in the middle of said rebellion. At first she’d been shocked and worried for her friend. Then she remembered that Luke could use the Force and if he was fighting to free slaves, that meant he resembled a Jedi much more than his father. She wasn’t a child that believed Jedi could solve all the galaxy’s problems. She respected those she had met but she didn’t hold any illusions about them ever rising above their fear of being extinguished by the Empire and fight for themselves. But she was proud of Luke. She was so, so very proud of him. She’d told him that and Luke had blushed beet red and mumbled something about just helping his brother.  
   
Luke might not be fighting the Empire but he fought for what was right and that was a step in the right direction. And if her best friend and her family were doing it, then didn’t she have an obligation to become more active as well?  
   
Leia and Winter managed to sneak back into the barracks. They had their quarters on the second floor, away from the normal soldiers but close enough to be constantly watched. Their own five bodyguards where downstairs with the troopers as well, which was only a slight relief.   
   
It was an insult to stick the young women into such a place and it clearly gave off a message of: We don’t trust you. That worried Leia, a lot more so than she let on in front of her friend. She hadn’t given them any indication not to trust her – at least she didn’t think so.  
   
The next day Leia had just finished getting ready for the day when she got a message. Apparently she was being invited to breakfast by the Governor. Knowing that it necessary for her cover but annoyed that the message was on such a short notice, she made her way to the assigned room. She was a bit surprised that the Governor’s quarters were apparently in the barracks as well, just on the opposite side as her own. Maybe it wasn’t quite such an insult to keep her here if Korez himself stayed there? She didn’t think it was his permanent residence but at least for the duration he spent here overseeing the construction of the Skyhook it was.  
   
“Princess, please come in. Take a seat”, Korez greeted her when she knocked and opened the door. Like most military leaders he wore his graying hair short and his eyes were two mean, cold little pearls that made her shudder as she did as told.  
   
“I was surprised about your offer for breakfast, Governor”, she said offhandedly. “I didn’t take you for a man who was concerned with pleasantries.”  
   
“And yet that is exactly what you are here for, isn’t it? Pleasantries.”  
   
The breakfast served on the table between them wasn’t much but Leia refused to touch it before the Imperial did and he seemed far more interested in staring at her as if trying to read her soul.  
   
Korez smirked as she stared back resolutely.  
   
“I have watched you, princess. You disapprove of the state the Wookies are in, don’t you?”  
   
Leia swallowed. When she had started on this way she had decided that even though she was playing a role, she would not treat those suppressed by the Empire as their enemies did and she would not stay silent when she saw them being abused right in front of her. The trick was to play the naive city girl who knew nothing of the world and was all talk but no action.  
   
“I believe it to be a disgrace how they have to live in filth and walk around bloodied from their labor. Not even animals are treated that badly and I understand these creatures have greater sentience than that, even if they do sound like uncivilized monkeys. I thought the Empire would be more orderly on such an economically important planet.” In her mind she silently apologized to the poor slaves but she was less likely to draw suspicions when she sounded like she was more concerned about the mud of the dirty slaves getting onto her dress than the pain they suffered from.  
   
“I apologize if their smell is getting to you, Princess”, Korez answered, not looking the least bit insulted. “But you have to understand that this is a labor planet. While we are honored by your presence, it is hardly a place one of your rank visits often. I took over this post eight years ago. The promotion came quite suddenly. Do you want to know why?”  
   
Leia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Please do tell, Governor.”  
   
“It is because someone else had already been assigned to take over here. A Chief Magistrate named Ozzik Sturn, stationed on Malastare. However, he never made it to Kashyyyk. The local dug population working on facilitating fuel became… restless. Ozzik didn’t have them under control as he was too busy playing around. He was cruel for cruelty’s sake. His mistake cost him his life.  
You cannot negotiate with a Wookie. They are savages. But I am no Ozzik Sturn. I know when a rebellion is coming and I know how to quench it. You aren’t the first person to come here and cause trouble and you won’t be the last.”

“Governor, I don’t know what you want to imply-”

“I am not implying anything, I will tell you quite clearly: I know what you are doing. I have informed myself about you and your silly little non-human rights activism will not put down roots on my planet.”  
   
Leia stared at him icily. Fear crept up her spine but she let none of it show on her face as she stood abruptly.  
   
“I apologize if I have overstayed my welcome, Governor. If my presence is that abhorrent to you, you can be sure I won’t stay much longer.”  
   
“You want to leave?”, Korez asked in fake surprise. “But Princess, how could I possibly allow a young, beautiful woman like you to leave all on her own. All sorts of terrible things could happen to you.”  
   
Instinctively Leia’s eyes flickered over the room, searching for an escape.  
   
“My guards-”, she tried.  
   
“Your guards, ah, yes. I’m afraid they had an unfortunate accident with a violent Wookie.”  
   
Her eyes widened in disbelief. “All five of them!?”

“Wookies are dangerous, Princess. Their aggression has further risen lately. I’m afraid I can’t allow you to leave your quarters alone any longer.”  
   
Leia felt her cheeks burn. She thought about the plan, about Grrwonga who relied on her to sabotage the Skyhook or at least send message that an attack needed to take place. She thought about her bodyguards, murdered because she had stuck out her neck too far.  
   
“If that is the case, I’d be grateful if you let me contact my family on Alderaan so they can send an escort for me.”  
   
“I will send notice to your father myself, Princess, don’t worry about it. I will make sure that you end up where you belong.”  
   
Leia did not miss the thinly veiled threat. Worse still, her father wasn’t even on Alderaan, he was traveling around, meeting with other leaders of the resistance and she had the terrible suspicion that the Empire knew that. Korez didn’t just want to get rid of her. He meant to keep her a prisoner.   
Feeling no need for pleasantries anymore, Leia gave a sneer and simply left without only a cold goodbye. Only when she was back in the relative safety of her quarters did her mask crack. A coldness had settled in her stomach that began to burn and she hugged herself, whipping forward and back on her heels. They knew.  
   
XxX  
   
2BBY Tatooine, Month 6  
   
The twin suns of the desert planet where shining down at two figures sitting at the edge of a canyon. One of them was covered from head to toe in brown and yellow fabrics that flapped around him in the wind. The other wore a simple white tunic with a hood that provided minimal protection from the suns. Both of them were silent and had their eyes closed. They were in a state of deep meditation, their minds connected in a way few sentients ever experienced it.  
   
Feel sand under you, Luke projected towards his apprentice. Wind. Heat. Far away. Suns. Faster, faster. Far away. Heartbeat. Universe.  
   
Kazgul Mah’kata scowled as he tried to grasp those difficult concepts of there being other suns, other worlds unlike his own. Places where the Bloodwing and his minions traveled to. It was all so strange but for the good of his tribe he wanted to learn. Yet he couldn’t help but be wary of the vastness of the universe. He wasn’t afraid. He was a Mah’kata, he had killed the mighty krayt dragon and claimed its pearl as the youngest member of his tribe in 300 years. But he was… wary. And glad, if he was being honest, to have the human at his side to guide him through the realm of the spirits.  
   
Until he felt his guide drift away from him.  
   
Growing restless quickly, Kazgul latched onto the feeble ribbon connecting him with the human. Surely he wouldn’t leave him alone in the middle of the universe? Except if it was a test to see if he found his own way back? But no, Skywalker wasn’t leaving his side, he was merely listening to something he couldn’t hear.  
   
The language barrier was another factor that made it hard for him to grasp the lessons of the spirit’s favorite. He had started to learn some words and the little Jawa did good work translating most of the time but while they were in this strange realm, the only way they could communicate was by opening each others minds and send forth pictures and memories for the other to read.  
   
Kazgul concentrated on his confusion. He didn’t like talking like this as confusion was unbecoming of a warrior such as him but it was the most obvious way to express a question such as: What’s going on?  
   
He caught glimpses of Skywalker’s thoughts. The pale face of a human female pacing in a gray room. Unlike most pictures ‘sent’ to him, this one was far more vivid and colorful.  
   
Distance. Help.  
   
Skywalker’s thoughts shifted again. They lost their serenity and replaced it with determination. Shortly after Kazgul found himself cut off from the universe. He opened his eyes and fair enough, he was back under the unrelenting suns of his home planet.  
   
“I’m sorry for that, Kazgul”, Skywalker said. “I’m afraid I have to cut short the lesson.”  
   
Kazgul scowled under his cowl. He understood that Skywalker apologized and then something about a lesson but he wasn’t fluent enough in his language yet and their mind connection was weakened outside of the spirit realm.  
   
“Who was that female?”, he asked and made a circling motion at the back of his head where the human girl had had her fur up in a distinct manner.  
   
Skywalker understood even less Tusken than Kazgul knew human language but he got the general meaning.  
   
“That was a good friend of mine. She was asking for help. I’m sorry Kazgul but… I have to go. She rarely ever reaches out to me so it must be something serious.”  
   
Something about a friend needing help? The call, though vivid, must have come from far away if it could only be received in the realm of the spirits. The female would have to be another favorite. They were so rare amongst the Tusken that Kazgul was surprised and a bit skeptical at first. But then he remembered that the universe was apparently far larger than he’d ever suspected. There must be thousands of spirits out there acting through other mortals, none of which probably cared about his tribe’s plight.  
   
Kazgul and Skywalker made their way back to the Homestead. Once there Kazgul spotted the Jawa and motioned for him to come along, feeling he’d need him to translate soon.  
   
Skywalker was walking faster the closer they came to the sections freed of sand where ships could land. At the moment the only one there was the piece of rubbish that belonged to the scoundrel that somehow had made it onto the council together with Kazgul and Skywalker.  
   
“Han!”, his human guide approached said rascal just as he was about to leave his ship. “Han, I need a favor. I need to go to Kashyyyk as soon as possible.”  
   
The little Jawa – what was his name again? - started to quickly translate. Not that it mattered much seeing as Kazgul had no idea what a Kashyyyk was.  
   
“Kashyyyk? What do you need to go there for?”  
   
“A friend of mine is in trouble. Could I please borrow the Falcon for a few days?”

“My Falcon? No way! Nobody is going to fly this baby except for me. You’ll have to go and get yourself a transport in Anchorhead.”

“You know that the spaceport is still closed. They haven’t finished repairs yet after it was bombed a few months ago and I don’t have the time to drive all the way to Mos Espa.”  
   
“I can’t just give you the Falcon though, especially not if you’re heading anywhere dangerous.”  
   
Skywalker looked annoyed. “I’m a very good pilot, probably better than you and you know that. I won’t let any harm come to her.”  
   
Han rolled his eyes. “Look, you’re an alright kid but I’d rather throw myself to the sarlacc than let you fly my ship.”  
   
“Well, then fly it yourself. Just get me to Kashyyyk, I’ll figure out the rest on my own.”  
   
“I can’t just leave here though, I have a smuggling network to led, remember?”  
   
Skywalker scoffed. “You’ve been complaining about needing a break for three weeks now.”  
   
“Well okay, fine. But I’m no charity. What would be in it for me?”  
   
“Well… we’re going to rescue a rich princess so I guess you could ask for plenty of retribution once the job’s done.”  
   
“Rich princess, huh? I like that.”  
   
Kazgul had followed the fast translation the Jawa gave him and decided to intervene.  
   
“I’m coming with you, Skywalker”, he said.  
   
“You can’t”, the human replied after the Jawa translated. “You have your people here and I don’t know yet how long the trip will take. It could be dangerous and the Alliance can’t lose you.”  
   
But Kazgul shook his head. “I want to learn more about the spirits and the people they chose. I understand that there are many and our problems may matter little to them. If I want to help my tribe I have to do it on my own and for that I have to get more powerful. If you are going, so am I.”  
   
“I don’t know, Kazgul. We never fought together before and it would be hard to coordinate when we still need Tirri to translate all the time. But if it’s your training you worry about, you can go to Mos Espa and take a transport to Poytta and meet up with S.K. and the rest of the Alliance. You’re ready to start practicing with your lightsaber and he can help you with that until I’m back.”  
   
Kazgul fought against the desire to protest. The prospect of learning how to wield a magical weapon that could cut off his limps if the spirits so desired it from a vengeful demon who held a grudge against his people was not a pleasant one. Of course said demon was a Master of the magic sword and Kazgul really wanted to learn how to use it as it would go a great way into uniting more of his people. They would sing for his glory and bravery just for surviving apprenticeship to the Bloodwing. If he did survive, that was.  
   
Skywalker gave him a warm smile. “It’s okay, you don’t have to be afraid. I’ll promise I’ll hurry up.”  
   
Blast that stupid bond!

“I am not afraid! I am reasonably cautious”, Kazgul protested. The scoundrel gave a snort and Kazgul glared at him. He was a mighty warrior and chieftain of the largest Tusken tribe on Tatooine! He was not afraid! It was hardly his fault that his people had been too busy to protect what was left of their world to go and explore others. It was only natural that the idea of the only well-meaning spirit host he’d ever met being replaced by a terrible demon as his only guide in this foreign area was disconcerting.  
   
“I will join the Bloodwing and meet you again on Poytta. May the spirits be with you.”  
   
“And with you as well, my friend.”  
   
Skywalker entered the ship after the other human and shortly after, Kazgul stood alone with the Jawa at his side.  
   
“Kaza wala ka pupa?”, the tiny guy asked.  
   
“No I don’t care what other business you have. You’re coming with me to Mos Espa to search for a ship.”  
   
“Walli naka wulli na!”, Tirri protested.  
   
“You can finish your council reports on the way.”  
   
“Wu palapa...”  
   
Kazgul gave the annoying creature a slap with his gaffi stick.  
   
“Jeeeek!”  
   
“That’s better.”


	59. Chapter 59

Kashyyyk

Luke checked his armor one last time and sent an apologizing look to the trooper he’d sent asleep before he donned the helmet and grabbed the blaster. The rest of the patrol had been similarly knocked out and Luke used the Force to levitate them into some shrubbery formed by branches near the wooden pathway between the giant trees that he was on.

“Hurry up”, he told his two companions.

“Yeah, yeah”, Han made and grabbed his own Imperial issued blaster fitting the armor – but only after checking the trooper’s pockets for money. 

Chewbacca growled.

“What was that?”, Luke wanted to know.

“He’s asking how we’re supposed to get him past the guards. It’s not like he fits into one of these.”

“Well… You probably won’t like it but posing as our captive might be your best bet”, Luke suggested.

Chewbacca growled something a bit more aggressive.

“Look, the alternative is to slaughter us through the entire encampment.”

More growling.

“No, that wouldn’t be preferable!”, Luke protested, not even needing a translation. “I’m sorry for what happens to your people too but we’re ill-prepared to just free them all. Let’s concentrate on Leia, please?” 

“I kind of agree with Chewie”, Han said. “If we’re already here, we can cause those slavers some trouble at least. It’s what we’ve been doing this entire past six months, isn’t it?”

Chewbacca howled.

“He says the only reason he came with us was for a chance to slaughter some Imps anyway.”  
“Why are people always so.. … violent!? There are other ways to handle things, you know?” Luke sighed. “I know you hate them and I see why but most of these troopers are just doing their jobs. There’s no need to kill them if we can find a way to alter their orders.”

“And how do you suggest we do that?”

“I have a feeling Leia would know the answer to that, so just stick with the plan for now. Please?”  
Han and Chewie were still pretty annoyed but they did follow him.

The cover story was that their patrol had been attacked by a mad Wookie, killing all but the two of them before they managed to subdue it. It brought them through the first three security checks, then they were not-so-politely told to head into the right direction as prisoners had no business near the barracks.

“Okay, no use, let’s split up”, Luke muttered. “You two go to the area they keep prisoners in and round up as many of them as you can without alerting anyone. I’ll get the princess and come to you shortly after.”

“How do you even know where she is?”

“I just… know, alright? It’s a Force thing”, Luke replied.

Han snorted. “If you want to get yourself killed, sure, just keep relying on your hokey mojo. Chewie and I will do something productive.”

“That would be a first time”, Luke muttered but only after the two were out of earshot.

He managed to make his way to the building he sensed Leia in undetected. Unfortunately it was swarming with Stormtroopers and from there on it wasn’t long until he was stopped and asked for his ID.

“You don’t need to see my ID”, he told the trooper.

“I don’t need to see your ID”, he agreed.

Luke was just done congratulating himself when he crossed the next corner and a line of build-in turrets came out of the ceiling, firing at him.

Luke cursed and drew his lightsaber. The beams ricocheted off his blade and at the wall. There must be someone sitting behind the security cams who recognized the symptoms of a Force suggestion.

Fortunately, after he caught himself, it was easy to reflect the laser beams directly back to the turrets and he got through the corridor unharmed. On his search for Leia though he soon entered a room where he was met with a full six man squad of troopers all pointing their blasters at him.

“Freeze or we’ll fire!”, they called out.

Deciding his cover was blown, Luke pulled off his helmet to be able to see more and fell into a defensive stance.

“I don’t want to hurt you, guys, but I will if you stand in my way”, he warned them.

“Who do you think you are? You can’t take us all on!”

Luke scowled, maybe there was a chance yet to solve this without violence.

“I’m Luke Skywalker, son of Lord Darth Vader.”

There was hushed whispering as the troopers looked at each other.

“But… There’s a bounty on your head. You…You’re a deserter!”

Luke swallowed a bit. He had sort of expected it, if his father wanted to keep his position he had to denounce Luke after he fled, helping Starkiller. Still, that hurt. But two could play that game.

“Exactly, I’m a deserter. In fact, I’m a Jedi now.” He waved his blue lightsaber around for emphasis and managed not to wince when he imagined his father reading the report of his actions today. 

“Do you really think you can take on a Jedi? Much less one trained by Lord Vader himself?”

While users of the dark side often looked down on the Jedi for being weak, they were still formidable foes for your run-of-the-mill Stormtrooper. He wouldn’t have a problem defeating them all and from the way they exchanged glances, they knew it.

“Good boys”, Luke said when they all started to retreat backwards, blasters still pointed at him. They would be back later with reinforcements but with some luck by then Han would have reached the prisoners and they could flee in the chaos.

Luke continued on his way. He persuaded another squad to let him through and had to fight his way through a room that held a total of three squads, all well armored. At last he broke through a door and found Leia on the other side.

“Luke!”, she called out and he hurriedly shut off his saber so he wouldn’t hurt her as she gave him a quick hug.

“I thought I… I sensed you coming but I wasn’t sure. Thank you for coming for me.”

“I’m glad that you’re not hurt but we have to hurry to get out of here.”

“Yes – but Luke!” She stopped him when he wanted to pull her to the exit. “Luke, I came to Kashyyyk for a reason and my mission isn’t finished yet. The Empire has build a Skyhook to shuttle off Wookie slaves and I promised I would sabotage it. We have to destroy the tractor units that keep up the field.”

“That’s not going to do much, Leia, you know they will just build a new one.”

“Yes maybe but it will give the Wookies a chance to fight back. Please Luke, I promised them. They’re waiting for my signal and if they start without it, so many more will die.”

“I… Okay fine, listen. I have a friend with me who’s set on freeing the Wookie prisoners on the surface. That might give me enough time to sabotage the Skyhook. I want you to go to the ship and wait there for us.” He took a moment to describe where the Falcon was hidden. “We can stay in contact using our bond, so try to concentrate on me at all times. If you feel… Well, if you sense something is seriously wrong with me, I want you to take the ship and fly it to Tatooine. You can fly, can’t you?”

“A bit”, she answered, “but Luke, I won’t abandon you here!”

“If I do get captured I have other people I can call for help. It will be alright as long as you get away.”

“Okay but… Luke, there’s something else.”

“What is it?”

“The Governor of Kashyyyk, he’s a terrible man that’s been tormenting the Wookies. I know the Empire will probably just repair the Skyhook but if the Governor were to be… replaced...”

Luke stared at her. “You want me to… to kill the Governor?”

Leia scowled at his expression. “Well, he’s going to be well-protected. I understand if you think it would be too dangerous…”

“Leia, asking me to rescue you or even fight my way through a station to sabotage some machine, that’s one thing. I won’t pretend my hands are clean, not when you’ll find a dozen bodies behind that door I came through. But what you’re asking there is murder. It’s an assassination and… And I’m sorry but I don’t do those.”

Leia’s face went red and her scowl deepened. “How can you say that? You think it’s okay to kill a trooper that’s been conditioned to kill without thinking about it but it’s not okay to kill a man who’s ordered the death and enslavement of millions just because he’s too much of a coward to stand in your way personally?”

Luke shook his head. “It’s not okay to kill these men either”, he said, pointing towards the door where he’d had to fight those troopers who wouldn’t let themselves be persuaded to step out of his way. “But it’s something I can’t avoid. I hate having to do this but I did it because you’re more important to me than the lives of these men. I’m here to rescue you. Not to be used in your own war against the Empire.”

“My war?! I’m not doing this for me, I did it for the Wookies!”

“Did you?”, Luke snapped. “Do you really care? Or did you just want to prove to your father that you can fill his shoes?”

“O-Of course I care...”, Leia said, deflating a bit.

“If you really did, you wouldn’t have tried to fight fire with fire. All it ever does is burn people, on both sides.”

Leia looked shocked for a moment. “I… I didn’t mean to… I...” Suddenly she looked down, her hands balled to fists as she tried to suppress her tears. “Oh Luke… I haven’t… I haven’t become like them, have I?”

Luke’s gaze softened a bit and he hugged her gently, through the girl stayed tense in his arms.

“No, of course you haven’t. I… I’m sorry if I was too harsh.”

Leia sniffed. “But you’re right. I just… I just wanted to prove to father that I could do it. That I could make a real difference, that I could be more than a pretty face in the senate.”

“You can do more, I’m sure of it. You just haven’t found your place yet. But we can talk about that later. Now we have to get out of here.”

“Okay...”

Luke tightened his hug a bit before letting go and Leia gathered herself. Luke headed out to make sure the coast was clear before he motioned for her to follow him.

“My friend, Winter”, Leia said, stopping him. “One second.”

She hurried to the room her friend was staying in and returned shortly after with the white-haired girl. There was no time for long introductions as they made their way further.

At the entrance to the barracks they split up, Leia making a run for the forest and Luke heading right for the Skyhook, discarding the fake armor on the way that only hindered his movements.

It took Leia and Winter a good twenty minutes to find the ship, in which she explained to her friend what was going on. Luke and Han had turned off all the lights. It was only early evening but on the bottom of Kashyyyk’s mighty forest there was always night. As soon as they left the clearing where the Imperials had set up camp, there was no grass, no shrubbery growing anywhere and without Luke’s directions Leia would’ve never found the ship in the dark.

She kept thinking about Luke, kept concentrating on their bond but she felt that he didn’t. He was distracted and more than once she felt a phantom of his pain as he fought and she realized with horror that he was tackling the small army protecting the Skyhook all on his own.

When she reached the ship she tried to tell Luke to run away, to come to her. She felt suddenly terribly, terribly ashamed for even sending him on such a dangerous mission. How could she ask him to risk his life like that? He wasn’t part of the resistance. He was an Imperial more than he was a rebel and yet he did this – for her. He killed for her even though he hated it.

“He is going to be alright, princess”, Winter tried to calm her. “He has a lightsaber and everything and he looked like he knew how to use it.”

“Yes, I… I’m just so worried about him”, she returned. “I… have a bad feeling about this.”

The girls got into the freighter where they were promptly presented with the next problem.

“Uh, do you know how to fly a spaceship?”, Winter asked.

“Well… father let me play with a simulator once...” She smiled not very convincingly. “How hard could it be?”

It took Leia a fair while to figure out the controls. It was nothing like a simulator and she had the feeling whoever had designed this one must’ve been a madman. She would be lucky to even get it to lift off. At last she managed and she called out for Luke to join her.

That’s when she felt it.

There was a sense of cold dread and fear suddenly rising in Luke. His panic was so opposed to the cool confidence she’d felt from him this whole time that Leia shivered and hugged herself for a moment, frozen in fear.

Luke… Luke what’s going on?, she asked desperately.

It’s him.

Who? Vader?

No, it’s… It’s the Emperor.

What? Leia didn’t understand. The Emperor? Here? That didn’t make any sense!

Start up the Falcon and pick me up. We have to go, NOW!

Leia didn’t have to be told twice. She fired up the freighter’s engines. Just keeping the ship straight was already a challenge through and she had trouble making her way to the clearing harboring the Skyhook. Luke had destroyed five tractor units and was in the middle of doing some strange Force-thing with the sixth. Leia pulled at the controls, causing the Falcon to veer to the side and conveniently crash into the seventh and last unit. Winter cried out when she was thrown about but managed to get back to her feet. Outside, the blazing light that the Skyhook shot towards the sky died and everything went dark.

“Winter, open the ramp!”, Leia called out and her friend run to the back of the ship.

Shortly after they felt the earth shake and when Leia looked up she spotted a group of five Imperial walkers heading their way.

Leia paled and urged Luke to hurry.

“Can you man the gun turrets?”, Luke asked her once Winter had pulled him on board.

“I – I don’t know, I never used any!”

“Then I’ll go, you get us out of here”, he decided and sprinted off in what she supposed must be the direction of the guns.

Leia turned back to the controls. The Falcon started spewing red laser beams even before Winter had closed the ramp and it wasn’t long before the first walker went down. However, the tall machines fired back and the ship groaned under the assault. Leia started frantically searching for the controls to activate the shields all while simultaneously trying to get the ship into the air. She must’ve hit something wrong through because the ship veered to the side and crashed to the ground. The guns stopped firing and Leia feared for a moment that the crash might’ve hurt Luke, who sat in a gunning cockpit at the belly of the Falcon. For a few seconds the ship was entirely unprotected and Lea screamed, covering her ears as something in the back of the ship exploded under the unrelenting laser storm of the walkers. Winter was thrown to the ground again and groaned before dragging herself to a seat to get strapped in.

Then Luke started firing back, destroying another walker and Leia gathered herself. With much effort she managed to get the ship into the air, ignoring the shields for now.

That’s when they saw them.

A group of well over thirty Wookies was storming the clearing, lead by a tall brown one with a bowcaster and a dark haired human male, waving a blaster pistol around. Leia couldn’t hear what he was shouting but it looked like obscenities.

Leia, that’s Han! He came with me, let the ramp down, she heard Luke’s voice in her head.

Leia was very reluctant to touch down on the ground now that she’d finally managed to pull up but reluctantly did as she was told.

A moment later the Han fellow stormed the cockpit with one of the Wookies in tow.

“-goddamn sonofabitch, how dare you steal my-” He stopped short when he saw Leia, who was struggling to get the Falcon in the air again.

“What are you doing!?”, the man all but screeched and Leia let out a small shout when he pushed her roughly off the seat to plant himself there.

“Chewie, get on with it!”, he said to the Wookie, who gave a growl and sat down in the co-pilot’s seat.

Leia sat on the ground stunned. She’d never been treated that rudely before and it didn’t help that the guy flipped a single switch to power on the deflector shields and had the Falcon souring soaring to the sky within seconds. On the ground under them the Wookies were swarming what remained of the Imperial troops.

“You were actually going to leave me there, weren’t you?”, Han shouted at her angrily when Leia got to her feet.

“What? I don’t even know who you are!”, she protested.

“I’m the owner of this ship, the ship you were about to steal!”

“I – how dare you! I am no thief!”, she protested. “Luke said something about the Emperor coming and that we had to get out fast. I didn’t even know he brought someone else along.”

“So you’re the princess he came here to rescue? Where’s the brat anyway?”

Luke chose that moment to stumble down the corridor, bleeding from a wound at his head.

“Luke, you’re hurt!”, Leia called out in worry.

“Nothing bad. Just hit my head at one of the crashes.”

“On of the crashes!?”, Han repeated incredulously. He turned to stare at Leia accusingly. “What have you done to my ship?”

“I-I did nothing! It’s not my fault your piece of junk has no proper controls.”

“Oi! No insulting the awesome Millennium Falcon!”

“The awesome Millennium Falcon should go a little faster if we want to outrun those fighters”, Luke said, pointing at one of the radar displays.

They had left the planet’s atmosphere and Leia paled at what she saw through the front window. Kashyyyk was only supposed to have a small space station with a single Acclamator class assault ship and two Tartan patrol cruisers. She had researched this before coming here! Yet the entire window only showed a gray monstrosity. It was an Imperial class Star Destroyer and they were damn close to it. On top of that there was a swarm of one-man TIE-fighters, heading directly for them.

“Shit”, Han cursed. “Luke, back to the guns. Chewie, take over.” He grabbed a pair of wireless communicators and tossed one to Luke, then they both headed back to the gun turrets.

Leia fled into the small passenger area and strapped in next to Winter, feeling angry, confused and what’s worst, useless. The Wookie took over navigating with the same ease as the Captain and Leia flinched every time the ship shook when being hit. The voices of Han and Luke could be heard from a loudspeaker in the cockpit as they coordinated their effort against the squad of a dozen TIE-fighters chasing them. The Star Destroyer continued to fire at them but it was doing so half heartily. No great precision could be expected from a ship that size and Chewie had no problem maneuvering the Falcon away from the deadly fire.

“Take us back to Tatooine, Chewie, what’s taking you so long?”, Han wanted to know.

Chewie howled something that the man answered with a shocked: “WHAT!?”

“What’s going on?”, Luke asked.

“Your stupid princess let the Imps smash our hyperdrive. We can’t go lightspeed!”

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me”, Luke sounded back and Leia hugged her legs, wishing very much she would be able to sink into the ground.

More and more red blips vanished from the radar as the two experienced gunners took care of them but another squad headed their way as well as the two Tartan cruisers. They were almost able to keep up with the Falcon so they weren’t even able to build up much distance.

“There’s no use to it”, Han said over the com. “Chewie, find a place to land. We’re not going anywhere without a hyperdrive.”

“But we can’t go back to Kashyyyk!”, Leia protested. “The place will be swarming with Imperials!”

Chewie growled something.

“We don’t have a choice”, Hand replied. “It’s the closest planet around and we have to shake our tail.”

Chewie growled some more but in the end steered the Falcon downwards again to another green planet near Kashyyyk.   
It was Trandosha, home to the Wookie’s sworn rivals and more professional slaving companies than half of the Outer Rim together.

 

XxX

Galen woke up with a start, bathed in sweat and panting heavily. Images were still flaring in front of his eyes. Luke, fighting against an army of Stormtroopers. A Wookie rebellion. Two girls in white. A jungle full of reptilian eyes. And over it all the shadow of the Emperor, yellow eyes glowing maliciously.

Galen sat up and propped his head in his hands. There was rustling next to him and he kept his fingers from itching to where he kept his lightsaber.

Juno gave a yawn and hugged him from behind, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“What’s going on, love?”, she asked sleepily. “It’s too early to be up.”

Galen glanced at the clock and blinked. Indeed it was three in the morning.

“Go back to bed. You need your sleep.”

Juno stilled behind him. “Galen, what’s going on?”, she repeated.

“I...” He swallowed. “I have to go.”

Abruptly he stood, heading for the small wardrobe containing his outfit. They were in a room in of the Nebulon-B escort frigate Lightning. It had once belonged to the pirate in charge of Pottya. After the Phoenix alliance took over the small fleet and space station protecting the planet as well as the ridiculously understaffed ground forces, they now had their own, albeit very small fleet. The frigate was the biggest ship in it and so served as a flagship. With Pottya they now had access to enough fuel to keep them going a while. The surface was largely uninhabited but there was enough space to start building a civilization or at least an outpost and use the planet productively. 

“Galen, please talk to me”, Juno all but pleaded when Galen strapped his lightsaber to his belt.

He looked at her – at his wife, pregnant with his child.

“Luke is in trouble”, he whispered.

“What… What do you mean? He’s on Tatooine. Isn’t he?”

Galen shook his head. “I saw… him. And others. He’s got the Empire on his heels, Juno.”

She scowled, trying to understand his words. “You saw him… as, in a vision?”

Galen hesitated. Loathe as he was to admit it, he did not have a particular talent for farseeing. He could remember having exactly one vision in his life as a young boy, though he wasn’t even sure about that one. He’d been sleep-deprived and very stressed, it could’ve been a normal if crazy dream. A dream full of riddles and metaphors.

The dream he’d had today… It didn’t leave much for interpretation. Luke was trapped, running from the Empire with no way out and the Emperor was after him. He even got a rough inkling on which planet he was and it was definitely not Tatooine. The problem was… Galen didn’t normally have visions like this. And it had felt so dark, the presence of the Emperor hanging over it all… It could be because the Sith Lord was hunting Luke himself, or… Or it was Darth Sidious who had sent Galen the vision in the first place and the whole thing was meant as a trap for Galen.

He had to help Luke. He had to, he was his brother. He’d always been there for him, always supported him even when Galen turned his back on him. But he didn’t want to leave Juno alone and vulnerable. It could just as well be a trap to lure him away from her, though he doubted that Sidious knew about her yet.

“I have to check on Luke”, Galen repeated. “I’m sorry, I… I’ll be back shortly.”

He rushed out of their room, down a corridor and took a turbolift to the bridge. If he had to walk into a trap… He didn’t have to do so unprepared.

On his way to the bridge Galen checked his messages on his datapad to see if Luke had left one. The only message though was from the Lightning’s Captain, informing him that a visitor had arrived for him in the night that would be waiting for him in the morning. Galen scowled as he read the name: Kazgul Mah’kata. That couldn’t be a coincidence.

He sent a message that the visitor was to be brought to the bridge immediately. The time until he arrived he let the night shift of the bridge brief him on their uneventful shift and then researched possible planets of his vision.

The Tusken at last entered the bridge with his Jawa in tow and Galen scowled fiercely at them.

“What are you doing here?”, he demanded to know. “Where is Luke?”

The Tusken shifted uncomfortably before crying some unintelligible words that the Jawa translated. Apparently Luke had left Tatooine with Han Solo after receiving a call for help from a friend. He had sent Kazgul to continue his training with Galen.

Luke was heading for Kashyyyk.

Galen quickly researched the planet with his datapad. It was not quite right… But there, the neighboring planet, Trandosha. It had a thick jungle but not as abnormally large trees as Kashyyyk. It had been a slaver’s paradise even before the Empire and was even more so now. That was the planet from his vision.

“Luke is in trouble”, he growled. “I will have to go and get him back.”

The Tusken insisted on coming with him.

Galen hesitated. He didn’t want to leave Juno alone but the plan that was slowly forming in his head demanded the fleet to be moved and she would be safest where the most of their forces assembled. Having a Force-sensitive, even if just a minimally trained one to protect her as well would reassure him. Except of course that he didn’t really trust the raider.

“Fine, you can come. But by the Force, I won’t put up with your incessant growling any longer.” He turned to the crew. “Someone bring me a TPM!”

Ten minutes later Galen held a mechanical mask in his hand with large, black glass eyes and a complicated mouthpiece.

“Put that on”, he demanded of the Tusken.

The raider growled annoyed, no doubt opposed to the idea of wearing the heavy, bulky mask.

“Oh come on, it’s not like it’s much different from your cowl and glasses.” He held up the mask and pointed at the mouthpiece. “See, that goes over your mouth. It’s got a microphone and a speaker in it that will automatically translate everything you say into basic. Over here are some headphones installed so you also get a translation of everything people say to you, as long as it’s in a language programmed into it. Basically, a portable protocol droid except without the useless commentary.” Well, it was also ugly as hell, very heavy and just generally a nuisance but Galen figured a warrior used to covering his head at all times during to his culture wouldn’t have too much of a problem with that.

Reluctantly Kazgul put on the Translator-Protocol-Mask. He now looked ready to storm a gassed bunker but Galen was just glad he didn’t have to hear his high pitched growls anymore.

“I wish I had this a few months ago”, Kazgul said, his voice sounding entirely mechanical and with a strange echo because of the dampened growls of his actual speech behind the mask. “It would’ve spared me a lot of trouble.”

“There was almost no resistance on the surface of Pottya so we ransacked a few junk shops. It was luck that we found one of these old things.”

Kazgul nodded. “Very well.”

Galen closed his eyes, reaching out for Luke. He was far away, very much so but he was still able to sent him a few thoughts.

Luke, are you alright? What are you doing on Trandosha?

Luke’s mental voice answered: Did Kazgul find you? Anyway, I did something stupid and our hyperdrive isn’t working.

Galen suppressed a sigh. I suppose I will have to get you out then.

No, you can’t come here. The Emperor is in orbit and the Imps are searching for me. It’s too dangerous.

If I don’t come, they’ll catch you, Galen returned annoyed.

Better me than you, Luke replied sadly. 

Don’t even start. I will get you out of there.

But how? They’ve got the planet under lockdown. Every ship trying to escape is being shot down. Even if we find a way to repair the Falcon, we wouldn’t get out of here.

Briefly Galen contemplated sending the Rogue Shadow. With it’s superior cloaking technique, it might be able to get past the blockade. But the only pilot trained to do such a maneuver was Juno and he would not risk to loose her as well.

I will find a way to get you out of there, Luke. I just need some time.

I can dodge the search parties for a few days but please, promise me not to do anything stupid. Like risking your life. You have your family to watch out for. Just… Take care of Kazgul for me, will you?

Galen cut the connection. How could Luke even for a second think he’d just leave him there!? That was not an option. He would just have to plan accordingly...

“What do you want to do now?”, Kazgul wanted to know.

Galen began to pace. “Luke is stuck on Trandosha and the Emperor is in orbit, probably with a small fleet.”

“We could take the small ship to sneak past them”, the Raider suggested.

“Too risky. Sidious will expect that and have planned accordingly.” Galen stopped abruptly. “Well… Trandosha is a slaving planet. I hadn’t wanted to challenge the Empire quite so soon but we do have a fleet of our own and the opportunity to get Sidious away from Coruscant is a rare one.”

“You want to attack Trandosha?”, Kazgul asked doubtfully. “Do we have the forces for that?”

“No we don’t”, Galen said. “And he knows that. That’s why he won’t be expecting an attack.”

“Of course he won’t.”

Galen turned to see Juno in a light robe, her belly visibly swelled. Of course she would ignore his command to go back to bed and come after him instead.

“We have neither the manpower nor the ships to risk such an attack”, Juno said with a scowl.

“Then I suppose we have to gather some new allies”, Galen replied with a smirk.


	60. Chapter 60

Despite Galen’s continued complaints, Juno insisted on flying the Shadow with him and Kazgul on board. Their destination was a space station over the planet Bespin. That was where the information that had been given to Galen by Wedge Antilles led them.

On the way there Galen examined Kazgul’s skills with the lightsaber. They were practically nonexistent as he held it like a club. The only positive thing to say about him was that he managed not to cut himself (too badly). As he didn’t have much time to teach him any moves, he instead practiced with him to keep his connection to the Force strong and let it guide his movements, mainly in deflecting laser fire.

Once they touched down on the space station orbiting the gas giant, called ‘Cloud City’, Juno was put on ship-watch while the two males went to contact Antilles.

They found the rebel in a nondescript house over a small communication shop. To say the pilot was surprised to find them knocking at his door would be an understatement.

“Huh. Now, that’s something I didn’t expect, the Chainbreaker and – what is that, a droid?”

“Shut your mouth or my blade goes through your throat”, Kazgul said mechanically. He might respect and even fear the spirit’s favored a little bit but he still held a large grudge against humans in general and he did not like being talked to like that!

“No blades will be meeting any throats today, we’re just here to talk”, Galen said, though his smirk betrayed him that he wasn’t all that concerned about his companions behavior.

Antilles regarded them warily but after a moment, opened the door for them. He offered a drink, which was promptly rejected.

“I will make this short because time is of the essence”, Galen said. “A few months ago you came to me with the offer of an alliance. I had no use for you then but now, I’m planning an attack on an Imperial planet and I offer you the chance to join in on it with as many ships and men as you can gather.”

Antilles stared at him disbelieving. “You – You said the Empire wasn’t the ‘true’ enemy! You refused to even think about joining us against them!”

Galen sneered. “Yes and that hasn’t changed. The planet I will target is Trandosha, the planet that provides the largest work force in the Empire’s attempt to enslave the Wookie race. I cannot promise that, even if the attack is successful, I will continue to fight against the Empire.”

“Then of what use would such an attack be?”, Antilles asked angrily.

“Your little resistance group hasn’t lifted a finger during all these years to help any of the rebelling groups across the galaxy. I have the most organized interplanetary army that’s been mobilized since the foundation of the Empire. This is the best chance at a visible victory you’ve got in years. If you aren’t going to fight now, then when will you?”

He saw the inner fight in the pilot and knew that personally, he agreed with him. Whether or not his superiors would play along was another story.

“Why now?”, Antilles wanted to know. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

Galen’s lips thinned, unsure if he should tell him or not.

Kazgul made the decision for him.

“One of the Phoenix Alliance Council members was forced to flee to Trandosha. A rescue is improbable and impractical.”

Galen glared at him, he had not meant for that to get known.

Antilles’ eyes widened comically. “So you decided to conquer the entire planet instead?!”

“I would burn the entire planet to ashes if it would save my brother”, Galen admitted, shooting caution into the wind. “But that’s not the point. The orbit over Trandosha is enforced by the Emperor himself. The main fleet however is on the other side of the planet and couldn’t be there in time to provide reinforcements if called for.” Well, that was not really true. Galen had no idea where the main fleet was but he did know that Vader was in charge of it and it was almost a given that the Sith Lord would conveniently arrive too late to save his hated Master.

Antilles’ eyes widened. “You think this is a chance… to kill the Emperor?”

“Interested yet, are you?”, Galen asked with a smirk. “We don’t have to conquer the planet. We don’t even have to win the battle. We just have to cause enough of a distraction for a small strike team to infiltrate the Emperor’s flag ship.”

“A strike team you want to be part of.”

“Naturally.”

Kazgul turned to him. “I thought we were going to rescue Skywalker.”

“Luke can take care of himself, he’s just stuck on the planet. Once the action starts he can simply join the rest of the fleet in the attack and flee with them if things get rough.” Galen shot the Tusken a meaningful look. While rescuing Luke was first priority, he would never get the help of the resistance if they thought he was only in it for one person.

“I can talk to our Council on your behalf and see if I can get you any troops”, Antilles offered. “Unfortunately I’m not on the best terms with them right now. Said a few things they didn’t appreciate. Now I’m stuck with a dead-end job. If you could help me out with it, your chances to get yourself a proper attack force would probably increase significantly.”

Galen rolled his eyes at the obvious attempt of bribery. “Fine, what is your job?”

“I was sent to get an old Clone Wars General out of retirement. The guy’s been wasting away after a particularly devastating defeat by the Empire and has been hiding here.”

“Why would this General be of help for us?”, Kazgul asked with a sneer. “If he can’t even take a defeat and grow stronger from it, he’s a useless warrior.”

“I wouldn’t say that. See...” Antilles leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially: “He’s a former Jedi General.”

Galen glared. “Let me guess, his name is Rahm Kota.”

“You know of him.”

“You could say that.” Truly, the Force worked in mysterious ways sometimes.

“We’ll see what we can do about it. Where can we find the man?”

“He usually hangs out at the cantina.”

Galen nodded. “We’ll see you later than.”

Galen and Kazgul took their leave and the young Sith commed Juno to let her know they’d be taking a bit longer.

“A Jedi… does that mean this General is like Skywalker?”, the Tusken asked.

“Trust me, you can search the whole galaxy and find nobody like Luke. But if you ask if he can use the Force, then yes. Like all Jedi, he uses the light side of the Force. Luke does too.”

Kazgul scowled, trying to connect his words with a meaning he understood. “You are saying then that Kota’s spirit is well-meaning?”

Galen rolled his eyes. “You and your spirits. Look, it’s less about the personality of the ‘spirit’ that chooses you. Your own character, your actions and thoughts draw different kind of spirits to you.”

Kazgul was silent at that for a moment. “Then you must have a black soul”, he concluded.

“I suppose”, he answered stiffly. Galen waited for any kind of judgment but the Tusken didn’t comment on it.

“Are there many like you?”, he wanted to know instead.

“A few. The Empire is training them. They wiped out almost all Jedi a few years ago so there are definitely more dark side users around than light.”

“Even the black spirits have their place in the world”, Kazgul mused to himself. “They are the unforgiving, those that cleanse the world of the worthless and punish the evil.”

Galen glanced over at him. “And if the punishers become evil themselves?”

Kazgul shrugged. “In the desert, we fight fire with fire. Eventually, they will burn each other out. You fought together with the other dark ones, didn’t you? With this ‘Empire’.”

“Yes.”

“But you have abandoned them.”

“What’s your bloody point, raider?”, he asked irritated.

“The Empire is enslaving people, feasting on the weakness of the worthless. Yet it has become evil itself. You have rediscovered the true purpose of darkness, fighting the evil with its own weapons. That’s what the spirits chose you for.”

Galen snorted. He was growing increasingly annoyed with the Tusken’s philosophical nonsense. He had enough doubts about the Empire as it was. “Is that what you tell yourself so you don’t piss yourself in fright when you come near me?” He had noticed how uncomfortable the other was around him.

Kazgul stopped and despite the mask, Galen got the feeling he was glaring at him.

“I am not afraid”, he hissed. “I respect you for your power and I acknowledge that you are the better warrior. But I have a responsibility to my tribe. I have to believe you too have something to fight for. I have to believe you belonged to the human scumbags who raped my world without a second thought before realizing you had a greater purpose and turning on them. If I did not believe that, my honor would demand I slay you, even if it would mean my death.”

“I was an Imperial, a Sith, not a Hutt minion!”, Galen answered angrily. “Don’t compare me to those pathetic rats!”

Kazgul regarded him closely before giving a stiff nod and catching up to him. “Very well. But while you may be a cleansing fire, you are still fire and this Kota human is opposed to you. Like water. Will he make trouble?”

“I fought Kota before. Thought I killed him but it seems he slipped away”, Galena admitted.

“Will he insist on challenging you then?”

“He might. Last time he was ready to sacrifice his own life and that of hundreds of others just to kill me. He has no such plan now so he might decide to run. If he does...” Galen gave him a sidelong glance. “We kill him.”

Kazgul looked at him, his black mask allowing for no emotion to shine though. “You want to kill the Jedi?”

“If he gives us the chance, I will try to talk him into joining us but if not, that’s plan B, yes. Without his assignment Antilles has no reason to stay here so he’ll have to talk to his superiors anyway.”

“I will be ready then.”

It didn’t take the two long to find the cantina and the gray haired man, drunk as hell, sleeping with his head on the counter. He was still wearing a set of old, battered, dirty armor, which told Galen that in all the months since their duel he hadn’t even bothered to get himself new equipment. His smell was awful and the two warriors stopped a few steps away from him, not particularly caring about getting closer or hell forbid touch the man.

“We could kidnap him”, Kazgul offered hopefully. “It would be easier to stop him from fleeing when we restrain him before waking him up.”

“Yes but it might also give us a disadvantage at getting him to listen.”

Galen sighed. The things he was doing for his brother…

He went over to the counter, ordered a glass of water and poured it over the old man’s head.

Rahm Kota woke with a start. He sputtered and flared his arms and Galen watched him dispassionately as he lost his balance and fell from his stool. Kota hit his head on the hard floor and groaned. It was then that Galen noticed the dirty (maybe formerly white) bandage covering his eyes. He vaguely remembered that his lightsaber blade had come a bit too close to his face once during their duel and that the pain from being burned was what had made Kota fall through the hole in the first place. That said, the injury probably saved his life and Galen didn’t feel the least bit guilty about it.

“Stand up, old man”, Galen said and delivered a kick in the General’s rips for good measure. Ugh, he hated Jedi.

“What the hell… What’s going on? Who are you?”, Kota slurred. He got up no further than on his elbows and Kazgul sneered in disgust.

Galen rose an eyebrow. “You can’t tell who I am? I thought you were such a mighty Jedi.” Really, it would surprise him if he didn’t recognize his presence after their last fight.

“Ain’t no Jedi anymore”, Kota complained and very, very slowly got to his feet again. “My connection to the Force is gone… like everything else.”

Galen watched him warily as the Jedi climbed back on his stool and blindly felt for his bottle of liquor.

“What do you mean, your connection is gone? It’s the Force, you don’t just lose your powers like that!” The mere notion was ridiculous. The Force was in his blood, in his soul, nobody could take that away from him!

“You’ve been abandoned by your spirit… Why, for failing in your battle?”, Kazgul asked, morbidly fascinated.

Kota turned to him slowly. “And who’re you, a droid?”

“I am not a droid!”, Kazgul growled angrily. “Watch your tongue, human scum!”

Galen had enough. He drew his lightsaber from his belt and swung the dull end at the Jedi’s head. Just before he could make contact though, the General raised his arm to block the blow. He wasn’t quite fast enough though and ended up with his head slammed on the counter, Galen holding it there with his forearm pressed against his ear.

“There’s no way a blind man would’ve seen that coming”, Galen said triumphantly. “You haven’t lost the Force, you simply refuse to use it actively. Why?”

Kota was breathing heavily. He made no move of resistance but he didn’t speak either until Galen put more pressure on his head. 

“The… the death”, he rasped pained. “All the death… So many souls, crying out. I… I killed them. I killed them all and it was all for nothing. I felt them through the Force and I dreamed of them at night and I… I couldn’t...”

Galen noticed the dirty bandage becoming wet and realized with a mixture of disgust, anger and a bit of pity that the old man was crying.

Hundreds of citizens had been killed on Nar Shadaa when the space station left a crater several miles long on the surface of the moon. Most of those citizens would be criminals and scumbags so it had never really bothered Galen too much. He didn’t remember feeling their deaths through the Force either, though that could be easily explained by the fact that he’d been caught in a Force Rage at that time. He wondered if Luke had felt it – he’d been unusually quiet the rest of the way back. Which again could be explained by the fact that he’d just had to reveal his Jedi training and narrowly escaped Galen’s violent response to that.

“That’s what happens when you fight a superior enemy”, Galen sneered. “It’s called collateral damage. It’s what you risk every time you go to battle. A true soldier learns to live with that.”

“Oh, what do you know of war, boy?”, Kota spat and freed himself of Galen’s grip. 

“More than you think.”

The Jedi shook his head. “What do you want from me?”

“Your help in killing the Emperor.”

Kota stared at him unseeingly for a moment. Then he gave a short, choked laugh. “The Emperor? You must be crazy. Nobody goes against the Empire, much less the Emperor.”

Galen shrugged. “You never know until you try. A front assault while he’s away from Coruscant, under the guise of attacking an Imperial planet, Trandosha. I’m assembling an army and I need someone competent to lead them. Are you in?”

“You’re crazy, boy”, Kota scoffed. “Nobody defeats the Empire.”

Kazgul stepped forward and grabbed the old man at his collar.

“Listen, you pathetic human scumbag! I come from a people that have been oppressed and hunted down by humans for thousands of years. The spirits have never cared about our plight. If we want to change something, we have to do it ourselves. I have no reason to fight this war as my people are already save safe but I will still fight for the people that earned my trust. The Empire is just like the Hutt clan and the Wookie race is just like us, being oppressed by them. I have the chance to help the kindred, to burn down those of the same heart as my people’s foes. You are not like that. Your people are not yet avenged, the future of your children isn’t assured. As one blessed by the spirits it is your duty to protect them. So I ask you, where is your fire? Your desire for revenge? Where is your anger?”

Galen could see from his raised eyebrows that Kota was starting at the Tusken wide-eyed behind the blindfold and he sighed before pulling Kazgul away from him.

“I doubt that’s the right approach to take with a Jedi”, he said. “He’s more water than fire, remember?”

“You… You are doing it again… the circle...”, Kota muttered in shock.

“Well, there’s nothing you can do about it, is there?”, Galen snapped at the Jedi. “You’ve decided to stay away from the board, you quit the game.”

“A war is coming”, Kazgul growled. “Whether you like it or not.”

“You can’t do that!”, Kota cried out. “Isn’t the galaxy dark enough already?!”

Funny that, for a moment Galen really had believed the General didn’t recognize him.

“I will lead the resistance against the Empire with or without your help”, Galen said. “Things would just go a lot smoother if you came along.”

“I am not joining you!”

“Technically, we’d be joining you. You’re the General.”

“Don’t play with me, boy, I’m four times your age!”

“Is that a yes or a no?”

Kota glared blindly at him and slowly got off his stool. “I will come with you... But only to prevent you from dragging everyone in the resistance down with you. They’re good people and don’t deserve the likes of you.”

“I can work with that”, Galen decided. He only needed the resistance for a single battle anyway, he didn’t expect the alliance to hold longer than that.

Kazgul and Galen got Kota out of the cantina and back to Antilles’ apartment. Galen was rather content about having avoided killing Kota. Not that he had anything against the idea in general but like this they were able to avoid Imperial notice. Antilles was happy to get away from Cloud City and before long they were all back in the Rogue Shadow. 

“I will call the resistance to tell them about your plan now”, Antilles offered once introductions with Juno where were out of the way.

“Don’t bother”, Kota muttered. “You’re not going to receive any help from him right now.”

“Who are you talking about? Organa?”, Galen snarled in annoyance. It was the only member of the resistance he was sure of and seeing as he was a senator, he was expecting him to be a leader.

“How do you even – no, I’m not gonna ask. Suppose it’s no great secret anymore. Yeah, I’m talking about Bail Organa.”

Kazgul didn’t recognize the name and asked for it.

“Organa is the king of Alderaan. His wife rules while he represents the planet in the Imperial senate”, Galen explained. “If we could gain his support, he could gather ships from Alderaan and all its allies. Granted, that wouldn’t be much as they are a pretty peaceful planet but that doesn’t mean they’re completely without defense.” He handed the Tusken a datapad connected to the holonet that he could use to research it. Only belatedly he realized how useless that was. The TPM translated languages for him but it didn’t give him the ability to read. Still he let him scroll through a few pictures. The raider showed himself equally fascinated and revolted by the pad.

Kota looked at Galen shrewdly before he continued: “Well, unfortunately you won’t be able to gain his help or even attention. Bail has fallen under suspicion. The Empire has stolen something from him that he holds dear and he won’t have a mind for your war until he gets it back.”

Kazgul had suddenly stopped and now held up the datapad, which showed a picture of a girl that was apparently the princess of Alderaan.

“That’s her”, he said. 

Galen took a look at the datapad and scowled. “What do you mean?”

“When I was in the spirit world, I saw her face. She was calling out to S-”

Galen interrupted him quickly, not wanting the Jedi to catch on: “I remember, yes, the friend you mentioned.” He turned to Kota. “That something that was stolen from the senator wouldn’t happen to be his daughter, would it?”

Kota glared at him suspiciously. “Well, you don’t seem to need me at all, you already know everything! Yes, she’s a hostage. Rescuing her would grant you Organa’s gratitude. Of course you can’t rescue her ‘cause she’s being held on Kashyyyk, which is in the same system as Trandosha. If you go there, the Imps will be alerted to your presence and you won’t be able to pull off a surprise attack to take the planet anytime soon.”

“Except of course”, Galen said with a smirk, “that the princess already has been rescued and is waiting on Trandosha to be picked up.”

“That’s awfully convienient”, Kota glared. “What is your game? Did you rescue the princess from the Empire only to hold her hostage yourself so Organa would lend you his fleet?”

“I did no such thing”, Galen claimed, making no effort to sound honest. “I simply came upon this information and saw the perfect opportunity. That the princess managed to flee no further than a planet that provides a perfect target for the Phoenix Alliance is a mere coincidence.” 

“It’s the will of the spirits”, Kazgul decided. 

“That’s not very reassuring”, Juno commented. “The spirits aren’t always on our side.”

“Let’s just see if Organa is ready to assemble a fleet to tackle the Empire and rescue his daughter with nothing but our word that she’s there and not where Empire said she is.” Galen decided. “Maybe he’s desperate – or stupid - enough to agree.”

“Yes, well maybe you should leave negotiations to the Jedi though”, Juno offered.

“I can’t believe I agreed to this”, Kota growled.

“I have a bad feeling about this”, Antilles muttered.

Galen protested: “You’re not even a Jedi!”

“So?”

Juno sighed. “If even the non-sensitives are having bad feelings, we’re all going to die. Call me when you decide on a course, will you?” With that she retreated to the crew quarters.

Galen tried not to take her words too seriously. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her, not now and not ever. He didn’t expect everything to go smoothly with the plan but he would make sure that Juno was as far away from the backlash as possible.


	61. Chapter 61

On board the Lightning, in orbit of Alderaan

Galen tried to look back on his life and figure out where he went wrong.

He’d always followed the creed of the Sith. He had trained hard, murdered without remorse and had no qualms to turn against his mentors if it satisfied his anger and hatred as well as his will to prove himself and become stronger.

Alright, so maybe he had grown overly attached to his beautiful wife but nowhere shall it be said Sith couldn’t fall in love or have a relationship, especially if it was one as passionate as what he had with Juno.

So what if he was unable to recall quite the same anger and hatred for his Master who’d betrayed him as he used to? Vader was weak and pathetic and simply not worth his time. That’s why Galen went after Sidious, who was still very much a formidable foe. It was not because he still held any feelings of good will for the man who had tried to kill him. Twice.

And so what if he was loyal to his brother despite his preference of the light side? That obviously wouldn’t stop him from fighting him if he ever became a real threat and he wasn’t about to do something stupid like risk his own life for him. He was not. He was going to save Luke but he was also going to kill the Emperor, finally, and on his own terms as opposed to whatever Vader wanted him to do.

And still, despite there being perfectly reasonable, dark-side explanations for his actions, it still didn’t quite make sense for Galen as to why he was here in this room on board his flagship together with two Jedi Masters, trying to convince them that he wasn’t evil and that he really did want to work with them, that he didn’t plan to stab them in the back later and that it wasn’t all just a ploy to get the next generation of Force-sensitives into his dirty hands.

Galen almost wished he had a ploy like that, even contemplated making one up, just so he wouldn’t be as disgusted by his own actions.

It was all Bail Organa’s fault. The man had been quite worried for his daughter and was more than ready to gather a fleet and attack the Empire if it would bring her back. However, Kota had ratted on Galen and told him he was a trained Jedi-hunter in Vader’s employ and that had made Organa just a tiny bit leery of him. Scouts had confirmed that the Emperor had only a single Star Destroyer in orbit over Trandosha as well as several smaller spacecraft to accompany it. Basically, it was just a bodyguard for the Emperor, nowhere near a full fleet. But Organa was half convinced it was a trick of the Empire to lure their enemies out and that Galen had been sent to them for this purpose. And so he had asked Kota and another Jedi he had in his employ to talk to Galen and make sure he was trustworthy.

Unfortunately that other Jedi happened to be Obi-Wan Kenobi, who Galen still held a great deal of personal dislike for. After all it was him who triggered his initial fallout with Vader.

“He is a Sith”, Kota muttered darkly. “I can smell the taint on him.”

“Yes he is dark”, Kenobi confirmed calmly. “And yet he is here, away from his Master’s influence.”

“You know, I think I should feel insulted”, Galen snapped, annoyed that they were talking about him as if he wasn’t there. “To be evaluated by two blind old men. Exactly what does the Senator expect you to see in me?”

It was a low blow and he knew it. Kota’s eyes had been burned by his lightsaber during their duel. His blindfold had been replaced by a cleaner, dark blue one that covered old bandages. Which was weird, the injury should’ve healed and scarred by now. Kota had to have opened it many times by scratching at his own eyes, possibly due to his nightmares.

Kenobi however… He had more reason to play the feeble old man and yet he still held himself with a certain grace. His right eye was covered by a brown eye patch. If you looked closely enough you could see the faint scars on his hands where Galen had broken his fingers, one after another. He wondered if his back was full of scars as well or if it had these rosy patches that came from newly regrown or transplanted skin. He decided to ask, just to see his face.

“By the way, Kenobi, how’s your back?”

Kenobi stared at him with a slowly widening eye and Galen was disappointed about the lack of anger in it.

“It was you. Back then, you where Vader’s student. He… He taught you to torture Jedi. And to kill them.”

And then, inexplicably, Kenobi smiled. And it wasn’t the malicious kind of smile that promised retribution. It was a relieved smile.

“Not quite the welcome-back I had expected”, Galen admitted with a scowl.

“I watched over the young Luke Skywalker for many years”, the old General explained. “I tried my best to stray him from the path his father took by making sure he had a loving family. I thought that was what he needed, I knew it was what Anakin always yearned for.”

“What are you talking about?”, Kota asked. “Do you two know each other?”

“I was captured by Vader when he found out that I had hidden his son away”, Kenobi explained. “There, I was tortured by a child. For a long time I thought that child was Luke, that Vader had already corrupted him so very fast – or maybe that I had never seen that he was always dark from the beginning. I had my doubts later when I watched him grow up from a distance. But Luke was never Vader’s student. He was never a Sith apprentice. You were.”

Aw, did that mean the Jedi hadn‘t known it was him before? Had he just betrayed himself by blurting it out? That couldn‘t help his reputation. Well, at least it was out now and the Jedi would never be able to come back feeling all betrayed if he found out later.

“That’s right”, Galen confirmed proudly, making sure nothing of his real thoughts showed in his face. 

“A very clever ploy. Not even I saw it coming. If ever Vader trained a successor, everyone would’ve thought it to be his son.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out earlier. My existence stopped being a secret long ago”, Galen said with a shrug. 

“What happened to Luke?”, Kenobi wanted to know. “Where is he? The last thing I heard is that the Empire set a bounty on his head.”

“Vader tried to kill me, Luke took my side over his and we ended up fleeing together. He’s been busy rejoining his relatives on Tatooine.” There was no way he was telling them what kind of trouble Luke was in. The last thing he wanted was for Luke to fall into the Jedi’s hands.

“And Vader never taught him about the Force?”, Kenobi asked doubtfully. “You never tried to turn him in an attempt to get revenge on Vader?”

“Of course we tried, both of us”, Galen answered. “Luke was just very incompetent when it came to channeling the right kind of emotions.”

“The right emotions”, Kota echoed disbelievingly. “You do realize that if your goal is to make us trust you, you’re not making much progress, don’t you?”

Galen snorted. “I am a Sith, I never made a secret of it and I don’t care to hide my nature from you. I’m not here because I’ve suddenly realized how wrong my lifestyle is and I want to join the Jedi. I’m here because I want the Emperor dead who just so happens to have left his secure capital. For that, I need a fleet. The alliance with the resistance may not hold much longer than that but it would make no sense for me to turn on my allies afterwards as I’d have two parties on my heels and I really don’t need that.”

Galen hid a smirk. He was purposefully giving away different objectives to hide the initial one – to give Luke the means to escape Trandosha. As Antilles said, it wouldn’t go over too well with the resistance leaders if he said he started a war to rescue his brother.

“There is still the possibility that you followed orders in coming to us, hoping to draw out the Empire’s enemies”, Kota pressed.

“Exactly. I don’t have to convince you of my good nature or desire to free the Wookies, only of my determination to kill the Emperor. And I do assure you that it is very strong.”

“Very well, I’ll humor you”, Kenobi said. “Why do you want to kill the Emperor?”

Galen straightened his back and prepared himself. A year ago, convincing anyone of his hatred for the Emperor would be child’s play. Everyone could see his hatred in his eyes. But things had changed. Galen didn’t think he’d lost any of his fire but now, it burned to protect his loved ones, not to destroy his enemies. The Jedi wouldn’t approve of it either way but given their mistrust, he was more likely to get his fleet if he pretended his only goal to be revenge.

His true feeling for the Emperor were a bit more complicated than that.

Galen left Vader’s services when he was 13 years old. At that time he already knew how to kill stealthily, he had basic combat training, a strong mind protection and a minor understanding of basic Force techniques. He had spent most of his years growing up in isolation with Vader as his only human contact. Vader killed his first pilot in front of him when he started to build a bond with him and he punished him severely for any kind of weakness but other than that, Galen considered himself honored to be in his services.

“The Empire robbed me of my family. Vader killed my father, the Emperor killed my mother.” Galen wasn’t too sure about the second one but it would make sense and since there was no way for him to find out what actually happened, it hurt less to think she’d gotten a quick death.

When Galen entered the Emperor’s services he took away everything that made him special. He got a normal name, quarters where his servants lived, he got regular pay and had to take care of his own needs, be it food or laundry or weapons. At the same time his training continued, brutal, fast and always in competition with the hundreds of other acolytes Sidious harbored. Galen was forced to wear a mask in public and at court, no longer allowed to remain in the shadows. Naturally this made him wish to be one of them, to be normal, have a family, friends, a life that belonged to him only. The Emperor took pleasure in making sure he understood that was not for him. He had regularly changing teams and staff so he could never build up friendships. Sidious had him kill any romantic interests he might take. Galen became the number one among his assassins but he was still just that: a number.

To the Jedi, he said none of this.

“It’s true that I started out as Vader’s student but I did work for the Emperor as well. I tried to do good, yet he tortured me on a regular basis. I had my bones broken, my back whipped, my mind torn apart and I’ve been electrocuted more times than I can count.” 

The torture had served its purpose to make him hate. But ever since Galen left the Empire, he learned that it was just pain. The Emperor had done something worse than that: He had twisted his sense of identification. He made him forget who he was, he shaped him into his tool, a doll that danced to his tune and Galen didn’t even notice until the trap closed around him.  
He was a Sith assassin. He identified himself with the kinds of people he killed. And it wasn’t supposed to be disobedient politicians or journalists with a big mouth or hell, even Jedi. He was supposed to kill the amoral, the worthless, the criminals and terrorists. He hunted Kota down because it was an order and because he was a Jedi but he would’ve done it even if that wasn’t the case because he was a threat to the Empire and he drew innocent people into danger.

Galen killed people because that’s what he did best. It was a part of him that couldn’t be changed but he wanted it to have a meaning. He wanted to kill the Emperor because he was a threat to the Empire. He was obsessed with making the Sith order the strongest it could be, even if the Empire suffered under the constant games he played with Vader and Galen.

That didn’t mean that if the Emperor stepped down tomorrow and retired to Naboo, laying on the beach the whole day, he’d be content to let him go. It was still personal and he still wanted to be the one who killed him, nobody else – but it was less out of personal hatred and more because that was a goal that Vader had raised him to reach for, it was his whole purpose of life. It was sad that he was still suffering from the brainwashing of his childhood, even though he was able to recognize it today for what it was. A part of him hated himself for it but he couldn’t help it.

The torture he’d endured at the Emperor’s hand would make him enjoy the kill. The injustice Sidious brought to the galaxy and the threat he posed to his own Empire would make him feel justified after he did the deed. The fact that he was protecting his loved ones by doing it was further incentive to do it now instead of later but the actual reason why he wanted to grab this opportunity, was… still… to show it to Vader. Not to make him proud, not anymore, but to make him regret that he’d thrown him away.

That realization itself hurt and made Galen feel disgusted with himself and yet thinking about Vader brought forth a burning anger. The Jedi couldn’t see that his anger was faced inwards though and Galen let it fill his voice as he spat:  
“The Emperor has taken away any chance I ever had at a normal life. I know what you see in me, I know what a monster I am. Don’t think I wouldn’t mourn for the person I could’ve been if it wasn’t for him. He broke me to teach me how to hate and now he’s harvesting the fruits of his labor. It’s as simple as that.”

“You speak of your hatred for the Emperor but it seems to me as if Lord Vader is equally at fault for the path you’ve taken”, Kenobi said carefully. “Hatred is the Sith’s strongest weapon. Even if the Emperor didn’t manage to use it to pull you back on his side, you don’t seem to go against Vader with the same vehemence. Does he still have a hold on you? If so, what would keep you from helping him onto the throne once the Emperor does die?”

“Well for one: Vader doesn’t need my help for that. Everybody would accept him as the Emperor’s successor with little problem. But even if that wasn’t the case, I originally left the Empire because the Emperor sent me to Vader with a mission and Vader tried to kill me before I could complete it. I’m not on the best terms with him right now and the Emperor would still be mad that I failed him”, Galen answered.

He didn’t have the same burning need to kill the Emperor anymore as he had before. He still wanted to but his main objective for this mission remained to get Luke out. However, he had to make the Jedi and the Emperor think he was still mainly driven to kill the Sith Lord and he had to make the resistance and the Phoenix Alliance think it was to punish Trandosha and free the Wookies. Of course it would be perfect to accomplish all three but it was all a matter of priority. In any case his allies couldn’t think he had the possibility to go back even if he wanted.

“The Emperor will try to use whatever attachments you have against you”, Kenobi warned. “Are you prepared for that? Are you prepared to sacrifice your friends?”

“I don’t have friends”, Galen scoffed.

“Antilles said you are married”, Kota said with a deadpan.

“Married”, Kenobi echoed, his calm mask slipping for a moment, revealing shock and something that might be horror. “Force, why does that always happen?”

The young Sith rolled his eyes. “My wife is perfectly save with the fleet, not to mention the Emperor doesn’t know about her.”

“That’s what Anakin thought too and look where that led him!”, Kenobi snapped, raising his voice for the first time. “You’re following in Vader’s footsteps, whether you intend to or not.”

“Master Kenobi”, Kota said quietly, “I understand that you have personal reservations about this… person, both from your experiences with your previous student and because of what he did to you. But the Jedi order is no more and there is barely any resistance against the Empire. Our generation that we still remember from the old times will be gone soon. All the Force-sensitive children will be collected by the Empire at a young age, every man and woman capable of fighting will be conscripted to the Stormtrooper Corps. If there will ever be anyone actually fighting the Empire, it would have to be an Imperial who turned traitor. This guy is a terrible new hope but it’s the first one we’ve got in years. We owe it to our fallen comrades to try and veer him from his path.”

“Do you really think that’s even possible?”, the other Jedi asked doubtfully. “Once the darkness has a hold on you, it’s said to be impossible to escape it.”

“Still here, you know”, Galen growled. “Still listening.”

“He is arrogant, brash, power-hungry and has no respect for life”, Kenobi continued, ignoring him.

Galen resisted the urge to throw his hands into the air and scoff at the Jedi. “Fine, old man, but tell me, was Vader any different at my age?”

He was sure there was an irritated twitch in his left eye.

“He carried the same signs already”, he admitted.

“But he was fine as a Jedi, wasn’t he? He was fine following orders and he got results, right until his wife was threatened. That’s what you said.”

Kenobi nodded slowly.

“If you’re so damn convinced that I’m like Vader, then take her. I’ll put you on protective duty for my wife. As long as you make sure she’s alright, there’s no danger of me switching sides. And if I am secretly an agent of the Empire, you can hold her hostage.” 

Galen’s stomach churned even as he said the words. Juno would not be pleased if she where to hear what he said. But they were heading into a battle and at the edge of his mind, Galen had been worried that she might come into danger. She wasn’t safe left behind on Tatooine or any other of his outposts with his fleet away. She wasn’t safe entirely on her own with the fleet either while Galen went to infiltrate the Emperor’s ship. He’d already told Luke’s student to protect her but he wouldn’t hold up against a trained assassin, should the Emperor send one. If she was protected by a Jedi Master though, Galen knew she would get away. He might never see her again if things went badly or the Jedi betrayed him but he was confident that at least he wouldn’t hurt her. She would be safe and so would his son.

“You would entrust me with her safety?”, Kenobi asked disbelievingly.

“Yes”, Galen replied reluctantly.

“Well”, Kota muttered, “either his attachment isn’t as strong as you’re afraid or he’s actually being honest.”

“Do we have an agreement then?”, Galen asked coldly.

Kenobi sighed. “I suppose it’s the best we can agree on. We will advise Senator Organa to consider your plan.”

“I’m not convinced we can trust you”, Kota cut in. “I’m not convinced you won’t betray us later and I think your plan is crazy. But… these are desperate times. I will support you in this plan now but don’t expect any help from me after that.”

“You won’t ever see me again”, Galen promised. “No pun intended.”

Kota just glared.

The young Sith stood, eager to get away from the two old men as soon as possible.

“Well then, I would say it’s a pleasure working with you but you’d sense the blatant lie in that.” With that he left the room, smirking at the irritation he felt coming off the Jedi. He had a battle to prepare.


	62. Chapter 62

Trandosha

Luke ducked under a large leaf and entered the clearing in the middle of the green hell where the Millennium Falcon was half buried in the earth at the end of a long aisle that they’d tried their best to cover with foliage. He could see Han working at the small pod with the gun turrets on it at the underside of the Falcon. Chewie was taking a break, sitting on a large rock nearby and polishing his bowcaster.

“Hi guys, I’m back”, he greeted them.

“Hey shorty. Did you get the parts?”, Han asked without looking up from his work.

Luke shifted the weight of the tank on his shoulders. It contained enough electrolytes to replace the stuff that had flown out of the pipes that broke when the ship was fired on.

“Yeah, I did. I should be able to complete the repairs on the hyperdrive with this.”

Han shot him a glare. “I would hope so! You’ve taken apart half my ship. As soon as we get to a proper spaceport, I expect you to pay for full repairs!”

Luke winced at the reminder. It had taken him a while to find some decent spare parts on a nearby garbage dump, seeing as he didn’t want to risk going into a settlement. But the only way to complete the repairs anytime soon was to take out necessary parts form other places around the ships. As a result, even if he could get the hyperdrive to work, it would go at the cost of the shields, the sub-light engine and the sanitary units. The last one especially had made Leia a bit cranky as she hadn’t been able to get a decent shower in days.

“Do you know where the girls are?”, Luke asked and Han motioned vaguely to the ship.

Luke entered and found Leia and Winter, playing a game of sabacc.

“Hello Luke”, the princess greeted him. “Do you have any news?”

He put down the tank and nodded. “The hyperdrive will be repaired soon. But...” He bit his lip and hesitated.

“What is it?”, she wanted to know.

“We’ve got another problem. Apparently the Empire has erected a blockade around the entire planet. Any spacecraft without proper codes is being shot down.”

Leia’s face fell, though she looked more frustrated than afraid.

“How did you find out about it?”, Winter wanted to know. “I thought we agreed not to enter any settlements.”

Luke went a little red and Leia promptly gave him a look.

“Okay, so I may have gone into a cantina, but”, he said before the girls could interrupt him, “I was careful, I promise. I rubbed my skin with leaves to cover my scent and went in through a window in the toilets and made sure to cloak myself and everything. I needed to know if the Empire followed us here, I… I have a feeling we shouldn’t stay here longer than we absolutely have to.”

“Well, that we can agree on”, Winter muttered. “But if there’s a blockade, we might be stuck here for a few more days, maybe weeks.”

“Maybe”, Luke suggested hesitantly, “we could, I dunno, go back to Kashyyyk? The Wookies might be able to help us out with more parts.”

Winter scoffed. “You already made sure the Falcon moves at a snail’s pace in sublight. We could never outrun the blockade.”

“We could sneak on board an Imperial transport”, he offered.

“Or we just wait until the blockade is over.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think that’d be a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“I… I can’t explain it. It’s just a feeling, but… I think there’s gonna be a chance for us to get off planet really soon and we should be in the air when it’s time.”

Winter wanted to protest as well but unexpectedly, Leia was with Luke on this.

“I think Luke’s right. I… I feel it too. Something is in the air. We shouldn’t miss this.”

Winter looked from Leia to Luke and back again.

“Well… I suppose we could try to sneak into the local Imperial outpost and get their codes so they won’t immediately shot us down.”

“Yes”, Luke said at once. “Let’s do that.”

“You can’t just say let’s do that, breaking into an outpost is dangerous, we need a plan-”

“I broke out you and Leia without much of a plan”, Luke pointed out.

“Well, you did have a distraction at least”, Leia said, being reminded of the major Wookie rebellion.   
“But the outposts generally aren’t shielded against aerial assaults, not on a planet like Trandosha that still maintains a lot of its independence. If the Falcon where to shot at the building it may provide enough of a distraction for us to sneak in and get the codes.”

“They will send a small fleet of TIE fighters to obliterate the ship”, Winter said. She was reluctant to point out the sheer absurdity of the plan because Leia was a princess and Luke was Lord Vader’s son but neither of them seemed capable of acting rationally right now.

“That’s why we have to hurry up”, Luke said, “but we have to hurry up now.”

“We might have trouble convincing the Captain of the plan”, Leia noted. She practically spat the word, the ‘Captain’ hadn’t acted very politely towards her and even though he had helped to save her, something about him just rubbed her the wrong way.

Luke shrugged off her concerns. “Just promise him double pay and he’ll do it.”

“I never promised him any pay!”, she protested.

“Well, then this is the time you should do it. He only agreed to be part of the mission because I told him you were rich.”

Leia gasped indignantly. “So he’s nothing but a mercenary then, a scoundrel you hired? I thought he was your friend!”

“I’ve been working with him for a few months. He owes the Alliance for ridding him of some nasty debts debts and he can’t get out of that responsibility without angering his Wookie friend, who takes debts very seriously. So, he is sort of reliable but he will be a lot less of a nuisance if you just pay him what he wants.”

Leia was only partially reassured and she was not comfortable with throwing away money that could be used to help those that suffered by the hands of the Empire to some greedy scoundrel but Luke was right, she could afford it, her parents would expect her to pay if it meant saving her life – and she really, really wanted to get home.

“Fine, I’ll see to it now can we please get going?”

“I still think we should sit it out”, Winter muttered but the two teenagers ignored her and Luke went to fetch Han and Chewie. It was time for some more breaking-and-entering.

XxX

Obi-Wan Kenobi hurried down a corridor and towards the hangars. The alarms were blaring through the entire ship, a sign that the space battle had already begun. Yet the Lightning was not yet shaking under enemy fire, though that too would come soon.

A Nebulon-B escort frigate couldn’t stand up to a Star Destroyer for long but Organa had supplied the Alliance with a small fleet of fast, maneuverable corvettes. They had no trouble dodging laser fire from the massive capital ship and could target its weak points while their natural enemies, the TIE-fighters, would be held back by some of Alderaan’s old police Z-95 starfighters.

The frigate was going to attack the small space station orbiting Trandosha instead. They were to destroy the hangar first so no reinforcements could arrive. Their shields would hold against the turbolasers of the station for some time and if they were in danger of being broken, they could always retreat. By staying behind the station, they wouldn’t provide a target for the Star Destroyer and by disabling the bridge of the SD as well as the communication center of the space station as early as possible, they would hopefully prevent the Emperor from calling further reinforcements from the ships blockading Trandosha or at least make it impossible to coordinate efforts. All they had to do was hold out long enough for the Chainbreaker to infiltrate the SD anyway.

It was a good plan, Obi-Wan had to admit but it hinged on Vader’s apprentice succeeding in assassinating the Emperor, something not even Yoda had managed. Of course the fleet had orders to fight to destroy the Star Destroyer with the Emperor on it but Obi-Wan knew it was never that easy. Even if they did manage to do enough damage to the ship before reinforcements arrived, if he saw his victory escaping the Emperor could always flee with a jump into hyperspace. The Alliance had no Interdictor ships to prevent this.

Obi-Wan would have liked to stay at the command center of the Lightning. Not because it was arguably the safest place on the ship but because from there he could coordinate the battle. He might be a bit out of practice but he had been a formidable war general. However, that role was taken on by Rahm Kota. Obi-Wan had another mission during this battle and that was protecting the Chainbreaker’s wife. She was the key, she was the weak spot of Vader’s apprentice and so she must not fall into the Empire’s hands.

Juno, that was her first name, he knew that much. He didn’t know her last name because the apprentice had never formally introduced himself and when he asked around people only offered him that nickname. Even Kota hadn’t known more. To the crew, she was simply known as their idol’s wife, meaning she hadn’t made much of a name for herself. Further inquiries revealed her first name as well as that she was apparently a pilot.

He’d found out where her quarters were too and he’d gone there, knocking politely. The Jedi had imagined what he would say to her, what kind of woman she would be. He pictured a young, beautiful and frightened girl who was terrified of the Sith who’d forced her into her position but clever enough not to fight him in his obvious obsession lest he hurt her. Or maybe she would be evil and rotten, a Sith Lady herself with some latent Force potential, a professional assassin or mercenary that the apprentice had lured into putting on a mask of love for him so he could pretend to be human, all while she tried to get him to give her more power.

There was still the possibility that the Chainbreaker didn’t really care about his wife. He might have even married a random former slave just to fool the Emperor into believing he had a weakness. It wouldn’t be hard, there were many female slaves who would feel indebted to him. But somehow Obi-Wan didn’t believe that. He hoped he was wrong but he believed that the Chainbreaker really did love this woman, whether it was a sick and twisted love or not because that’s what happened to Vader and the Chainbreaker was so similar to him that it didn’t take a genius to guess where it would all lead to. 

But Juno hadn’t been in her quarters and by the time Obi-Wan had found a witness that had seen her heading to the hangar, the battle had already started.

The Jedi entered the wide hall and amongst the various soldiers preparing their fighters he spotted a figure he recognized from Kota’s description. The other dark one who had accompanied the Chainbreaker, possibly his new apprentice. He was covered from head to toe in a mixture of rags and patched-up clothes and a black mask with huge insectoid eyes covered his entire face, ending in a round mouth-piece but without the tell-tale plastic pipes of a gas mask. Next to him a blonde woman was trailing along, her steps purposeful and determined. Obi-Wan figured the apprentice wouldn’t leave the protection of his wife to him only, of course there would be someone else to watch him. He was uncomfortably reminiscent of Vader with his angry aura and the black mask and the woman… He had a sudden flash of Padme as she stood defiantly against any injustice. She had that same look about her. With a start Kenobi realized why she wasn’t in her quarters, as she was supposed to. She was a pilot and she wanted to take part in the battle.

And then his eyes wandered lower, taking in her rounded belly and he almost fainted.  
He should’ve stayed on Dagobah.

It took some effort for the Jedi to go up to her, introduce himself and explain the situation. The pilot was not impressed.

“I don’t need protection. I graduated from the Imperial Academy with top marks, I was trained for this kind of situation”, Juno told him without a flinch. “I will not stay behind while good people risk their lives.”

She turned to leave again and Obi-Wan, disbelieving and maybe a bit desperate, turned to the masked stranger.

“Will you just let her go? Didn’t your Master tell yo you to protect her or something?”

The stranger answered in an entirely mechanical voice that made him wonder if he wasn’t a droid after all:

“The Bloodwing has chosen his mate for her strength. I see no reason to keep her from battle.”

“But she could die! Her husband wouldn’t be very happy about that.”

The stranger made a snarling noise and Obi-Wan felt like he’d been hit by a weak barrier, as if he’d tried to Force-push him away but decided differently at the last moment.

“Do not question my actions! You’re nothing but another human scumbag. We have children and sick people fighting at the front lines because their determination is too strong to be broken. I will not stop anyone from fighting who is seeking rightful retribution for himself or their family.”

Juno at least looked a bit uncomfortable. “I told him I was going anyway and there’s no way he can stop me without harming me so it would be best to just come along.”

“Please, you have to reconsider”, Obi-Wan now turned back to her. “Think about-” He swallowed, this was too much, he couldn’t go through all of that again, “think of your baby.”

Juno’s face closed off. “What do you think I’m doing!? My child will never be safe as long as the Emperor lives. I have to do everything in my power to help Galen.”

Ah, so now the mysterious Chainbreaker at least had a name. It was a little reassuring that she wasn’t calling him Master.

“Your child is only as safe as you are. Don’t you think Galen will notice that you’re out in the battlefield? Do you want to distract him from his mission?”

“No, but-”

“Then you have to come with me. Please, it’s the only way.”

Juno seemed to fight with herself for a moment and at last, she let out a sigh.

“I don’t like it. When that war started I promised myself I wouldn’t let it get between us, that I would be there with him on the battlefield when he needed me and that I would make him stay with me when I needed him and we were doing so well…”

“You’re not letting him down. You just have a responsibility towards your child now”, he tried again.

Juno nodded slowly and laid a hand on her belly. “Okay. You can… You can bring me back to my quarters now. Kazgul, are you coming as well?”

The masked person gave a curt nod. “I never liked the idea of flying in one of those death traps anyway”, he muttered.

“You do realize we’re on a spaceship, just a bigger one, don’t you?”, Obi-Wan couldn’t resist but point out.

The black mask glared at him. “Shut up and die.”

XxX

The battle had started the moment the Alliance fleet exited hyperspace. Galen sat in his seat in the Rogue Shadow, which was being piloted by Wedge Antilles. He much preferred Juno’s calm demeanor as the new one seemed to be a bit jittery but he was supposed to be the best pilot in Organa’s employ and there was no way he was bringing his wife on such a dangerous mission.  
This was the most risky part. As the small ship navigated through hordes of TIE-fighters, corvettes and debris from exploding ships, Galen fought down a nervousness that never overcame him during a battle. He didn’t like flying and especially he didn’t like having to entrust his life to a stranger on the way to the most important duel of his life.

Sure, the Shadow had the best cloaking technology you could buy for money so none of the ships would have them on their radar but they were still visible to the naked eye and anyway, there was so much cross fire, they could be hit by mere chance!

It wasn’t helping that Antilles seemed to grow more nervous and afraid by the second.

“You fly like it’s your first time”, Galen complained. “Hold the damn ship straight, it’s not far.”

“I’m trying but – sheesh, this is a bloody suicide mission!”

“It’s difficulty is only slightly above average. At least for you. Now why are you being so slow!?”

“I have to be careful.”

“No you don’t. You have to be fast”, Galen objected. He looked outside, watching the perfectly coordinated TIE squads ripping apart a Y-wing that had foolishly broken off from the main fleet and he sighed.

“The Emperor is using battle meditation to maximize the efficiency of his fleet. You have to get over it. There is nothing to fear. You will not die today. We will return as heroes after bringing down the Emperor. This is our chance.” 

“You know”, Antilles replied dryly, “that would’ve sounded really inspiring if you hadn’t said it in such a bored and pissed-off voice.”

“Just accept that your mind is being meddled with, ignore your emotions and concentrate on your task.”

“Is that how you go about your assassination business?”

“What?”

Antilles spared him a quick, uncomfortable glance. “Rumors travel fast, you know.”

“I’m going to kill Kota. For good.”

“You are damn scary, you know that?”

“Great, there you have it. Concentrate on your fear about what I’m going to do to you if you don’t get me to that SD immediately. Maybe that’ll help you to escape the Emperor’s influence.”

Strangely, that seemed to help. Antilles shot down five TIE’s and broke through the enemy lines until he was too close to the Star Destroyer for it to perform any maneuvers that would allow it to fire at him with any good accuracy, even if their radars were working. He found a hangar near the bridge. Antilles gulped when he saw the number of ships still stationed there.

“The shields will hold against their fire for about thirty seconds”, he warned.

“That’s enough. Open the ramp as soon as you’re through the energy barrier.”

The Shadow sunk lower and Galen rushed to the end of the ship. The ramp was lowered just as the ship was entering past the barrier that kept the air inside. Galen held up his hands and shot lightning at a TIE that was in the middle of firing at them and disabled it temporarily. Then he jumped down, Antilles steered the ship away again and the young Sith drew his lightsaber.

But even Galen had trouble going against a hangar full of TIE-fighters. Therefore he made sure to dart quickly between the machines, startling the pilots and making them fire wild, hitting their comrades more often than not. As soon as there was enough confusion he bolted for the exit and vanished into the labyrinth of corridors where they couldn’t follow him with heavy machinery.  
Galen had spend spent his childhood on the construction side of one of the biggest war ships the Empire would ever produce. Not every Star Destroyer was the same but the underlying system was. Thus it was easy for him to avoid the bigger halls where AT-AT’s and great war droids could be waiting for him. The objective of this mission wasn’t for him to slaughter his way to the top. The Alliance could only buy him so much time and he served them better if he didn’t dawdle, even as his blood began to boil for a good fight. A little warm up before the real thing.

But there were battles he could not evade. The moment he entered the corridor that he sensed the dark power of the Emperor emanating from, his path was blocked by a small army of red clad royal guards. Some of them held blaster rifles, some held Force pikes and again others seemed completely unarmed. The common soldiers bolstering their ranks, the elite warriors and those that focused too much on their Force powers. There was a strategy on how to defeat them for all of them but together they did provide somewhat of a challenge.

Galen’s eyes darted around. He’d disposed of the occasional trooper squad on his way here easily enough but here he’d have to use strategy. He would ignore the soldiers for now, being able to deflect their fire with his lightsaber. He would have to move really fast to avoid the elite but focus on killing the Force-users first. It was sad what Imperial training had made of them. These young men and women could’ve been great but Sidious forced them to neglect their physical training, making them think the Force was all they needed. The problem was that in battle it took you a certain time to concentrate on using the Force, time you didn’t have when a true Sith was rushing at you with his lightsaber. So that’s why, he would kill those guards first before they had a chance to attack him back. Then he would take out the snipers so they’d be unable to slow him down. With the warriors he’d have to play a short game of cat and mouse, running and evading, bringing distance between them and stunning them with Force lightning before he went in for the kill. The elite was significantly more resistant to Force attacks than regular Stormtroopers, which was why Galen wouldn’t bother to try to kill them with lightning but it still caused pain and made you vulnerable for follow-up lightsaber attacks.

Galen flexed his fingers, whirled around his blade that was glowing orange today as he fed it emotions of determination, protectiveness and cold anger. He was ready to take them on, he would fight against the whole royal guard, he would kill them and become stronger as he absorbed their pain…

The guards stepped aside. One after another they veered off to the side of the corridor, leaving a clear path for him to the doors they’d been guarding.

For a moment, Galen was surprised. Then a part of him was inordinately pleased that they’d recognize his superiority, that they understood they couldn’t win against him and simply decided to give him what he wanted. Then he noticed how the dark side was still flowing tensely, not at all excited by their fear because they weren’t afraid of him. They made room for him because they’d been ordered to do so, because the Emperor was expecting him.

Galen twitched, thinking about whether he should pass through them or not. His rational side told him that every second counted, that the Alliance fleet could only stand up to the Emperor’s for so long while it was benefiting from the Sith Lord’s battle meditation. If he wasted time fighting these guards it could cost good people their lives.

The paranoid side of him screamed at him to never let his guard down, he couldn’t possible walk right through two lines of enemies, was he stupid!?, they could easily surround him and attack him from behind-

And then there was the bloodthirsty side of him who wouldn’t be content to kill just a single old man, he wanted to bathe in the blood of his enemies, he wanted to kill them and give himself to the rage that fueled the dark side.

And then there was the rational side again, pointing out that if he let the guards live the Emperor could call them as backup when Galen came close to defeating him. Not only that but he had refined the technique to draw strength from the death and pain of his enemies under Sidious’ tutelage. If the Sith Lord was hurt he could kill his own men just as easily as Galen could.  
That decided it.

The young took a step forward, then another, carefully schooling his expression into a cold, calculating one. In that moment he was more Starkiller than Galen. He whirled around his lightsaber, flicking it this way and that as if merely showing off. Then, as he had passed two guards on either side and the saber hit a backwards flick, he whirled it around, smoothly decapitating two guards, then crouching in expectation of the Force spike swinging over his head, whirled his saber around the other way to cut through the ankles of two more attackers and then – then he channeled power into his feet, jumped high into the air and directed a blast of lightning that stunned a sniper and an elite.

Chaos broke out. The formation of the guard was broken but his first goal, the Force-users, shuffled quickly to the back of the corridor to gather their strength. Starkiller briefly cloaked his Force-presence so the guards wouldn’t find him by instinct in the chaos. He moved fast, so fast that when he raced along the wall he even took a few steps horizontally on it to circumvent the middle guard and coming out behind them, he cut through the group of Force-users like he they were made of butter. With their lack of armor, they might as well have been.

He evaded the sniper fire where he could and blocked their shots where he couldn’t. Still he was forced to take a few hits as he sliced through his enemies. Their pain made the dark side rejoice around him and Starkiller felt… He felt alive. He butchered the temporally helpless guards while under enemy fire and he couldn’t remember a time where he felt more in his element.

There had to be a time, Galen thought, I was going away from this. I left the battlefield to be with Juno. I felt alive then too.

It’s comparable, Starkiller admitted, but not quite the same. It’s the difference between a content smile and a delighted cackle.

I’m this short of falling back into Force Rage, Galen thought forcefully. I have to focus, remember what Vader said. I can’t crash in the middle of a duel with the Emperor.

I’m not gonna crash in the duel with the Emperor. I’m gonna crush the Emperor.

Starkiller. Galen. Chainbreaker. Bloodwing. Sith, spy, brother, traitor, husband, father, son - I’m too many people at once. I can’t divide my strength if I want to win this. I have to be -   
Starkiller.

He cut through the last guard, watching with a slight pant as the upper body slipped from the lower part. His blade was glowing red and he had the fleeting, pleasing thought that it had sucked in the blood of his enemies.

I’m not ready.

Yes, he was. This was his moment of triumph, he would kill the Emperor and prove that he was the most powerful.

This was never about the Emperor. It’s just a distraction to give Luke time to escape.

Killing the Emperor was far more important than Luke. If he couldn’t even manage to steal a ship and flee on his own, he didn’t deserve to live.

That’s not true! Lots of people who aren’t great fighters still deserve to live!

Yeah? Name one.

Our son.

Galen stopped at that, his hand on the door handle. What was he doing here? What had he been thinking?

The young soon-to-be-father turned around and looked back at the corridor that was full of corpses. Of charred body parts and the occasional spray of blood where he’d smashed the bones of his enemies with his bare hands because he had to feel how the flesh gave away under his fingers-  
If ever his son saw a massacre like this carried out by him, he would have to think his father a monster.

I’m doing that to protect him too!, Starkiller thought furiously in defense of his own desires. It’s war, people die in war, the more guards I kill now the less can be sent after him. You have to let me go in there, I can take him on, I’m stronger in the dark side-

Shut up, Galen thought to himself and threw open the big double doors. You are no longer needed here.

Galen looked on and spotted the Emperor, sitting in a throne-like chair before a wall made of the strongest glass behind which the battle could be seen playing out. He had his eyes closed when Galen entered but opened them slowly. Still he could feel the faint pull on his mind, how the Sith Lord tried to drain his confidence from him. He was trained to withstand such attacks but he recognized the relatively weak pull for what it was. Even while focused on him, the Emperor kept up his battle meditation, strengthening his fleet and weakening the Alliance.

Galen stepped forward, determined not to give in to any mind games, to go straight to the duel and not let Sidious say a single word-

The Emperor smiled then and Galen was but one Force-jump away from his throat when a pad on the ground to Sidious’ right flared to life. A blue holo picture appeared, showing three troopers in full size as well as a round droid, hovering over a metallic stretcher. A stretcher on which laid the shriveled form of a naked woman with cascading dark hair, translucent lines running down her cheeks, her eyes still alive but oh so dead-looking.

It was his mother.

See, Starkiller whispered in his ear, I told you you should’ve let me go.


	63. Chapter 63

The next alarm blared and she took a deep breath. This was it. This was her chance, possibly her only one.

She looked down at the unfortunate Alliance pilot who she had stripped of his uniform. With just a tinge of regret she put on the helmet and then rushed out into the hangar. There was a Z-95 Headhunter waiting for her, a small, outdated one-man starfighter that would blow up if you glared at it long enough. It was moderately fast with guns that could do average damage. It was a very bad idea to use it at all against the superior TIE-fighters but it was all the Alliance had been able to scrape together for this crazy plan and so it would have to do.

She got into her seat and waited for the hangar doors to open. A moment later she was in space. She tried very hard not to think about the fact that every new starfighter squad that was sent out needed to replace one that had been wiped out by the enemy.

It had been a while since she’d flown a starship but the basics were easy enough and if she let herself be guided by her instincts, she was sure she would get through.

The first ten minutes were brutal. Nobody knew what anyone was doing and she was even worse off because she’d missed the briefing. It seemed to her that Z-95 squads were getting into dogfights with the TIE’s to keep them away from the bigger ships. That made sense, seeing as their mediocre weapons couldn’t do much against the Star Destroyer.

So that’s where she went, she checked her radar for the nearest TIE, hoping to find one out of formation. But they were all flying in straight V’s, spearheading the assault on the Alliance fleet. She managed to narrowly avoid fire from one of the patrol cruisers and wanted to hurry back to her squad. She couldn’t find it but just joined a random Z-95 squad that were on their way to engage a TIE squad.

Then there was chaos. She knew she didn’t have that much experience at flying but it seemed to her as if all the others were beginners too. They veered wide and left open their flanks and the TIE’s were ripping through them like hungry hyenas. She felt her confidence waver and fear crept into her heart. She tried to crush it, to release it and not think about it but by the Force, she was going to die here-  
General Kota’s voice sounded over the comm that she realized must be build into the helmet she wore. There was some cursing and then the old Jedi said:

"Alright, to all pilots, listen up! This is no ordinary battle. The Emperor is using something called battle meditation, that – well, it doesn‘t matter now. There‘s no point in keeping squads together. Spread out and act as randomly and unpredictable as possible. You have to surprise them and force them to change tactics as often as possible. Don‘t think about what you‘re doing, just do it. If you have to retreat, fall back to the Lightning, the Liberty or the Blue Bolt, but do it randomly, flip a credit or something.”

She felt cold. Battle meditation? She had heard of that. It was an ancient Jedi technique. Basically it was a widespread mind trick, weaker on the individual person but capable of encompassing entire armies. No wonder the TIE’s were so well organized, pulling off difficult maneuvers without breaking into sweat while their own troops were confused, scared and uncoordinated. A stronger mind could withstand the influence though.

She turned her mind onto herself and shivered when she felt it. It scared her that she hadn’t even noticed it before, that powerful, slick dark influence trying to get under her skin. She didn’t feel influenced, that was the worst of it. She’d thought she just needed time getting into the rhythm of the battle, to get familiar with the ship and everything. But she had broken off from her squad as soon as it left the hangar and the sight of a single TIE-squad was enough to make her doubt her decision to come here in the first place.

But she would not bow to the Emperor’s influence, she would not and she would show them, she would show everyone that she wasn’t dead-

She screamed when her Z-95 was hit, its right wing clipped and its balance off as she veered to the side. The patrol cruiser from before had sneaked up behind her, this bigger ship firing salvo after salvo of red laser fire in her direction. She panicked and made a small looping, firing back on instinct. Her fire met the shields uselessly and her heart skipped a beat as the next salvo came at her. In the very last moment she steered the Z-95 downwards, narrowly avoiding being vaporized by the cruiser. She didn’t decide to run, she just flew without thought as if unable to control her own actions. All she could think about was getting away, she was not ready, not ready for this-  
The cruiser followed her, red laser fire passing left and right, she was going to die, die die-  
The fire stopped and she frantically turned around, she knew her Z-95 was too slow to outrun a Tartan-class patrol cruiser-

The cruiser had turned around, its fire directed in another direction. She slowed down, hoping that maybe there was another squad she could join for more safety. It wasn’t a squad through. It was a single orange and white starfighter with a double pair of wings spread out at either side of it. It was moving fast, way faster than her Z-95, zipping around the cruiser with lightning speed. Its first twenty or so shots hit the shields but the sheer speed at which it fired was so high that the shields were overpowered. Five seconds, it took five seconds for a ship that size to reboot the shields, she knew. The small starfighter only needed three to cause a small explosion at the belly of the cruiser, destroying the shield reactor. Then it was open season and she started to gain new hope as the starfighter pebbled the bigger ship with laser fire.

Quickly she steered her Z-95 around, determined not to run away. There was still a hint of doubt in her, the desire to run but she dismissed it and joined the foreign starfighter in its assault on the cruiser. Within 30 seconds flat they had destroyed enough of the outer mantle to hit the main reactor and the cruiser went down in a shower of fire and sparks.

She felt like celebrating.

Her comm flared to life again. A voice, sounding mechanical through the communication system, spoke to her:

“Well done, pilot. You didn’t run away with your tail between your legs, that’s a start.”

“Who are you?”, she wanted to know, torn between anger at the rudeness of the other pilot, joy at having won the fight and a certain amount of gratitude for having been saved.

“This is X-wing 01. Foolish girl, there is no time for chatter. Follow me.”

She was indignant, but only for a moment. Whoever was steering that X-wing was obviously more skilled than the whole Alliance put together, at least while they were weakened by the Emperor’s battle meditation.

So she followed 01. They ignored the dogfights between starfighters and approached the edge of the battlefield. She was just starting to wonder if her savior simply wanted to flee when she spotted a formation of five powerful Broadside cruisers approaching, each of them twice a large as the Tartan cruiser.

“Where do they come from!?”, she absolutely did not shriek.

“The Emperor is calling ships from the blockade until his reinforcements arrive”, X-wing 01 answered. “They’re gonna spread out and attack the frigates.”

She stared at the radar where the X-wing was visible as a small green blip. 

“How do you know that?”

“Those ships are poorly shielded but possess powerful missile launchers. They’re best used to destroy big ships with a single shot if their shielding has been chipped away, say by the fire of a space station.”

Her eyes searched the radar where the Lightning, the flagship of the Alliance, was hiding behind the space station from the Star Destroyer. If its shielding failed it could retreat deeper into open space, only getting hit a few times because the station couldn’t follow it. But if she was destroyed in one hit by a missile…

“We have to stop them”, she said. General Kota was on that ship and without his guidance, the confused Alliance fleet would fall apart.

“That’s the plan. Broadside Cruisers destroy you with a single shot. The missiles are not as visible as laser fire and they’re too small to see them on your radar but they’re slow enough to dodge if you know where they’re coming from.” The voice paused and though it was difficult to tell through the voice distortion of the comm, she thought his next words sounded rather dry: “If you happen to have mystical Force powers, now would be the time to use them.”

Her heart skipped a beat. That was… what did he – How could he possibly know-

But that didn’t matter, not right now. She felt stupid for not doing this sooner – had she forgotten all her lessons?

But it was harder to concentrate on the power within her while her emotions were still running wild. She didn’t have time to do a breathing exercise, to cast aside all worries and fears, not with a missile coming her way!

Now she did shriek, the sense of danger only at the edge of her mind but she knew what it meant, she knew where it was coming from and she dodged out of the way, the lethal rocket passing her harmlessly.

“Turn off your radar”, X-wing 01 said.

“What!?”, she called out.

“Turn off your radar and your targeting computer. Close your eyes. Don’t concentrate, don’t think. Just listen. Listen to the heartbeat of the universe and feel the wounds within.”

For a moment she just sat there in stunned silence. She’d come here because she’d heard rumors that General Kota had returned, a hero from the Clone Wars, a… a Jedi. Could it be that she wasn’t the only one who’d been drawn in by that news? Could it be that other Jedi had come out of hiding, finally taking the chance to make a difference? Could it be that she was speaking to another Jedi right now, possibly even a Master? It certainly felt like it.

All of sudden her confidence returned. She did as the voice told her, shutting off her monitors and thus, in the silence of space, it was easier to make the connection.

Instinctively she tried feeling for the X-wing first but couldn’t find it. She felt where the Broadside Cruisers were through and her hands moved automatically. She steered the Z-95 around and started firing at them, changing angles again and again. After a while she felt confident enough to open her eyes and spotted the X-wing flying just ahead of her. Unknowingly she had followed its lead, synchronizing her efforts with it even though she couldn’t even feel it in the Force. It must be the other way around them, the pilot must be shielding himself to block off the Emperor’s battle meditation but he was still able to feel her and coordinate attacks.

She had never been in a battle this big, this great and this important. She was too young to remember the Clone Wars and after that it had just been fleeing all the time, never fighting back. She was sick of fleeing and it felt so good to fight back. The sight of the first Broadside Cruiser exploding was a beautiful light.

Together with X-wing 01 the two of them made short work of the five ship squad without a single enemy missile ever hitting a target. She mainly tried to distract the cruisers and force them to break their formations. Still sometimes she just had to take a second to stop and admire the skill of 01 as he flew around the bulky ships so fast her eye could barely follow, changing directions so quickly her head spun just by looking at it. She wasn’t sure if that pilot was crazy or brilliant but considering the speed at which they crushed their enemy, she voted for the latter. This man was a genius.

"They‘ll have made the same maneuver on the other side, possibly with different, faster ships that hunt down the corvettes. They will have fled and led them astray but will have to reform soon. Let’s return and trap them.”

Oh, she liked that plan. No retreating, no reforming with your squad, no sitting back and wait. They were going into the offensive.

“Copy that, 01. What’s your plan?”

“We attack the Star Destroyer. Our guns won’t do much against its shields but the reforming second flank will be sent after us. We maneuver around the hull of the SD, make them hit their own allies.”

And suddenly she wasn’t so enthusiastic anymore. Being sandwiched between the turbolasers of a Star Destroyer and a fast, maneuverable attack front didn’t sound fun at all.

“Look, maybe you can pull that off but I like my head where it is!”

“That’s the Emperor speaking. Remember what your General said. You know what battle meditation is, don’t you? Your fear is artificial. Ignore it.”

She didn’t think her fear was artificial at all, or unreasonable for that matter. She also knew a real Jedi wouldn’t give in to her fear but…

“I’m going in now. Follow me or retreat but be fast about it.”

And thus the decision was made for her because now she had to go, she knew she could never forgive herself if she let him go and he died and it would be her fault. Stupid, crazy old Jedi Master. She would have some words to share with him, when, if they survived this.

XxX

“Corvettes five through nine, copy me!”, Rahm Kota all but shouted into the comm.

“Corvette eight, copy.”

“Corvette four, copy.”

He waited some more but nothing else came. Only half of the squad had called back and since he still had the rest on his radar it meant the other two must have decided to flee and not return.

Kota let out a silent curse, then opened the corvette channel again.

“Alright, squad two and three reform and wait for my signal.”

He had known the Emperor would call the ships blockading Trandosha for backup, it was the logical thing to do. He had thought he’d been prepared for it but under the influence of the Sith Lord’s battle meditation all his soldiers turned into grad students who barely scratched their flying lessons. A good quarter of his fleet had deserted the moment things started to look not so bright. And it was only the left flank, made out of half a dozen Tartan cruisers that had come to aid the SD Royalty, he was still waiting for the right flank.

Next to him, Senator Bail Organa looked down at the holomap of the battlefield.

“How is it going?”, he wanted to know. 

“Badly”, Kota growled annoyed. He didn’t even glance at the map because he couldn’t see it anyway. Instead a computer voice informed him of the enemy’s movements at regular intervals.

“Maybe we can send a transport down to the planet, try to-”

“No”, Kota cut him off rudely.

Organa scowled and Kota suppressed the desire punch him in the face.

“Look, I know you only lend this fleet to us so a rescue team would have a chance to get the princess off planet. I get that you’re worried but only half of the blockade has been dissolved, a team sent down there could still be shot down and besides, I need every damn ship over here right now!”

Organa’s eyes blazed. “I know this is important, don’t think I wouldn’t realize it but there has to be something we can do! A single transport is all that’s needed, I’ll fly it myself if I have to-”

“No, we have to wait for the boy to reach the Emperor.”

“Do you really think he could succeed in killing him?”

The Jedi lowered his head. “I don’t know. But he doesn’t have to kill him, just distract him enough so he won’t be able to keep up his meditation. Then we can reform and strike back. With some luck it will happen before the right flank hits us. Then we can talk about sending a transport down.”

The computer spelled out a series of coordinates that didn’t make any sense. According to it, two small targets were fruitlessly attacking the Star Destroyer. Well, he had commanded his forces to act unpredictably. But the Tartan squad had finished reforming and were heading towards them. He called forth the signature of the starfighters. Only one of them was registered in his database, which meant the other was an Imperial chasing the lone Alliance fighter.

“Z-95-09, get back here immediately! You’re gonna be sparks and ash in five seconds!”

There was some static, then the Z-95 pilot answered:

“Z-95-09 here, 01 and I brought down a squad of Broadside Cruisers heading here from behind the SD. We are going to target the Tartans next once they’re close enough.”

For a moment Kota just gaped in shock. “Are you crazy!?”, he called out at last. “You have to retreat immediately!”

“I’ve been retreating for the better part of my life”, Z-95-09 muttered darkly. “No more.”

“You’re an idiot, that’s what you are! Your backup is a mole, he’s gonna shoot you in the back in a second, get out of there!”

Communication was cut and then a different channel flared to life, one that Kota hadn’t activated, which meant their system had been hacked, all their transmissions compromised-

“This is X-wing 01 and you, General, are a fool to reject a miracle when it’s the only thing that can save you still. Send the corvettes to destroy what’s left of the TIEs and leave the Tartans to us. Finish up that damn space station and prepare for retreat.”

“Retreat? Who do you think you are-”

“Once the Tartan’s are gone I give the SD ten seconds to flee via hyper jump. If it’s still there after that, it means more reinforcements are on their way and scheduled to arrive in less than six minutes.”

Kota didn’t answer the absurd claims because the computer was confirming the targets were moving so fast and already two of the five Tartan cruisers had been destroyed.

The old Jedi ground his teeth, then activated the corvette channel.

Whoever was steering that so-called X-wing was good but a part of that was also the superior model. He’d heard of it before. If given more time he would’ve liked to lead a mission to steal the plans for those superior starfighters to bolster the rank of his fleet before he made any attempt to attack the Empire for real.  
Whether or not this Imp was really a turncoat or a traitor, he wanted to get his hands on that ship.

“Squad 2, engage the remaining TIEs between the SD and the station. Squad 3, attack the Tartan squad from behind. There’re two starfighters caught in there, get rid of the Tartans and make sure to escort them out of there.”

There was a series of Copy that and the ships began moving.

One of his men signaled Kota the arrival of a priority hail and he turned from the holomap.

“This is General Kota, this better be damn important”, he bellowed.

“Hello General, this is Princess Leia Organa.”

“Well, that’s the first good news I heard today”, Kota answered relieved. He didn’t blame the senator for putting the life of his daughter above all else – he wasn’t a Jedi after all – but he did tend to lose perspective about the war when his precious was in danger.

“I understand there’s a battle going on. How are things going?”

“Badly. You still on Trandosha, girl?”

That’s when the senator gently but insistently shoved Kota aside to reach for the comm himself.

“Leia, my girl, are you alright?”

“Father? Yes, I’m fine – I’m with friends. I’m in a YT-1300 transport, we had to slow down a lot due to repairs but we took off as soon as we heard about the battle and the blockade was lifted. Is there a place we can dock safely?”

Kota glared at Organa and took back the comm. “We’ll fall back and take your freighter in tow.”

“Thank you General.”

The line was cut and Organa let out a heavy, relieved sigh.

“The battle isn’t over yet, Senator”, Kota reminded him.

“I know. Don’t worry, I’m not going to break down and cry but… Do you have children? … Excuse me, that was a silly question. It’s just that you can’t possibly understand… I want to help the Wookies and if we have a chance at scoring a direct hit at the Emperor himself that’s great and yet… I agreed to assemble this fleet to save my daughter. Even if we lose today, I still won.”

“You win as soon as the Liberty makes a hyperjump, which hasn’t happened yet”, Kota replied, annoyed that the Senator was disregarding the sacrifice of all the pilots that were still fighting. “But… I can’t fault you for thinking like that. As you said, I never was a father.”

The corvette channel flared to life.

“General, all Tartan’s have been destroyed.”

“What? Already!?”

XxX

On the SD Royalty, Galen Marek looked at the broken expression of his mother and then at the Emperor still sitting on his throne.

“Well, well, well. See who has returned from the dead”, the Sith Lord drawled, his fingertips forming a tent in front of his chest. His gaze was cold and piercing, sucking in the pain that started to blossom in Galen’s heart as he glanced at his mother and the torture squad surrounding her.

“How do we want to do this, Galen, dear?”

He didn’t know what to answer. He had plans and contingency plans for protecting Luke and Juno and hell, even that Tusken guy but he’d forgotten about his mother. He’d forgotten about his mother.  
Granted, there hadn’t been anything he really could do about her, seeing as she’d been captured long before the battle. He’d hoped she was dead, he’d hoped she would be spared… this. Maybe a part of him had even hoped Vader would make sure she died so she couldn’t be used against him.   
A small part of him, the part that was still Starkiller, hated Mallie Marek for that. Hated her for being used against him.

“Break her right index finger”, Sidious drawled and the figure of the holografic trooper stepped towards where Mallie’s hand was bound to the stretcher. He grabbed her hand, her lips were trembling and her index finger was bend in a way it shouldn’t be bended.

Galen didn’t dare to move.

“Where is she?”, he rasped out.

“Not on this ship”, Sidious answered with a crooked smile, as if saying: silly child.

And silly he had been. Mallie would be far away, she could be on any number of planets. There had been a delay of three seconds between Sidious’ command and the trooper moving. Count in a reaction time of 0,5 seconds and the transmission would have to be sent from around a circle of three parsecs, which still included a couple of thousand inhabitable planets… He wasn’t getting anywhere with this.

“Come here”, Sidious invited him. “Try it yourself.”

Everything in him fought against it but it was the obvious test and he would be stupid not to do it.  
Galen stepped forward, facing the torture squad.

“The leader shall raise his left arm”, he said in a monotone.

0.5 seconds later one of the troopers raised his left arm.

It was not a recording.

“You know what I want from you”, the Emperor whispered behind him. “Return to my service. Become my apprentice.”

His heart skipped a beat.  
He had to buy time, buy time, he was not considering this-

“And my mother?”

“She will be released. My men have made great progress with her. She agreed to this torture, you see? It’s part of her training. She’s as dark as you now. Of course, still not as skilled or useful. I could still kill her and it wouldn’t be a great loss. But if you came to me, I would allow you two to work together. She would be delighted, I’m sure.”

He wanted to deny it, call it a lie, but he remembered his own training, remembered the torture sessions he had endured to harden himself and yes, there had been a point when he stopped resisting and simply thought of it as another training session.

He shouldn’t be doing this, shouldn’t listen, never listen. He should swing his lightsaber, swing it now, destroy the holo pad first and then behead the Emperor while he was still off guard…

“If she’s been trained to be stronger, she’ll get away on her own after I kill you”, he said coldly.

“Ah, but Galen. Of course I have given them orders to kill her if I don’t call back at set intervals.”

Of course he had. Silly child.

“What about Luke? … And Vader?”

“Your precious brother is of no consequence for me”, the Emperor said.

He’s going to have him assassinated, Starkiller thought, he’s going to try and keep it quiet but Luke is no fool. He’s no weakling, not like you think and he has powerful friends. You won’t get him.

“As for Vader… If that is your price, you may dispose of him personally.”

Galen didn’t want to dispose of Vader personally. He wanted him to see him, Imperial or not, he wanted him to stay and watch.

But Vader was not important right now. Even Luke wasn’t important – Juno was. The fleet had to get away. They would keep on fighting until the SD was destroyed or reinforcements arrived and they could only do the former if Galen broke the Emperor’s concentration and thus his battle meditation. He didn’t have to win a duel against him but if he didn’t even try, he had already lost.  
And he couldn’t lose Juno, no matter how much his mother suffered.

Sidious’ eyes narrowed and Galen knew at once that he’d sensed the shift in him. Thus when he lunged at him it wasn’t unexpected and his saber only parted the empty throne in two as the seemingly feeble old man made a backflip and landed on the other side of the hologram.

“You disappoint me, Galen. You know you cannot win against me.”

“I know no such thing”, the young Sith growled.

The Emperor’s eyes rested on him for a moment. Then he turned towards the hologram.

“Make her scream”, he said dispassionately.

There was no audio in the transmission. Galen tried very hard not to look at the convulsing body, her mouth opened in silent agony. Instead he attacked the Emperor again, letting a stream of lightning flow at him this time. The Sith Lord drew his own lightsaber to block the attack and before Galen knew it their duel was on.

They had fought many times during training but never this fierce. Darth Sidious radiated power and the longer their duel wore on, the faster he seemed to become. Smugly Galen realized he had to let go of his battle meditation more and more to concentrate on the fight.

Soon exhaustion started to set in. Galen was used to having to kill many enemies shortly after another, drawing from their pain as he went. But he’d barely ever managed to hit Sidious twice and his lightning didn’t stun him and the metal debris he ripped from the wall and ceiling and threw at him with the Force didn’t slow him down.

There was a moment of clarity then in which Galen realized that he might very well die here.

He couldn’t die though. He had to return to Juno, she was all alone amongst the Jedi scum, and he’d sworn to himself that he would not risk his life on a crazy mission to save Luke and… He couldn’t die.

“You have much to learn about the Sith order still”, Sidious mocked him as Galen stopped to catch his breath. His right hand was trembling from the effort to hold the lightsaber.

“What do you think was the point in me training you, fighting with you day after day? We both know the rule of two. We both knew you would eventually turn against me. So why make you stronger? Why do Masters take on apprentices at all?”

“Because only the strongest deserve to be Sith. Because only in creating a legacy, you can become immortal.”

“Silly child. If I wanted to, I could live forever and crush every possible competition while they’re sleeping in their crib. No, my child. It’s about evolution. Evolution doesn’t come without constant change and change is something for the young ones. A Master doesn’t teach his apprentice so he can reach his full potential. He teaches him how to grow so he can test his limits himself. He teaches him how to reach for the stars.” Sidious pointed his lightsaber at him and Galen was tempted to attack again, he felt rested enough already – but a part of him, that part that was afraid to die, didn’t want to storm into the fight right away again.

“When you were a child, the epitome of power for you was Lord Vader. Then Vader fell to weakness and you realized there was a greater power than him – me. As you grew stronger and you fought me and you thought the gap was closing, you began to think yourself the greatest power. That is a lesson you still have to learn and you will continue to learn until the day you die. As the saying goes, there is always a bigger fish.”

Galen realized then what he was talking about and the uncomfortable knot of uncertainty in him hardened to a block of cold fear.

“It was an act all along”, he whispered. “You made me think I caught up to you but in reality, you were holding back on me.”

Sidious grinned at him, a big, ugly grin that made his head look like a scull. “You underestimated your enemy. You thought you could side with rebels and slaves and Jedi and defeat me. That is not how the galaxy works, child. Sith are not killed by heroes. They are killed by more powerful Sith. You are not more powerful. You haven’t even earned your own Sith name yet. Against me, you are nothing. Against the Empire, you are nothing.” 

It was in that moment that Galen felt a shift in the Force and when he looked outside through the window spanning behind Sidious, he saw the Alliance fleet that had just succeeded destroying the space station above Trandosha and was reforming to attack the SD Royalty. A moment later not one or two but three other Star Destroyers dropped out of hyperspace from three different directions, all of them accompanied by at least half a dozen smaller ships and spewing out hordes of TIE-fighters.  
Behind him, his mother continued to scream silently.

Galen had lost. He’d thought he had the upper hand, he’d thought he had cleverly trapped the Emperor, but really he’d been a fool.

“This does not have to be your end, child”, Sidious coaxed him gently. “Kneel down, swear your loyalty to me and I will let her go.” He pointed towards the hologram in which tears too dark to be anything but blood were escaping from his mother’s eyes.

Galen fought with himself. He did not want to die, he was afraid of it like he’d never been afraid before. He didn’t want to vanish, to be another stupid fallen hero who couldn’t protect those dear to him and couldn’t crush his enemies. Maybe the Emperor would let his mother go but the fleet would be destroyed, Juno would be destroyed.

He could submit and turn away from everything that had made him happy, turn back into the hell the Sith forged for him and he would live.  
Or he could die fighting, to prevent the Emperor from picking up his meditation again and buy the fleet those precious seconds they needed to escape into hyperspace. Just a few seconds.  
He didn’t want to die but even less he wanted to lose. 

But he was exhausted, he was weak and there was no strength left in him to keep up the fight because there was no hope, no good ending.

Where are you when I need you?, Galen asked the dark side, which seemed to have abandoned him.  
He looked over to where his mother was being tortured and imagined that he was able to feel her pain, her suffering. Regardless of how this ended, she would be free. Even if it was just in death.  
Galen held up his lightsaber, gathering what resolve was left in him. He didn’t say anything. Sidious narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak but he’d had enough.

Galen pushed the Force into his legs and sprinted forward. His lightsaber met the Emperor’s in a whirlwind of red. When the Sith Lord made a backwards flip he poured lightning into the blade and the energy gathered on the tip and elongated the saber that managed to nick his enemy’s right sleeve. Galen gave a roar and stuck out both hands for a lightning storm but it was more show than anything else. There was barely any power behind it and Sidious shook it off with a derisive snort.  
The Sith Lord stopped and pulled a Force barrier around himself that Galen couldn’t get through and he grabbed the debris he had ripped out of the walls before to throw it back at Galen. He threw himself to the side to avoid being impaled by a three meter long steel beam and came to a skittering halt just next to the holo pad that showed the stretcher with his mother on it. 

Her head moved then and for a moment he thought she could see him. But her eyes were unfocussed, her head just rolling from one side to the other in exhaustion. Yet her lips formed his name as tears ran down her face and something in Galen broke seeing her like this.

A sharp kick was delivered to his side and Galen was forced to roll over on his back with a groan. Sidious kicked the lightsaber from his hand and Galen was too tired to resist, too exhausted. He tried to get up but the Sith Lord put a foot on his chest and the Force began to press him down and Galen had never, ever felt so helpless.

“It seems you weren’t good enough after all”, Sidious sneered and brought down his lightsaber.

Panic drove away his exhaustion at the last moment. The red blade swung widely, Galen couldn’t free himself from the Force hold completely. Then there was pain. It started in his right hand, went all the way up his arm and shoulder and burned over his throat. Galen howled and shook off the Force holding him down without even thinking about it. The Emperor took a step back as Galen scrambled away, his right arm not really responding to him but burning in white hot pain as he tried to support his weight with it.

He looked down (he shouldn’t have) and realized that the blow that had meant to behead him had scratched over his arm instead when he’d tried to dodge. His lower arm was almost cut off entirely, a thin charred line was drawn over his upper arm and shoulder that was so deep he could see right through it at some points and he could make out the differences between charred meat and crisp bone and – and then the second wave of pain hit him and shouldn’t he go into shock, this wasn’t fair, it felt like his arm was being gnawed on by a thousand hungry insects.

The pain overwhelmed him. He was going to faint and a part of him was glad about it, glad that the pain would be over and another part of him… wasn’t. Another part of him still howled in pain and indignation and the darkness of unconsciousness was neither warm nor comforting, it wasn’t cold and numbing. It was burning hot. The dark side had returned to him.

Starkiller had returned.

Fueled by his own pain, Starkiller brushed off the exhaustion and got to his feet. His right arm hung uselessly at his side but he fed off the pain, he called his saber back to his left hand and glared at Sidious with pure, unadulterated hatred.

Next to him his mother convulsed on the stretcher as one of the trooper stuck an electric rod into her and Starkiller didn’t even look as he rammed his lightsaber into the holopad, destroying it. No more distractions.

The Emperor had been watching him curious and even gave a small smile when the younger Sith came back to his feet.

“Your hatred makes you strong, Galen. But it won’t be enough to defeat me.”

“I am not Galen”, the Sith growled. Lightning was gathering in the fist that held his saber, running up and down his left arm. He could feel the familiar rush of the Force Rage. “I am Starkiller. And I’m going to fucking kill you!”


	64. Chapter 64

After docking at the Lightning and learning what in the name of the Force was going on, the crew of the Millennium Falcon split up. Leia wanted to find her father, her friend Winter went with her, Han and Chewie stayed with the Falcon and Luke went to look for somebody who could tell him where his brother was.

The young Sith had been careful to keep his bond with Luke closed and it was only after they had repaired the ship and brought it into the air that he’d dropped the Force cloak and revealed his presence. There hadn’t been any communication but Luke had known his brother had come for him and he was relieved and glad for it if a bit flabbergasted that he’d come with a whole fleet in tow.  
Once on board the Lightning Luke felt another familiar presence – that of his student, Kazgul. Though not as familiar as Leia or his family it was easy enough to pinpoint, which was how he came across the Tusken, Juno and - for some reason – old Ben Kenobi.

“Okay, I’m confused”, Luke admitted after having thrown open the door, revealing Juno and Kazgul playing dejarik with the figurines in positions that strongly resembled the ones of the ships in the space battle and Kenobi sitting in a chair nearby, reading a datapad.

Kenobi’s single eye – when had he lost the other one? - lit up when he saw the teenager.

“Luke, is that you?”

“The one and only. Uhm, what are you doing here?”, he wanted to know. The last time he’d seen the old hermit was behind bars while he was a captive of his father. He suddenly remembered the talk he’d had with Vader afterwards about what Kenobi had done to him and his stance became a bit more defensive.

“Kazgul, Juno, what are you doing here with the Jedi?”

“Luke! I’m so glad you’re okay!”, Juno called out once she’d swallowed her surprise and went to hug him. Kazgul, whose face was hidden by a hideous black mask, gave him a short bow.

“Welcome back, Master.”

“Master?”, Kenobi asked, looking confused from Kazgul to Luke.

“Okay, I see we’re all a bit confused. Why doesn’t someone just start explaining stuff”, Luke said, looking expectantly at Juno.

Juno opened her mouth but Luke stopped her.

“On second thought, if it’s a long story we can do that later. Just tell me where S.K. is and if I ought to free you from the hands of the evil Jedi.”

Kenobi choked on his own spit at that.

“The Jedi was sent by Galen to protect me”, Juno explained. “He’s off to the big Star Destroyer, trying to kill the Emperor.”

Luke felt his stomach sinking. The Emperor was here? And Starkiller had gone off to confront him – alone?

“I have to go and help him then. Who’s his assigned pilot?”

“That would be Wedge Antilles from the resistance. They took the Shadow with them.”

“Do you have access to the comm system? Can you tell him to get here and pick me up?”

Juno immediately looked worried. “You don’t think he’s gonna make it alone? This is what Vader trained him to do the entire time.”

“It’s just a feeling”, he tried to reassure her. Unfortunately it had the opposite effect.

“Enough with the bad feelings! If you think bad stuff is going to happen then I’m coming with you!”

“Juno, you can’t. You’re pregnant.”

“It’s still at least three months till I’m due. The Shadow is my ship, I fly her best. Her cloaking device will let us go through the battlefield undetected so there will be little danger. I’ll drop you off and wait out of range until you give me a sign.”

“That’s a tremendously bad idea”, Kenobi commented, who’d realized who they were talking about by now.

“He’s my husband!”, Juno answered snidely. 

“You promised you would stay out of battle. Think of your child”, the old Jedi pleaded with her.

“I do. My child needs his father.” She turned back to Luke. “Well?”

“Fine but – at the first sign of trouble you are leaving.”

“Agreed”, she said at once.

“No, no absolutely not!”, Kenobi protested. “You will die and your child will die and the Sith will go crazy and burn down the entire galaxy. I will not have it!”

“You’re the evil Jedi. Nobody asked you”, Luke said with a huff. “You can come with us and put your sword to good use or you can stay here and wallow in misery.”

“You… You’re just like your father!”, Kenobi accused him exasperated.

“Why, thank you. Now move.”

Juno had already left and Kazgul was calmly following her.

“You sure you want to come too? It could be dangerous”, he told his student. He knew it was probably unnecessary but if he went on a crazy mission that could potentially endanger his only student he ought to at least ask him.

“I will come to fight at your side, Master”, the Tusken answered in a mechanical voice and Luke was momentarily stumped, not used to his student actually talking human language. He decided to postpone any questions and merely followed after him and Juno.

Kenobi gave a heavy sigh and cursed Luke and his whole ancestry but at last, he too followed after them.

XxX

“All units, retreat immediately!”, Kota called out on all channels, trying to swallow his panic. “If your ship has a hyperdrive, get the hell out of here. If not, dock into the nearest frigate. You have five minutes, GO!”

“Sir”, one of his leading officers – he forgot his name, it was one of the Phoenix Alliance – addressed him. “Sir, what about the Chainbreaker?”

“Do you see that!?”, the General all but shouted, pointing at the holomap that sported the recent addition of three massive Imperial Star Destroyers. He could not see them himself, blind as he was but the computer had described it to him out loud.

“We’ve lost over half of our one-man-fighters in this battle already as well as three corvettes. The Liberty is badly damaged and our shields are down to 12%. Maybe we’d have had a chance against the first SD after the station was destroyed but there’s no way we could keep up with three of them as well as the squads of middle-class ships they have with them. They’re gonna rip us apart. We have to leave while we still can!”

“So you’re just gonna give up?! That’s our boss over there!”, the officer protested.

Kota decided not to tell him that their boss had probably led them right into a trap, probably deliberately. 

“Yes, and he’s a hero for even just distracting the Emperor enough so he couldn’t coordinate the battle. But it’s over, there’s no time to get him back if he isn’t dead already and he would want us to escape safely, wouldn’t he?”

“How do you know that!? You can’t read his mind!”

“I’m a Jedi, you’d be surprised what I can do.”

That only seemed to make the soldier more angry.

“I fought at that guy’s side for over half a year and we never left anyone behind! He’s not stupid, he’s not a self-sacrificing fool. If he went in alone then it’s because he knew he could win alone and we would only slow him down.”

Kota remembered his name again then. The soldier was Commander Elvoy, a former Imperial trooper. It was admirable that he stood against the Empire at all but Kota suspected it was the remains of his brainwashing that made him so fiercely loyal to the young Sith.

“I’m sorry Commander but I have a responsibility towards this fleet. We are retreating.”

The former trooper drew his blaster so fast Kota didn’t even realize what was happening until he heard the click of the safety being released. Then there was a number of other clicks as Kota’s military who’d stayed with him in the command center drew their weapons as well, pointing at the trooper.

There was a heavy silence.

Elvoy’s look darkened. He glared at Kota with derision. “You will regret that, Jedi. With the Chainbreaker gone, military command over the Phoenix Alliance falls to me. This is the end of our cooperation with the resistance and as soon as we’re out of danger, I expect you and your men to get the hell out of my ship!”

“Understood, Commander”, Kota replied coldly.

There were thirty seconds left before they would launch into hyperspace.

XxX

“What are you doing!?”, she called out, her voice a bit frantic. “We have to get away, you heard what the General said!”

“Go without me.”

“What? No! What’s going on?”

Her small Z-95 was trying to frantically dodge the turbolasers of the Star Destroyer that they were still circling even though all the Tartans were gone and the rest of the Alliance snubfighters were retreating. Just the stupid X-Wing wouldn’t come along. In fact, it seemed to look for a good place to dock.

“There’s someone on board that SD who has to be evacuated.”

“You can’t evacuate anybody”, she tried to tell him. “You’re a one-man ship!”

“I can if I myself stay on board.”

“No!”, she cried out. “What are you saying there? You’ll be captured and tortured and killed! You can’t stay behind.”

“I have to.”

“The Alliance needs you. You’re super good pilot and strategist and you have a fast ship and everything, you can’t leave!”

“You don’t understand. My son is in there.”

That shut her up.

The X-wing found a hangar to sneak into and despite knowing it was a horrible idea, she followed him.

The hangar was empty, having dispatched all of its TIE’s already. Her Z-95 landed shortly after him and she fumbled with her safety belt when the dome of the X-Wing hissed.

The pilot jumped out and for a moment all she could see of him was a black billowing cape. Then Darth Vader marched towards the hangar exit and all she could do was gape after him.

Darth Vader was X-wing 01? But that didn’t make any sense! Why would he help the Alliance in fighting the Emperor’s guard? And why would he then stay back to evacuate someone working on the Emperor’s SD-

And he’d said he was going to save his son!? Since when did – Sith Lords weren’t allowed to procreate, at least the idea of it was to horrible. Why didn’t she know they had multiplied anyway, it sounded like something that would… make the news… which she hadn’t followed for, like, ever, cause she’d been raised in isolation. 

She realized then that she was completely out of her depth. The galaxy had changed so much without her realizing it and she had rushed ahead without listening to her Master’s warnings and now she was flying with a bloody Sith Lord.

Her eyes flickered over to the abandoned X-wing then. It was the obvious, the sensible thing to do. By the time she would get back, the Alliance fleet would’ve departed and her Z-95 didn’t have a hyperdrive. The X-wing might have one.

Something black stirred in her, her consciousness trying to tell her that it would be horrible to steal his only way of escape after he’d helped her through the battle. She pushed the thoughts away, that was ridiculous! He had used some horrible dark-side manipulation to get her to do what he wanted and she was disgusted with herself for not seeing it.

She went over to the X-wing, sat down in the cockpit and found that the starfighter did indeed have a hyperdrive. She could use it to escape. She would return to the Alliance, give them this undoubtedly very valuable ship and they would take her in and let her fight and forgive her for having been fooled by the evil Sith Lord. Maybe her Master would even be proud of her.

Only that Vader hadn’t wanted to escape with the X-wing himself, he’d said he would stay behind because it was a one-man fighter and all he wanted to do was save his son.

Who would surely be just as evil and twisted as Vader himself, she tried to tell herself, why else would he be on the SD to begin with?

But even though that line of thought was rational and everything, she couldn’t be sure, she might be stealing the escape of an innocent who would die if she left.

Or not, seeing as the Alliance had left, the SD wouldn’t be destroyed and that meant that Vader and his son would be quite safe now anyway, right?

Then there were footsteps and a squad of Stormtroopers entered the hangar and one of them pointed at her and shouted something. They all raised their guns and that did it, she started up the X-wing and prepared to take off. She would not be tricked by the Sith and be seen helping a Dark Lord. That wasn’t what Jedi did.

XxX

“Luke!”

“Leia! What are you doing here?”

Kenobi swore the whole galaxy was against him when his group entered the hangar and the Alderaan princess rushed forward to hug her twin brother – except she didn’t know he was her twin brother (or so he hoped) and Luke went red and Juno cleared her throat and the twins jumped away from each other as if being burned, looking very embarrassed.

Oh boy. This really wasn’t his day.

“I went to tell my father that I’m alright and then I heard the General’s commands and I wanted to find you to make sure you were fine and someone in the security room told me they saw you running in this direction on the cameras. Luke, what are you doing in the hangar, we’re about to jump into hyperspace!”

“Right and that’s why we have to hurry! We’ll be taking the Rogue Shadow and stay here to pick up my brother.”

“Did I miss something?”, Kenobi asked exasperated. “Since when do you have a brother, Luke?”

“Since I went to live with my father, who already had an adopted child”, Luke said while rolling his eyes.

“There’s the Shadow!”, Juno called out who’d spotted her beloved ship. She ran over to it and the rest of the group had no choice but to follow.

“Wait, wait, wait!”, someone called out when Juno followed by Kazgul wanted to enter the ship. Wedge Antilles came running towards them. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m taking back my ship to rescue my husband”, Juno declared. “You coming?”

“What? No! We’re about to enter hyperspace, we can’t leave the hangar! Do you have any idea what’s going on out there?”

“I do and I’m going anyway. My husband has been out there for too long and I can’t believe you’re even here to begin with, weren’t you supposed to pick him up when he was done?”

“I did wait for him but then the retreat order came and-”

“And you just left him there!?”

“Look, I would have waited longer but there was a squad of Z-95 chased by TIE’s, I had to give them fire protection and escort them to safety.”

“This is taking too long. Everybody who wants to be part of the rescue mission, get on board now!”, Luke called out. Juno and Kazgul where gone first, then Kenobi very reluctantly followed.

“I’m going with you”, Leia decided on the spot.

“There’s no need for that”, Luke tried. “We barely have enough space on the ship for everyone anyway.”

“If he’s not back by now it means something’s gone wrong, right? Some of you will have to leave the ship to search for him and some will have to stay back and secure the ship. I know I’m not a fighter but I can at least secure the ship or something.”

“Leia...”

“Luke, you rescued me from Kashyyyk even though you didn’t have to. Now let me help you. Please.”

Luke hesitated.

“You can’t take the princess with you”, Antilles protested. “That’s not – you can’t do that!”

“Then come along and make sure she stays save”, Luke suggested. “Juno will need a co-pilot.” With that he took Leia by the hand and they went up the ramp. Antilles let out a curse, looked back at the hangar and at last, followed them into the ship, which was getting a bit cramped by now.  
The Lightning jumped into hyperspace together with the rest of the Alliance fleet ten seconds after the Rogue Shadow departed.

XxX

On the SD Royalty 

“I do forgive betrayal exactly once in my students. For our long friendship, for your loyal service and the sacrifices you made, I forgave you when you raised this boy to kill me. I thought it to be a good lesson. If you decide to kill me, you have to do it thoroughly and leave no gap in your plan. You failed the first time but I gave you another chance. I gave you time to grow stronger and yet you’ve grown weaker. Now you’ve betrayed me a second time and just like the first you’re blinded by your emotions, you don’t plan ahead, you don’t think of the consequences, you don’t think at all. You are weak. I will not let you walk away a second time. I cannot, as much as I regret it has come to this.”

Darth Vader stared at his Master, feeling 17 years of weariness weighting him down. There was no anger left in him, no hatred, just a brief annoyance at the old man’s feeble attempt to make him feel guilty. As if their ‘friendship’ had ever been anything but a farce.

Between the two Sith Lords laid the bloodied heap that was Starkiller. He looked terrible but he was still alive and even as Vader glanced over his form the young Sith pulled himself to his feet again.

“Go… away...”, Starkiller rasped, wiping the blood from his eyes where it had run down his forehead from a wound at his temple. Once the Emperor had worn him out, he’d started throwing him around the room like a rag doll and if he survived the day, Vader was sure his entire body would be blue from all the bruises.

“Go away!”, Starkiller roared when Vader didn’t move. “This is… my fight!”

“You can barely stand”, he answered tonelessly.

“Once I’m done with him... I’ll come after you!”, he threatened.

“That won’t be necessary”, Vader whispered. “I will be taking this fight from you.”

“No you will not!”

The Emperor looked on, his expression faintly amused as Starkiller charged at Vader, his movements frantic and sloppy. The ire was rising in him with every one of his strikes blocked by the older Sith until at last Vader stuck out, hitting the side of Starkiller’s head with his armored gauntlet. Starkiller was thrown aside by the power of the blow and didn’t get up again.

Darth Vader turned to the Emperor, who still didn’t look worried.

“He’s become strong, you know. Even in exile, even surrounded by weaklings, he’s become strong. In his anger, he almost had me a few times. But he burned himself out too soon and he crashed because he overestimated his own power.”

“Enough of this”, Vader growled. “Let me see how weak you have gotten in your old days.”

It was a shame that nobody was left to see the following duel for it was a sight to behold. The first time Vader and Sidious crossed blades and the whirring sound of them filled the air, the Force itself seemed to tremble. Their lightsabers moved faster than it should be possible for an old man and one who was practically a machine. 

Sidious tired first, having already fought with Vader’s student and so he retreated behind a powerful Force barrier that protected him to gather his strength. Vader started grabbing the debris lying around with the Force and throwing it at the Emperor. When he run out of stuff to throw he started peeling the steel off the walls and the ship started to groan in protest as its hull was damaged.  
Eventually the Emperor was forced to drop the barrier and they were back to fighting with lightsabers, in which Vader had the upper hand during to his superior strength and height.

“You could’ve been great, Darth Vader!”, Sidious called out angrily. “If it weren’t for your children weakening you!”

“My children are the only thing I ever did right”, Vader muttered back.

A second later the giant window that made out the front of the bridge shattered as several tons of durasteel crashed through it.

XxX

“This is a terrible idea!”, Antilles called out from the co-pilot’s seat when Juno steered the Shadow so closely to the Star Destroyer that a single shot from one of the turbolasers point blank at them would rip the entire ship apart.

“The ship is cloaked, they can’t find us on the radars”, Juno said with fake calmness, her eyes narrowed in concentration.

“Well, what about cross fire? Lucky shots? Someone opening their bloody eyes?”

“I got this”, she returned.

Luke laid a calming hand on his shoulder.

“Let her do the piloting, she knows what she’s doing. We’re close, Juno, I can feel him. He’s with the Emperor. And… Vader is there as well.”

“Vader?!”, Leia made with somewhat of a squeak. “Oh, this can’t be good.”

“Do we have a plan? I mean, an actual plan besides just storming in?”, Antilles asked hopefully.

“They’re gonna be on the bridge. There’s a window on it, if it’s breached a pair of safety doors made from durasteel will close to keep the air in. With enough power on the back cannons we can shoot them open and be out again in less than a minute.” Luke looked at Antilles. “You go to the guns and fire them up. I jump out in case S.K. needs help and Leia and the Jedi stay here in case there are any Stormtrooper trying to board the ship.”

“What do you want me to do?”, Kazgul asked.

“You stay here and make sure nobody steals our ship.”

“What? I would never do that!”, Leia protested.

“I was more concerned about the evil Jedi, Leia.”

“I am not evil”, Kenobi defended himself. “Where did you get that idea?”

“I’m sure you’ll remember if you think for a minute”, Luke said dryly.

Kenobi sighed. “At least let me come down with you. I can hold off Vader and the Emperor till you get your… ‘brother’ on board.”

Luke hesitated. “No offense, but unless you’ve spent the last few years since I last saw you brushing up on your fighting skills, I don’t think you’d be a match for them. You’d probably… you know… die.”

Kenobi smiled joylessly. “Death does not scare me, my boy. If my whole purpose in life was to make sure you reach the rebellion safely and Galen does not fall back into the hands of the Empire, I consider it a life well spent.”

“Well, if you’re sure about that...”

“Luke!”, Leia protested. “You can’t let him do that! He’s a Jedi, we still need him. He shouldn’t have to sacrifice himself”

Luke scowled. “It’s not a sacrifice, Leia. It’s atonement.”

“We’re almost there”, Juno warned them.

Luke nodded towards the old Jedi. “Let’s go.”

The teenager and the old man ran towards the back ramp, each of them holding a lightsaber ready in their hands. Then the Shadow drove right through the giant window at the bridge of the Star Destroyer. The noise of a thousand glass shards flying through the air and hitting walls and ceiling rang in their ears. A terrible wind came in from empty space for the second the room was exposed after the ship crash landed in the middle of the bridge of the Star Destroyer before the durasteel safety windows snapped into place. Then the ramp opened and the sight of Darth Vader and Darth Sidious locked in a saber duel was revealed to them. 

Both of the Sith Lords were thrown off by the arrival of the ship and even thrown backwards a bit from the force of the crash.

“Luke!”, Vader called out angrily, “what are you doing he-” Then his eyes caught sight of Kenobi and for a moment he was frozen.

Then the Emperor hit him with a vicious volley of lightning from behind.

“Ack!”, the Sith Lord made as he doubled over from thousands of volts charging up his prosthetics.

“Father!”, Luke called out in fear and worry.

“Go look after S.K.”, he urged the Jedi in his company, then ran over to where his father was sinking to his feet.

“A glorious day it is!”, Sidious laughed as he continued to pour lightning down at his former apprentice, “for me to get both Skywalkers in one strike!”

“Father, no!”, Luke called out again and before he knew it he threw himself in the way of the lightning, trying to catch it on his blade. His eyes were glowing fiercely as he bit his teeth against the pain.

On the other side of the room Kenobi had reached the downed form of Starkiller and managed to wake him up by shaking his shoulders, only too late noticing the grievous wound. Starkiller cried out in pain and pushed the Jedi away from him.

“Get up, boy, we have to get out of here!”, Kenobi said and tried again to help him up, trying very hard not to flinch from the sight of the sickly yellow color of the Sith’s eyes.

“Let… go of me!”, Starkiller got out and shoved him away again. “I can… walk myself.”

Blood was drying at his temple and his right arm looked like it was only hanging at a few sinews. Kenobi tried to ignore the churning in his stomach and kept his distance as Starkiller made his way to the ship, glaring at the three duelists as if he wanted to burn them all to ashes.

Meanwhile, Luke had managed to last a full ten seconds against the Emperor before his lightsaber was ripped from his grasp and he himself withered under the unrelenting stream of lightning.

“Yes, feel the pain! Feel the power of the dark side!”, Sidious laughed. A thin sheet of sweat on his forehead was all the indication of his exhaustion that could be seen.   
Behind him another masked figure was coming down the ramp.

Vader had managed to get back on his feet, spurred on by the pained cries of his son. He struck out with his lightsaber and as he did so, another saber, as red as his, stuck at the Emperor from behind and Sidious only saved himself by ducking under both blades, making them meet in the middle and rolling out of the way.

“Kazgul… I told you to… stay inside”, Luke wheezed.

“You also told me you would be fast. Get in, now”, the Tusken said darkly.

Luke didn’t argue.

“I will hold him off”, Vader said, his mechanical voice not letting anything on about his pain.

“No you will not, we will leave now, all of us!”, Luke urged him and pulled him back with him by his cape, while Kazgul walked slowly backwards to keep an eye on the Emperor.

Sidious roared in anger and shot another stream of lightning at them, which Vader met with his blade as he whirled around. Behind him, Kazgul and Luke entered the Shadow. 

Vader pushed forward his hand, laying all his remaining strength in it and Force-pushed the Emperor to the far side of the bridge where he met the wall with an audible crack.

From inside Luke shouted at Juno to start up the ship and the ramp began to close. Kenobi and Starkiller were almost there. When the Jedi jumped up to climb up the closing ramp it took all he had out of Vader not to swing his still ignited lightsaber and behead him. Then the ship was lifting up and only Starkiller was left. Vader knelt down at the edge of the ramp and held out his arm for Starkiller to grab. And Starkiller… merely looked at him, his expression grim.

Vader got a sinking feeling in his stomach.

“Galen, do not look at me like this. Take my hand!”

“You almost killed me. Twice.”

“Galen, son! This is not the time. Take my hand!”

“I can’t trust you not to drop me again.”

“Galen!”

The young Sith looked aside for a moment with a scowl marring his features. Then he reached up with his one healthy arm, his fingers briefly touched Vader’s leather glove… And he swatted the offered hand away.

“I am Galen no more”, he growled.

Vader stared down at the young man as the Shadow moved higher and the guns fired up and against the durasteel doors. He watched the gray of the closing ramp as it blocked his view and the Shadow sped away. He still stood there a full minute later when Luke came to make sure everyone was alright and accounted for.

Not everyone was.

Back on the Star Destroyer Starkiller closed the door to a nearby corridor leading away from the bridge with considerable effort as the emptiness of space was tugging at him. He used the Force to pull at the entire gigantic structure around him in order to not be thrown out and it was only after he passed another safety door down the corridor that the pressure receded and he fell down as a boneless heap, all strength leaving him. He sat there for three whole minutes, catching his breath, trying his best to simply not die.

Even with his eyes closed, he could still see Vader, offering his hand, his help. A part of him had wanted to grab it, to return to the Alliance and maybe join efforts in bringing down the Emperor. But he’d chosen not to. He’d chosen that he wouldn’t leave the SD Royalty the moment he’d seen the holo image of his mother. After he’d fought the Emperor to buy time for Juno and the Alliance, there had only been one way left for him out of this ship and that was in a body bag. Now, Vader had unknowingly provided him with another way out.

There were footsteps and when Starkiller looked up he saw the hem of a dark robe, leading up to a gnarled old face with two yellow glowing eyes in it.

“Why did you not go with them?”, Darth Sidious wanted to know, not angry but merely curious.

“Luke has sided… with the worst kind...”, Starkiller wheezed, there was something putting pressure on his lungs that from the pain he was almost certain was a broken rib. “He sided with Vader and the Jedi. I am… sick… of being betrayed.”

Sidious leaned down to him them. “I never betrayed you.”

“No… you haven’t.” He looked up at the Sith Lord. “I am sick of being on the loosing side.”

Starkiller tried to move from his position all sprawled over the ground. He hissed in pain but he managed to get himself in a kneeling position.

“If you’ll still have me… I would be glad to serve you, Master. On one condition.”

Sidious let out a sneer. “What makes you think I would take you back? That you could make conditions on top of that?” He kicked Starkiller’s side where he held his injured arm, making the younger Sith flinch. “You are broken goods.”

“You just… lost your apprentice”, Starkiller gasped, swallowing the extraordinary pain. “I learned my lesson. You are the true Master of the Sith, more powerful than I could be for many decades to come. Vader has weakened because he loved his son, Luke. I too have experienced love and yet it has only made me stronger in the dark side. Release my mother, that is all I ask, that is my condition. You said you already got her to work with the Empire so she is no threat to you. Release her and I will be your loyal apprentice.”

Sidious mused on that or at least gave the appearance of doing so.

“What about the Skywalkers?”

“I will be happy to hunt down Vader once I recover. As for Luke… He has chosen his side. It is not one I can follow him to. I will do what is necessary.”

“Your resolve, if true, may make up for your past transgressions. Remember though, I forgive betrayal exactly once in my students and you already made a wrong choice. Fail me again and there will be no turning back.”

“I understand, Master.”

“Then so be it. I will give you one last chance. But you will have to earn your place at my side – and your mother’s freedom.” 

Starkiller bowed his head. “I will do your bidding, Master.”

For moment he thought back to everyone, to Luke and Juno and even Vader who’d come to help him. He knew Sidious would make him hunt them down and Starkiller knew that even if it was his mother’s life on the line, he could not hurt his brother or wife. But at least Juno would be protected with Luke and if Starkiller was put in charge of killing them, at least he would be in a position to make sure the mission failed.

“I sense there is still doubt in you”, Sidious said and Starkiller flinched. “No matter. I know how to open your eyes. You will taste the true power of the Sith and then will realize how unimportant your childish dreams of peace and love and family are in the grand scheme of things. You will learn, my apprentice. I will teach you.”


	65. Chapter 65

To call the atmosphere in the Rogue Shadow tense would be like calling the vicious cannibals inhabiting the Moon of Endor cute little teddy bears.

Darth Vader had not yet made his presence known, though Luke had warned them of the unexpected passenger. This meant everyone could at least pretend to keep their distance from the Dark Lord while they discussed what to do next.  
As per prior agreement, Juno had programmed the navi computer to make a hyper jump to Pottya, the station which the Phoenix Alliance had conquered recently and that wasn’t as obvious an outpost as their base on Tatooine. She’d made the jump as soon as they were far enough away from the Emperor’s Star Destroyer. It was only three minutes later that she learned of the mission’s failure and that her husband was not on board.

Now the colorful crew stood in the cramped space of the cargo hold, the largest room in the ship.  
Juno was not crying. A part of her felt she should but her mind felt empty and she just didn’t know what to do or how to feel. Luke’s voice echoed in her head - 

“It’s not your fault, we weren’t too late and he’s still alive. But he refused to come with us.”

That’s what he’d said, that’s what he said Vader had said and she didn’t believe it, why would Galen decide to stay behind, there was no reason. According to the others who’d went out, he hadn’t been in any state to continue fighting and if it wasn’t to complete the mission then why would he chose to stay with the Emperor, the man he hated most… aside, maybe, from Vader.

“We have to get rid of him”, she whispered. “We have to get rid of Vader and then turn back and-”

“Turn back!?”, Antilles called out. “Are you mad? That stunt was crazy the first time. We can’t turn back in the middle of hyperspace and by the time we arrive at Pottya and then go back, they’d be long gone anyway.”

“We can’t go back”, Leia said with a nod, “but I agree about getting rid of Vader. We can make another hyperjump from Pottya, drop him on another planet in the Outer Rim-”

“Why not just kill him?”, Antilles sneered. “He’s a mass murderer-”

“Nobody is killing my father!”, Luke protested heartily.

“He deserves far worse for what he’s done to the galaxy!”

“He helped us against the Emperor! He’s on our side – Kazgul, back me up here!”

The Tusken gave a small nod. “He is right, the dark ones were fighting each other and the machine man helped us escape. The warrior’s honor demands that we repay our debt. We cannot kill him.”

“Then I’ll take him as a prisoner”, Antilles said. “He has valuable information about how to fight the Empire. We can detain him and make sure he reaches a secure prison-”

“I don’t think that’d be a good idea”, the Jedi spoke for the first time.

“What? Why not?”

“Vader is… too powerful. It would need the combined efforts on everyone on this ship to ‘detain’ him and since our spirits are split… that is not an option. The two of us alone could not defeat him and once violence breaks out it can only end in disaster.” 

“I agree”, Leia said with a small voice. “I hate having him escape justice but we are in no position to keep him against his will. We’ll have to leave him behind on some planet.”

“And what”, the deep baritone of Darth Vader asked, “if he doesn’t want to leave?”

Everyone jumped at the Dark Lord’s sudden appearance in the doorway. It shouldn’t have been possible for someone like him to sneak up on them and Luke and Kenobi at least didn’t look surprised but the rest of them were quite startled.

Vader’s cold black lenses scanned the crowd. At last he spoke:

“There are two kinds of loyalties. There are those that are loyal to ideas and those that are loyal to people. There comes a point where everyone has to decide what kind of person he or she is.”

His eyes behind the mask met Juno’s gaze, who answered without hesitation.

“I am loyal to Galen. I don’t care what happens to you but we have to do something to help him!”

“What about your child? Are you loyal to it?”

She went a little red. “O-Of course I am.”

“I can protect you and your child. There is little more I can do for Galen. He made his choice. I tried to help him, one last time I tried. He refused to accept my help. But your child does not have to suffer from his mistakes.”

She gaped at him at a loss for words, not hearing the whispered sounds of “Don’t listen to him!”, from Antilles and Kenobi.

Vader had already turned however and was now addressing the Tusken raider.

“I have once been at war with your kind, Tusken. I think little of your so called sense of honor. I remember your kind as a barbaric people who engage in slavery, slaughter, rape and cannibalism. But I will reserve my judgment of you until after I have heard your answer: Who are you loyal to?”

“I am loyal to my tribe”, Kazgul replied without any reaction to the accusations Vader brought forth against his people even as Leia and Antilles gasped audibly at the horrors described.

“What about my son then? Why do you follow him?”

“He has promised to give me the means by which I can led my people into a new era. I will stand by him for as long as I need to until I have learned everything I must.”

“And after that?”, Vader asked sharply.

“After that I will unite the tribes and reform my planet.” He hesitated, then added somewhat grudgingly. “He and his allies will be welcome with us as long as they do not harm my planet or my people.”

There was another long, tense moment as the two masked men stared at each other and nobody but the lone Jedi understood the danger of those two coming to blows.

At last Vader hissed in a low and hateful voice that made everyone in the room shudder:

“Would your rule still approve of slave trade, treating humans and Jawas like cattle? Would you continue to teach your children the sacred ritual to eat the heart of a virgin during the night when the moons Ghomrassen and Chenini stand in a right angle to Tatoo I? Does your so-called new era still include the right of your best warriors to hunt and use women from other clans or species for their pleasure?”

Everyone was silent, staring at Kazgul. Not even Luke had known the extent of the brutality contained in Tusken traditions and he looked a little green at his father’s vivid descriptions.

“Our rituals and traditions may seem barbaric to you”, Kazgul answered with a calm that did not betray any of what he might be feeling, “but it is no more barbaric than what the Hutt cartel did to our planet, to the sacred caves and canyons, to the nature and to our people for thousands of years. Also, as far as I have been informed, it is no more barbaric than what you have done when you laid waste to entire planets with your bombs and poison gas and laser fire. The practices you speak of are used to call forth the power of the spirits in order to help with a war effort. Thanks to Luke Skywalker, my people have a chance to experience peace. We do have laws pertaining to outsiders during peace times and I will see them executed.”

There was some more staring, until Leia carefully tried to diffuse the tension:

“Look, we’re on a spaceship in the middle of hyperspace, none of us can afford for a fight to break out-”

“Unless several powerful warriors team up on a single individual”, Vader added.

“I vote for killing Vader”, Antilles said snidely. 

“I’d vote for killing the Jedi, if I believed in democracy”, Vader returned icily and drew his lightsaber. “I don’t though, so I’m going to do it regardless of what you have to say about it.”

“There will be no lightsaber battles on my ship, not while we’re in hyperspace!”, Juno protested and jumped in between Vader and Kenobi. “You’d damage the Shadow and then we’re all going to die!”

“I don’t think he meant right now”, Kenobi said, giving his former student a piercing stare, “or else we wouldn’t be arguing.”

“Luke”, Vader said, pointedly ignoring the old Jedi, “if I were to take over the ship and throw the Jedi out of the airlock, would you support me?”

“I, uh...”, Luke made, feeling torn. 

“Luke!”, Leia screeched, “don’t even think about it!”

Luke’s shoulders slumped. “Juno is right, there can be no fight. There can be no dead people. None of you will attack Vader and you, father… Please, you can’t attack any of them either. I mean, we all have a common enemy in the Emperor, we should concentrate on that!”

There was a tense moment where everyone expected Vader to ignore all common sense as well as his son’s words. It was silent in the room, partly because everyone was holding their breaths – some of them wondered if it was a natural nervousness or if Vader was doing something to them through the Force.

At last though, Vader clipped his lightsaber back to his belt. He knew that a fight between him and Kenobi would be a lengthy one since he was already exhausted from his fight with the Emperor. It was a very real possibility that the ship would be damaged in such a fight and that he could not risk.

The following silence was eventually broken by Leia:

“Well, that’s progress at least. Nobody is going to get killed. Great. Now I still think we should drop Lord Vader off at the nearest planet. No offense, Sir, but you’re kind of evil and I don’t want to be on the same ship as you for a single minute longer than I have to. I do believe it would be appropriate to put that to a vote.”

She looked around expectantly. Everyone was staring at her like she was crazy, talking to a Sith Lord like that in such a tense situation.

“You should show more respect to me”, Vader growled and Leia paled, wriggling uncomfortably when she felt a sudden pressure on her throat.

“Father, please”, Luke whispered.

“That is quite enough, Vader!”, Kenobi called out, which only caused Vader to apply even more pressure until Luke daringly laid a hand on his arm.

Leia stumbled back when she was released from the Sith Lords hold.

“This can’t go on!”, Antilles protested. “We won’t be intimidated by you. I’m with the princess.”

“I’m sorry but so am I”, Juno said. “I think Galen would’ve come with us if it weren’t for you.”  
Kenobi didn’t even have to explain his position on the matter and even Kazgul thought they ought to drop him off somewhere. He didn’t like the obvious hatred in the Sith Lord’s voice when he spoke of the sandpeople.

Even if Vader and Luke had provided a combined front and decided to fight the decision, going up against two Force-users and a bunch of more or less trained blaster snipers would have resulted in much damage to the ship and potentially killed them all.

“I’m sorry father”, Luke said when they told him politely to get the hell away from them. “I would’ve preferred if we all retreated to the Alliance for now but… Maybe it is better that way.”

The two men walked back over to the crew quarters. Vader was more annoyed that they would dare to order him around than about the decision itself. It wasn’t like he’d planned to take them all with him to where he was heading.

“I knew when you left that you would search for your own way”, Vader said. “However, I would’ve never expected you to side with that Jedi or one of those monsters. What were you thinking, Luke?”

“The Jedi was part of the package to get the resistance to help the rebellion. It’s pure coincidence that he was here”, Luke defended himself. “As for Kazgul… I know you don’t like the sandpeople but that back there, that wasn’t very smart of you. He usually listens to me and he might’ve supported you too if you hadn’t attacked him like that.”

“The Tusken killed your grandmother. Did I ever tell you that?”, Vader said with suppressed anger. “She was a victim of those holy rituals and traditions of his. Everybody knows the Hutt Cartel is full of slime and scum but my… family, my mother and I, we were innocent, we had never done anything to them and yet they hunted us as if it was a sport.”

“I… I did not know this”, Luke admitted. “You think it was a mistake to train him.”

“If your intention was to create another Sith Lord twice as bad as Sidious then no, you’ve done fabulous. I ought to be proud of you.”

“Okay, now you’re just exaggerating!”, Luke protested and caught up to Vader so he was standing in his way. “Kazgul is a good person. He really cares about his people. He might’ve been taught some horrible things about what’s okay in war but that’s what I’m here for. I can show him not all humans are scumbags.”

“He’s never known anything but war, his entire people have known nothing but war for thousands of years. They aren’t going to play nice with humans just because their leader tells them to.”

“Kazgul thinks differently. And even if they do reject humans in the end, the Alliance is conquering other Hutt-controlled planets that the inhabitants can be evacuated to. It’s not like Tatooine has that large of a population or that anybody except the Tusken actually likes to live there.”

“The Alliance was your brother’s project, Luke. Do you really believe you can keep up that movement?”

“I… I don’t know. Maybe. I know we could win a lot of victories if you were to help, father.”

Vader shook his head slightly. “No, Luke. If I were to help you, that would only call the Emperor’s attention to a war he has yet to deem important. In fact, I believe you should stay away from any battles for some time as well. The challenge over Trandosha cannot go unanswered. If you start leading the Alliance openly, even if it is just against the cartel, you and everyone around you will become a target.”

“Go into hiding… is that what you will do?”, Luke wanted to know. “The Emperor will be after you as well, now that you have openly defied him.”

“I will do my best to distract the Emperor from searching for you.”

Luke waited but Vader said no more.

“Does that mean… I can’t come with you?”

“No, you can’t. It’s too dangerous.”

Luke said nothing. He wasn’t even sure if he had wanted to come along if he’d been invited but to be denied that opportunity…

“What about S.K.? We have to find a way to rescue him.”

“Do we?”, Vader echoed.

“Of course we do. We can’t just abandon him.”

Vader shook his head. “I told you before, Luke. I gave up all chances to ever get back Starkiller’s trust when I betrayed him. It was the only way I hoped he could still get away from the path I had foolishly set for him. I tried to help him regardless but that was obviously a mistake. He’s reached a point where he’d rather die than accept my help. There’s nothing I can do for him anymore.”

“Well that’s your own fault!”, Luke said angrily. “If you hadn’t stabbed him in the back, we’d all be together now!”

Though Vader usually did not tolerate Luke talking back to him like that, he did not raise his voice when he asked in return:

“What would you have me do instead? You saw it today, even the three of us together could not defeat the Emperor.”

“Then screw the Emperor! We could just... leave. He won’t live forever, if we can’t win, let’s just sit it out.”

“Like the Jedi do?”, Vader returned sharply. “That is not a solution, Luke, that is cowardice. Do you want to spend the rest of your youth in hiding? Do you think we could ever be a normal family? We’re not normal, Luke. I played to the Emperor’s rules while you and Starkiller were young and vulnerable but now, you’re both young men. It is time to stop hiding.”

“What are you planning?”, Luke asked worried.

“There are other ways to kill a Sith Lord despite a direct challenge. I have to destroy whatever base he’s on. Not even Sidious can save himself from an exploding reactor core.”

“But… S.K. tried that too. He put together a rebellion fleet and attacked the Emperor. He has too great a fleet, to many resources.”

“That’s right”, Vader agreed. “A rebellion won’t be enough.”

“I don’t understand”, Luke admitted.

“You don’t have to. It is not a path on which I wish for you to follow me. Now I think it best if you were to return to your… friends.”

Luke hesitated. “I can’t… I won’t abandon my brother.”

“I know. But… Please do not be too eager to search him out. If Starkiller has rejoined the Emperor, it will be a matter of pride for him to kill you. I know how that story ends.”

“I...” Luke’s throat was suddenly closed up. He remembered the last time Starkiller had miraculously returned to him. “I’ll have to think about it”, he whispered, then left.

Vader remained alone in the crew quarters. He longed to sink down in one of the chairs. His limb stumps were still burning from the lightning, his prosthetics were hot and burned on his pale flesh and moving was oh so difficult with so many circuits burned through. But he couldn’t rest, not yet because there was another presence closing in shortly after Luke left. It was the last person he wanted to see now.

“I am not the best company right now, least of all for you”, Vader snapped as the Jedi entered. Force, he looked old. Obi-Wan must be… around 55 years old, he thought. He looked around 70 instead and the noticeable limp and eye patch didn’t do his appearance any good either. 

Then again, he still looked a lot better than Vader.

“Anakin...”, Obi-Wan whispered sadly and Vader felt the familiar urge to strangle him.

“That is not my name anymore. If you’ve just come to spout your nonsense, you can leave right away again.”

“Maybe… Maybe you do not want to hear what I have to say”, Obi-Wan said with some visible effort. “But it might be my last chance to ever talk to you and so, I have to.”

“I don’t think there’s anything unsaid between us.”

The last time they had spoken was seven years ago, shortly after Luke had come to live with Vader. Obi-Wan had been captured and for a few weeks Vader had enjoyed torturing him. Obi-Wan had said many things to him then. How disappointed he was in him, how he had betrayed everything and everyone, how he was a monster and he wished he’d never taken him in. He’d said he didn’t deserve the gift of the Force if he used it to cause evil and he didn’t deserve Luke if he was only to turn him into a copy of his own wretched self. He’d said how Padme would cry if she saw him. How much he had cried when he’d learned of his betrayal. He’d told him that if he were to make Luke a Sith he would turn on him and kill him. He’d said there was no hope for him. He’d said he deserved everything he’d gotten.

Vader had punished every accusation with new pain and it was fun for a while because evidently the words spoken aloud hurt Obi-Wan more than Vader. He’d been so sure of himself and his decisions back than.

Vader knew exactly what Obi-Wan thought about him and he really, really didn’t have to hear it all over again.

Obi-Wan took a few steps forward. He only stopped when Vader’s hand went to the lightsaber at his belt.

“I realized something”, the Jedi said carefully. “When Luke insisted we take you with us, I realized something. I never… I never asked you why. Not on Mustafar. Not on Tatooine. I thought I knew the answer. I thought it was for power, or out of jealously and impatience. Evidently it was not fear of loosing Padme. You didn’t care about her in the end.”

“Shut up”, Vader snarled but the old Jedi kept going.

“When I saw you fighting the Emperor, my first thought was that the apprentice is betraying the Master once again. That it was so like you to think you could turn against your betters, that your arrogance had once again overtaken you and made you make an error of judgment in your mad pursuit of power. But that’s not it, is it?”

Vader didn’t answer, merely looked down on him.

“It’s about something the girl said. That you trained that boy, Galen, the whole time to kill the Emperor. He was your student and you wanted him to kill Darth Sidious because you knew you couldn’t do it yourself. And yet even knowing that, you defied him today, even after Sidious had proved that he was stronger not only than you but than your apprentice too. Why?”

That’s when Vader realized what that strange glint in Obi-Wan’s eyes was. He’d seen it a few times when he’d been very young and expressed an unusually aptitude in using the Force. It was… hope and maybe a little bit of awe. It was as if Obi-Wan still thought he could bring that wretched prophecy about.

Obi-Wan hadn’t been looking at him like that for an awful long time. Not as a Padawan when he’d made so much trouble and been so reckless that Obi-Wan always worried for him and not as a Jedi Knight when his darker tendencies had begun to show.

It was an enormous pleasure for Vader to squash that hope that as a child, he’d have given anything to preserve.

“What is it, old man?”, he mocked the Jedi. “Do you think I’ve suddenly seen the light? Do you think my love for my son has made me realize the mistakes of my past so now I’ve decided I want to repent for my sins? Do you think I’ll miraculously shed the helmet and reappear as the lost hero Anakin Skywalker to lead the rebellion against the evil Empire? Or maybe you think I regret what I’ve turned Starkiller into and I’ll go off and sacrifice my life in a fight with him, which makes him realize he’s loved me as a father all along and he’s not falling for the Emperor’s schemes but become a Jedi just like Luke and you’ll be their Master and you’ll all live happily ever after?”

He could see the hurt in the old man’s face and Vader, knowing how hard it was to move the calm Jedi at all, felt a smug joy at it.

“That’s not how it’s going to go, Jedi scum. I still hate you. You are still my enemy. And I am not coming back.”

“But… But why!? What right do you have to hate me?”

“You cut off my legs and arms and set me on fire”, Vader reminded him dryly.

“You hated me before that! I could see it in your eyes. You accused me of turning Padme against you but I never did that and after so many years, you must realize that as well. So why? Why did you hate me? You… You were like a brother to me.”

“I never wanted to be your damn brother!”, Vader returned furiously. “I didn’t need a brother. I needed a father, Obi-wan. But you refused to take that role, you were all about no attachment and no bonding.”

Obi-Wan looked like he’d been slapped in the face.

“I… I cared more about you than any Master cared about their Padawan.”

“Yes, well it wasn’t enough. All your rules and regulations, you could never get around to supporting me when I tried to be my own person. You didn’t love me the way I needed you to and so I started hating you.”

“I supported you plenty!”, the Jedi protested. “As a youngling I taught you things a Padawan would be honored to learn. I covered for you when you did your crazy stunts during the war. I even lied to the Council for you when you went to see Padme. What else should I have done, Anakin?!”

“You should’ve been with me. I should’ve been able to trust you to be there at my wedding, sure you wouldn’t betray me to the Council. You should’ve been there when I lost my arm and spent months relearning my forms with a prosthetic. And yes, you should’ve been there when I defended the Republic against the Jedi. You should’ve been there when I ended the Separatist threat, not sneak after me and try to murder me!”

“You had just butchered your way through the Jedi temple, including over three dozen younglings!”

“If you had been with me”, Vader said quietly, “I would’ve taken you with me to defeat the Emperor that very same day. I would’ve let Padme rule the Empire and the Jedi would’ve been allowed their continued existence.”

“That was your plan? Padme would’ve never played along! And we, even the two of us, would’ve never been able to defeat Darth Sidious when Yoda and Mace Windu both failed!”

“Then we would’ve died trying and there would’ve never been a Darth Vader. That would’ve been unfortunate but from your point of view still probably a better outcome.”

Obi-Wan shook his head, still disbelieving. “So you decided to become… you own person. A slave to the Emperor.”

“It is a person I chose to be. That is the joy of the Sith, you can choose to stop at any point. It is even expected of you. So long as you are strong enough.”

“But then why did you fight the Emperor today?”

“I heard there was a party I wasn’t invited to and decided to crash it”, Vader said coldly.

“You wanted to save your apprentice. Regardless of what you might think or want me to think, you do care for that boy. Maybe you didn’t even expect to get out of it alive. You’ve been in the news less and less these past months. You knew your position with the Emperor was no longer secure and so you decided to betray him while he was not expecting it yet.”

“Of course. My valiant attempt at heroic self-sacrifice got interrupted by Luke and his little crew of misfits. Such a shame, now I must go on and be a thorn in the Empire’s side”, Vader mocked him.

“You try to play it down but I believe that is exactly what happened.”

The Sith Lord gave a sneer. “You forget about one thing in your wonderful analysis. When I reached out to help Starkiller, he slapped my hand away. He chose death, or possibly even a life in chains over my help. I knew he would do that. And do you know how?” Not it was Vader stepping closer to him, his breathing loud and strong in the other wise empty room.

“It is because I would’ve done the same if you tried to help me on Mustafar.”

Obi-Wan swallowed hard. “So… You were just trying to kill the Emperor and take his place.”

“Correct.”

“Even though you knew you couldn’t win.”

“An unfortunate mistake on my side. I tried out a new alloy for my suit, thought it might protect me from the lightning. No such luck. Next time I will get him.”

Obi-Wan took a step back from him.

“The worst is… I can’t even tell if you’re lying, Anakin. I don’t know you anymore.”

“Good. That means you’ll find it harder to hide from me once I start hunting you down.”

Obi-Wan turned to leave but he wasn’t fast enough to hide the tear escaping from his single eye. His last whispered words could barely be heard.

“For what it’s worth… I’m sorry that I failed you, Anakin.”

Vader waited until his footsteps could no longer be heard before he collapsed into a chair, the exhaustion of the fight finally catching up to him. What he’d told the Jedi was true. He had known even before he stole the X-Wing that Starkiller would not accept his help.   
The hatred Vader had held against Obi-Wan as a Jedi was petty and small and maybe even unfounded. His feelings had been twisted by Sidious’ words just like Starkiller after he first left Vader’s care.  
But that didn’t matter now. Now, Vader had every reason to hate to hate Obi-wan and even if he could admit to himself to having been wrong all those years ago, he would never admit it to the Jedi.  
Similary, Starkiller might’ve been able to forgive that he’d lashed out at him in anger when he’d made a grave mistake. He would not forgive him for stabbing him in the back for no reason after having told him he loved him like a son. It was simply not something that was forgivable for the admittedly unstable minds such as theirs, so vulnerable to the whispers of the dark side.

Vader had known Starkiller wouldn’t accept his help. If he’d known Luke and his friends would arrive in time, he wouldn’t have tried out of fear of making it worse. But as it was, he’d gone anyway because he’d been sure if he didn’t, Starkiller would die and he’d been incapable of simply staying behind. He’d tried anyway, just like Obi-Wan had tried to reason with him on Mustafar, knowing it was hopeless. He’d tried anyway because that was what fathers did.


	66. Chapter 66

Alderaan

 

Bail closed the door behind him, his eyes downcast.

 

“Darling? What’s wrong?”, his wife and Queen asked with a hint of fear. “Is Leia…?”

 

“We don’t now where she is”, Bail whispered. “Breha, I – I’m so sorry.”

 

Breha gasped and hurried towards him, taking his hand in hers. “Bail, what happened?”

 

“The entire thing was a set-up. We failed to conquer the planet, we failed to destroy the Emperor’s flagship and Leia… I have no idea where she is. She left Trandosha, she was on the ship with me and I held her in my arms. Then she said something about looking for her friend. The Emperor’s backup arrived and our fleet retreated and it was only afterwards that I learned there had been an unauthorized liftoff. Apparently Kenobi is missing too.”

 

“Is… Is that a good thing? I know Master Kenobi always wanted to have Leia...”

 

“I don’t think he would’ve taken her against her will. The ship they left in was of the Alliance. Maybe their pilot took them to another meeting point and that’s why their report is late. I don’t know. I only know that we barely escaped today and if it wasn’t for General Kota’s leadership, the whole fleet would have been destroyed.”

 

“We have to hope that our daughter will return to us”, Breha said. “She’s… She’s a strong girl. And if she’s with the Jedi...”

 

“That’s not all”, Bail muttered. “That friend that was with her, the one who rescued her from Kashyyyk, it was Luke Skywalker.”

 

Breha’s eyes widened as she recognized the name.

 

“He too is missing”, Bail whispered.

 

“Kenobi has them both. You don’t think… that he plans on telling her?”

 

“I don’t know, dear. I hope not. I never wanted her to find out that way.”

 

Breha put her arms around him and her head on his chest and Bail held her close to him.

 

“She’ll come back to us”, his wife whispered soothingly, rubbing the shaking shoulders of her husband as he fought his tears. “She’ll come back to us. You’ll see.”

 

XxX

 

“I can’t believe they’re not paying us a single credit!”, Han hollered and started rummaging in one of the boxes delivered to them.

 

Chewbacca howled.

 

“No, that doesn’t count! They’re not even repairing the ship themselves, they just gave us the parts! The parts that we lost rescuing that stupid princess! I have to do all the repairing myself. I mean, is it my problem that she decides to run off a soon as she’s safe?” Han huffed angrily. “Now come here and give me a hand.”

 

Chewie howled some more.

 

“What do you mean you have to go? You can’t go now!”

 

Chewie howled pleadingly.

 

“What kind of celebration?”

 

More howling.

 

“Oh come on, you know Kashyyyk won’t stay free forever.”

 

Silence. Glaring.

 

“Uh… I didn’t mean it like that. I know we kicked off some pretty good trouble and if you say the Wookies managed to secure their capital, that’s great. And maybe they’ll even manage to spread it and free the rest of their planet, now that the station over Trandosha can’t provide the Imps with backup anymore. But the Empire will come back, they will build up their base on Trandosha again and then there’s gonna be a civil war on Kashyyyk. If you’re lucky and they don’t just bomb the planet.”

 

Chewie howled.

 

“Yeah, I guess it has too many resources for them to waste it like that. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up too high.”

 

Chewie howled questioningly.

 

“Yes, yes you can go to the celebration. Ah, shit… you know what, I’ll come with you. If we aren’t getting paid, at least we’ll be getting free booze.”

 

XxX

 

She glanced around, making sure nobody was there, then took off her helmet and let out a sigh. After escaping the SD Royalty and stealing the Sith Lord’s X-wing, she’d gotten the hell away from the battle and jumped into hyperspace as soon as she could. Going to Alderaan had been a random decision. Her Master had once told her that if anything ever happened to her, she should go there and ask for help. She had no idea if Alderaan was involved with the attack or not but when she arrived in orbit and saw the remains of the Alliance fleet in orbit, she knew her guess had been right after all.

 

The X-wing was not in the system but she’d been able to confirm her identity by recounting the battle and how she’d helped in defeating the Emperor’s first fleet. She was reluctant to take credit for the Sith Lord’s doing so she kept her answers vague but it was enough to get her into the spaceport.

 

There, other pilots and rebels had welcomed her with open arms and praised her for her excellent flying and for bringing them the X-wing and the whole time she had to suppress the urge to run away because none of that had been her-

 

So she’d run and hid because that was what she did best. Fortunately her helmet provided her with some privacy and as soon as she got out of her uniform, with some luck nobody would recognize her as a pilot at all.

 

After she redressed, she went back to the hall where the pilots and soldiers received their food. She was starving. She lowered her head and didn’t look at anyone, only occasionally receiving a glance because of her non-human nature. She’d just received her plate and turned around when she saw - her.

 

She was standing in the doorway of the hall leading outside, talking to a gray haired soldier with a blindfold. Then she was turning around and looking at her and she promptly dropped her plate, which shattered upon meeting the ground.

 

“Maris!”, her Master called out, disregarded the blind soldier and came to her, clutching her hands and ignoring the mess on the ground that threatened to sully her shoes.

 

“M-Master”, she croaked, having absolutely no idea what to say.

 

“Oh Maris, I finally found you. What were you thinking, running away like that?”

 

The tall Togruta caressed her hair and cheek gently and Maris had the desperate urge to hug her but she didn’t because her Master didn’t hug her first.

 

The blind soldier approached and Maris tried not to stare at him when she realized who that was.

 

“Master Ti, why don’t we take this to somewhere with less ears?”, General Kota offered.

 

“Of course”, Ti agreed and Maris went with them, her hand still comfortably warm in her Master’s.

Kota led them to a security room and sent the guards out.

 

“I’m happy to see you alive, Master Ti. It’s good to hear a familiar voice. Now maybe your young student can fill in some gaps in your story.”

 

Maris couldn’t speak though and Master Ti squeezed her hand gently.

 

“It’s alright, Maris. This is General Kota, he’s a Jedi too. Please tell us how you came to be here. O promise, I’m not mad at you.”

 

And suddenly she had to fight tears on top of everything else.

 

“It… It all started after we fled from F-Felucia”, she managed to get out. “We had been hunted down by Vader’s apprentice and Master Ti was really hurt. There was an old ship that I repaired and Master Ti and I fled to Albata Ing where we could treat her wounds. We picked up my training again and we… we had a fight.” Her voice was getting smaller and smaller towards the end. Damn, now she was crying.

 

“I… I hurt Master Ti. I was… I was so angry. I wanted to fight against the Empire and get revenge on the apprentice and I was sick of waiting – and I hurt her. I hurt her real bad.”

 

Kota looked at Ti with a raised eyebrow and the Torguta explained:

 

“I shouldn’t have picked up the training that soon but I wanted to make sure Maris could defend herself. One of the wounds that I received during the fight with Vader’s apprentice opened again and I was momentarily disabled.”

 

“I thought I had killed you”, Maris whispered, her eyes widening as she remembered the horror. “I… I should’ve never attacked in anger. Jedi don’t do that. But I did and… and I was so afraid I might’ve killed her, I ran away. When I came back she... she was gone and I went to the hospital and they said she’d make it through but I… I couldn’t stay. I thought you’d be so disappointed in me and I was so frustrated with myself… that’s when I ran away. I traveled around until I heard a rumor about General Kota and this attack and I came to help.”

 

Maris looked up at her Master now for the first time. “I… I’m sorry, Master. I shouldn’t have left like that.”

 

“No you shouldn’t have”, Ti agreed. “That was very reckless of you but… I see why you did it. I think I have been too strict with you. But please understand that I never wanted you to see war when you’re still so young.”

 

“I’m 19 years old, I’m not a little girl anymore!”

 

“I know. I know Maris, I’m sorry. It is only through your help that I survived on Felucia. I should have more trust in your abilities.”

 

And suddenly Maris felt all kinds of terrible again.

 

“No, y-you’re right. I’m still not ready for this. During the battle… There was someone flying against the Empire in an X-wing and I thought he was on our side and a genius and everything, we defeated a whole squad of Broadside Cruisers together. And then...” Her throat closed up again and she had to fight to get the words out. “And then it turned out it was Darth Vader in there. I fought with him for almost fifteen minutes and talked with him followed his advice and everything and I didn’t notice that he was a Sith Lord.”

 

“Maris...”, Ti whispered and regarded her sadly even as she fought against her tears.

 

“Wait, it was Vader in that X-wing?!”, Kota called out.

 

Maris nodded mutely.

 

The General jumped up. “I got a notice that the X-Wing has docked in the port an hour ago! I have to-”

 

“No, I mean, that was me”, Maris hurried to reassure him. “I stole the X-wing from him and brought it here.”

 

“You did what!? Have you been followed?”

 

“Uh… I don’t think so. I jumped to another system first in case anyone was tracing my trajectory.”  
If Ti had taught her anything it was how to loose tails.

 

“And exactly how did you manage to steal the Dark Lord’s starfighter?”

 

“It wasn’t until after we entered the hangar of the Star Destroyer that I even learned it was Vader. He was in some kind of hurry to get somewhere and I just took off with it.”

 

“Just took off with it”, Kota echoed. Then he turned to Ti. “You know, I like your Padawan. She’s got guts.”

 

Maris blushed at that.

 

“I don’t know what Vader was playing at, going against the Emperor like that. None of this makes sense”, Kota then said slowly.

 

“There is something else bothering you, isn’t there?”, Ti asked.

 

“Yeah. Normally I wouldn’t speak about it but you two have a right to learn it. That kid you fought on Felucia, Vader’s apprentice – I don’t know what’s up with him but the whole attack on Trandosha was his idea.”

 

“What?!”, Maris gasped.

 

“Yeah, I was skeptical too. Apparently he’s the founder of the Phoenix Alliance. Said something about wanting revenge on the Emperor. I thought it was usual Sith talk but he had the loyalty of a good lot of soldiers and he’d apparently been betrayed by both Vader and the Emperor. I thought maybe there was still some hope for the kid, you know? But then the second fleet arrived and I had to retreat before anyone ever learned what happened to the kid. He wanted to infiltrate the SD to kill the Emperor and he must’ve gotten through because the effect of the Emperor’s battle meditation was gone. But it was still a trap and I’m not sure if we left him behind to save our asses or if he set us up and was drinking Corellian nectar with the Emperor on the bridge while they watched us burn.”

 

“Maybe the apprentice and Vader planned to challenge the Emperor together”, Ti suggested.

 

“Maybe… I don’t know, something about the whole thing doesn’t feel right. I would ask Kenobi but he’s gone as well.”

 

“Master Kenobi is still alive?”, Ti asked.

 

“Oh, yeah I was surprised too. It’s a funny story, the apprentice had a special job for him during the battle.”

 

“Master Kota”, Maris asked tentatively, “what do you think will become of the rebellion now? If the Alliance is actually under Vader’s command, we have to separate from them as soon as possible.”

 

“If the Alliance is under Vader’s command, they either don’t know or care that we’re supposed to be enemies. Sure, they were pissed that we left behind their iconic leader and they’re scheduled to leave in a few hours but I watched them closely and they don’t seem too intent to attack us.”

 

“Maybe you’re not looking far enough”, Ti cautioned. “The whole purpose of this could’ve been to follow you to see which planet you use for regrouping. If Vader is still working with the Emperor and sent his apprentice as a decoy, then by bringing his fleet here you’ve told them who your leaders are.”

 

Kota blanched. “That… could be true. By the Force. I have to warn Senator Organa.” He jumped up, excused himself and a moment later was out of the room.

 

Maris turned to her Master. “What are we going to do now?”

 

Ti looked at her sadly. “That depends on you, Dear. Do you still want to come with me?”

 

“O-Of course I do!”

 

“I wasn’t sure… You have to know, during the Clone Wars young Jedi with lesser skills than yours were promoted to Knight. If you want to go your own way from here, I could understand that and wouldn’t hold it against you.”

 

But Maris shook her head. “I want to stay with you, Master. I… I realized that I still have much to learn.”

 

The Togruta smiled, which lit up her entire face.

 

“Then I know a place we can go to. I would like to stay on Alderaan until it is certain whether or not they need our help against the Empire but then we can leave and continue your training.”

 

Maris nodded and smiled slightly. A few days ago she would have shouted how unfair it was that she had to train and train and never fight. But she’d seen real battle now, real death and explosions and she’d seen and felt the terrifying might of the Sith. She didn’t mind being safe and with Master Ti a little longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note on Vader: He has no officially left the Empire, which is a big deal. The smart thing to do would've been to use Obi-Wan's hopes and pretend to have changed more than he has. That way he might've been able to buy himself more time or even reach a ceasefire with the Jedi so he can deal with the Sidious problem. But he didn't do that because while he knows he needs new friends, he's too proud to make up with new ones and he hates Obi-Wan too much. 
> 
> I designed the situation on the ship precisely so he couldn't fight Obi-Wan or anyone else, so they could talk things over without violence. Vader has realized that his entire fall to the dark side was one big mistake. He might even mourn for the friendship he had with Obi-Wan but what the Jedi did to him was still too much so he refuses to forgive him. Note that this is vastly differnt already from the Vader we had at the beginning at the fanfic, who I tried to keepas canon as possible. Of course, if any characters are still the same as in the beginning of this 80chap monstrosity, I'd be doing something wrong.
> 
> This chapter concludes another part of the fanfic. Next year (har, har) we'll start with some time skips and a whole new plot. If you have any thoughts about this last chunk of story from Kashyyyk to Trandosha, feel free to tell me now.
> 
> I wish you a happy new year!


	67. Chapter 67

PART 5: FACETS OF THE GALAXY - 

 

2BBY, Tatooine Month 7

Leia watched the sparks flying as the red and the blue lightsaber met. It seemed to her as if they were getting faster and faster with every step they took. Their duel looked choreographed, as if each step was planned and known by the other. And maybe it was, seeing as she’d watched them practice the same movements over and over again with and without their swords.

At last Luke called a timeout. The Tusken gave a short bow to him and left to get himself some water while Luke dropped down next to her where she’d been watching their training. He was all sweaty and smelled a bit but she didn’t say anything.

“Hello Leia. How are you today?”, he asked and took the bottle of water she gave him with a thanks.

“I’m fine, thanks. How are you?”

“Busy. But a good kind of busy. Kazgul keeps my mind off things. I want to start teaching him a real lightsaber style next week. I think he might do well with Ataru.”

“That’s good”, she said without really knowing what he was talking about. “What about everyone else?”

“The usual. Tirri has finally reached his cousins on Raxus Prime. Apparently they refused to talk to us while the Alliance was being led by S.K. Now that he’s… gone...”

Leia nodded knowingly. She knew that Luke was still meditating every evening in hopes his brother would reach out to him through the Force, which he hadn’t done. 

It had taken a lot of effort on their part to prevent Commander Elvoy from declaring war on the resistance for abandoning the Chainbreaker. Since Starkiller had started to be less present during battles, the Alliance had learned to fight the war against the Cartel on it own, so technically, they didn’t need him. He was still their unofficial leader though, their founder and a symbol to many.  
Another two planets had fallen into the hands of the Alliance. Neither of them were inhabitable but they had space stations that they could use for production. 

“What about Juno? How is she doing?”, Leia wanted to know.

“She’s… dealing, I guess. Still a bit moody but she’s strong. She’s got a new friend, I think her name is Brianna. She’s pregnant too and they hang out a lot around each other.”

Taking care of Juno had been easier than Luke had expected. Juno wanted to stay on Tatooine because that’s where the Alliance’s base was and she knew Starkiller would find her there. That suited Luke fine as Kazgul wanted to be closer to his tribe and Luke enjoyed having the occasional dinner with his aunt and uncle.

Juno hadn’t cried much either. Not even when Luke told her he couldn’t reach Starkiller through the Force. It probably just meant he blocked the Force bond they shared. Sometimes, so his father had told him, it was hard for people to tell the difference between a bond blocked and one severed because one person died but the bond Luke had to his brother had grown strong and he was certain that he would feel it if Starkiller were dead. He simply didn’t want to talk to Luke.

Of course Juno was feeling abandoned. Her pregnancy was making it even worse. She switched between being angry at Starkiller for leaving her alone, worried for him and imagining him in some kind of torture chamber and blaming herself for not giving him enough incentive to return to her (which was ridiculous, considering that she was even carrying his baby).

Meanwhile she was counting the time until she’d give birth in weeks and tried to prepare herself for it. For being a mother. She found plenty of help for that amongst the women in the homestead and though Luke had promised to take care of Juno and the child, he was glad that he didn’t have to be part of that.

“Have you heard anything of… of your family?”, Leia asked after some time.

“No… S.K. doesn’t answer me and father keeps telling me vague stuff and evading me.” Luke sighed but at least his father was answering him when he called out during meditation.   
Shortly after the battle, Vader had officially been declared traitor to the Empire. His bounty was enough to buy yourself a small planet and the media were still running hot with speculation. Darth Vader had been scary enough as the Emperor’s lapdog. As a wild card he was outright terrifying.

“I heard from my father again this morning”, Leia whispered. After the battle of Trandosha, Bail Organa had gone completely into hiding and been officially reported missing from Alderaan. He’d checked in with Leia shortly after they had reached Pottya to make sure she was okay and then went off to who knows where.

“Luke, I… I’m leaving in a few hours. I’m going back to Alderaan.”

“That’s… good, I guess. I mean, I’m gonna miss you but it’s not like we don’t have a way to talk every day”, he said with a small smile.

“They want me to become the next Senator”, she said quietly.

“Wait… what?”

Leia took a deep breath. “There hasn’t been any suspicion cast on my father… not officially. Not yet. But it can’t be certain that the Empire didn’t notice a fleet just as big and damaged as the one that escaped them at Trandosha in the orbit of Alderaan a few hours later. If it gets around my father would be in danger so mother relieved him of his duties in his absence and a new election will be hold. They think I have good chances to win and if I make it… I’m going to the Imperial senate.”

“That is… Wow. I mean, you are like 17 or something, aren’t you?”

“I’m going to be 18 next month.”

“Right, me too. Still, Senator at 18, that’s a big accomplishment. Congratulations.”

She smiled a bit. “Thanks. It’s a great responsibility… and I’m a bit afraid of it but if I can protect my people that way, I’m going to do my best.”

“That’s the spirit. I’m going to visit you as often as I can. Uh, except if you have to go live on Coruscant. Do you?”

“Only for the first few weeks. Then I just have to go there for important meetings. But if you do come and visit me on Alderaan, take care to take different ships and come in from different vectors.”

“Alderaan can’t be seen cozying up to the Alliance, can it?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s alright. You have your whole resistance thing going on.”

“It’s called the Rebellion now.”

“Huh?”

“It’s now officially called a Rebellion. With capital R. We have ships and secret war meetings and are recruiting soldiers and everything. Oh, and we always have room for more Jedi.”

“I’m going to tell that to old Ben next time he stops by on Tatooine.”

“I was talking about you, silly.”

Luke mock-glared at her. “I’m not a Jedi!”

“Really?”, she said, poking the hilt of his blue lightsaber hanging from his belt. “Could’ve fooled me.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “You should team up with Ben. He’s been trying to make me his Padawan and I keep telling him I’m already Knight level.”

Leia giggled which made Luke smile again and then they hugged each other and it was just a little awkward.

XxX

2BBY, Month 8, Imperial Center

Galen woke up from the pain. A thousand needles seemed to pierce his flesh all over his right side and he let out a scream and sent forth a wave of power to shake off whatever was gnawing on him.  
The pain continued but there was a loud crash as metal hit metal and he started to notice his surroundings for the first time. He was in a med bay and he’d just knocked over a medi droid and a human healer who cursed as he got back to his feet.

Slowly he started to remember what had happened. He’d lost the duel against the Emperor. He’d been defeated, almost dead and then… Then Vader had come to save him.

For a moment Galen expected the familiar hot anger to rise in him at the thought of his old Master but strangely, he just felt hollow and empty. Because he also remembered that he’d rejected the help, and given up the chance to flee together with Luke and Juno. Instead, he’d sworn loyalty to the Emperor in exchange for his mother’s life.

What followed was a series of half-awake moments here and there between bacta treatment and drug-induced sleep. His wounds had been so severe, they had to amputate his lower right arm and support the rest of it with durasteel. Today had been the last refitting for his new, mechanical arm. The pain he felt came from the neural connections the needles established between the arm and his flesh, so he could move the arm with nothing but a thought.

Galen raised his new appendage and his eyes widened.   
The upper arm was supported by a solid durasteel beam where the lightsaber had burned out a long section. He had an artificial elbow joint and the rest of his arm they had amputated at around two inches from his wrist. A mass of steel-covered cables and tubes emerged from there and ended in the hand prosthetic, a monstrous thing with sharp steel claws.   
It was the hand of a killer.

“The operation was a full success”, the human healer informed him with an arrogant voice. “The hand will have to be removed for maintenance every two weeks. For the arm itself a monthly examination should be suffec-”  
The healer could speak no longer because Galen had used the steel claws of his new hand to rip apart his throat in one angry swipe.

He jumped off the table, landing with his boots in a puddle of blood and started down at the body with a rising sense of anger and desperation.

‘Well, that felt good.’

Galen whirled around as he heard the unexpected voice but there was nobody there but the medi droid. Fear was joining the anger in him and he cursed the fact that he didn’t have his lightsaber with him.

“Who is there!?”, he demanded to know and stepped away from the corpse as to not slip on the blood while keeping the door in sight.

‘Who are you talking to? There’s nobody here.’  
The voice didn’t come from anywhere outside – it was ringing in his head. Somebody was in his head!

‘Calm down, it’s just me. The other you. I believe people call me Starkiller.’ There was definitely some sarcasm in there.

‘You… You can’t be me!’, Galen thought back furiously. ‘I’m me! How can I be two?’

‘I’m not a psychiatrist, I don’t know how these things work. You just appeared one day.’

‘I appeared? What do you mean?’

‘I mean that I created you.’

Galen was confused but grew increasingly irritated. ‘You didn’t create me. I was always me! And anyway, why would you even do that?’

‘I suppose it must’ve happened subconsciously. I guess I was just sick of always having to worry about people. Luke, mother, Juno, now that child – I was so sick of caring. I am a Sith. One day I will rule the galaxy. All that dead weight just holds me back. But I couldn’t just shut off my feelings to them. That’s what Jedi do. So I created you to worry about unimportant things like that. Now my mind his free. No more doubts or hesitation. I’ll just do what I want.’

‘What!? What about what I want!? You… You didn’t create me! If anything, I created you!’, Galen thought.  
It occurred to him that he might be caught in some kind of vision or Force-hallucination but in his heart he knew that to be wrong. That voice sounded exactly like his inner voice. He’d heard it so often when musing to himself and the other one… Starkiller… he was right, Galen had been very moody ever since he’d rejoined Vader. So much had happened and his feelings were split about so many of them. He remembered that quiet discontent with his life on Tatooine. As happy as he’d been, something in him had craved for war and so he’d started one with the cartel even though another part of him wanted nothing more than to raise his new family with Juno.  
Oddly, he now noticed that he felt no desire at all to go back into battle, be it against the cartel or the Empire. There was just that quiet yearning for his wife and the life he’d left behind.

‘Do you see what I mean? I cast off all that weakness and put it into you.’

‘That’s what you like to think… But I can feel the uncertainty in you’, Galen answered his mental self. ‘It is not you in charge of this body. It’s me. I’m the stronger one of the both of us. I was the one who created you.’

Yes, that must be it. Joining Sidious might’ve very well been the last decision they made while they were still discernible as the same person. Galen who wanted to save his mother and Starkiller who wanted to go back to serving Sidious so he could get revenge on Vader. But in the following weeks, Galen grew unhappy with his decision. He missed Juno, he missed Luke and he was ashamed of having betrayed his people, the Alliance that he had founded. He felt like a dirty traitor.  
Even while he thought that, he could sense Starkiller’s confusion.

‘I wasn’t able to defeat Sidious, not even with the help of the others. The Alliance might’ve been mine but they turned out to be useless so I cast them away. Sidious has been holding back on me the entire time. There is still much I can learn from him. Now that Vader has betrayed him, he will have no choice but to make me his apprentice. He will start teaching me the true secrets of the dark side. Only like this can I fulfill my potential and become truly great. Then, Vader will regret ever having thrown me away.’

Galen couldn’t agree with a single word his other self had just thought. But he knew himself well enough – he knew Starkiller well enough to know that he’d thought that in the past and that it was part of the reason why he’d slapped away that hand.  
Starkiller had always been a part of him but now his ideals were in such contrast to his… other ideals that the clash manifested in two separate personalities.

He’d finally gone mad.

‘There is a certain advantage to madness. Few people ever know how to defend against it’, Starkiller mused.

Galen had created a monster. And that monster wasn’t even feeling insulted being declared such. There was just some faint amusement from what felt like the other end of a very strong Force bond.

‘If I am your weakness’, Galen asked, ‘then why haven’t you tried to destroy me yet?’

‘Destroying a part of myself would be stupid. Especially’, he admitted reluctantly, ‘since you’re a rather large part. But you can be useful to me. You want to have your family, don’t you? You want to protect your wife and child? You can have that family. I don’t care. On the contrary, I look forward to seeing Vader’s face when I accomplish what he always yearned for himself. In return, you will be my mask, the outer layer that is going to deceive my enemies and invoke a false sense of security in them. Then, when they think they have me all figured out, I’ll show my true colors…. And I will crush them all!’

Well… Galen didn’t have a problem with only letting out his darker self when he wanted to crush somebody.

‘Though you do get the crushing part done on your own well enough. Why did you kill the healer anyway?’

Starkiller looked back at the corpse and clenched his clawed hand.  
‘You’re living in my head. Don’t you already know why I killed him?’

‘You were displeased with our new arm. I admit it will be a bother having to adapt it into our lightsaber style. We will lose some of our precision. I thought maybe we could make up for it with more speed and strength, for example by using two lightsabers instead of one.’

‘That’s not why I was angry.’

Galen looked back down at his hand. The claws were still faintly red from the now dried blood on them.

‘I was angry because I can’t imagine holding a newborn in this hand.’

There was a pause in which Starkiller didn’t answer and Galen realized the thought not only never occurred to him but it was also quite foreign.

‘You’d make a terrible father’, he accused his darker side. ‘Just like Vader.’

‘Vader raised us well, right until he threw us away.’

‘He was abusive and cruel.’

‘We didn’t mind’, Starkiller reminded him. ‘Not until Luke came and destroyed it all.’

‘You still resent him for that’, Galen realized the same moment that he also realized that he himself held no such feelings for his brother.

‘He is as close to the Jedi as one can get without being called such and Vader preferred him over us. There is something utterly wrong about that.’

‘Luke isn’t a Jedi and Vader did acknowledge us as equal to him.’

‘Until the day that he stabbed us in the back.’

Galen fought with the sudden hurt those words brought about. ‘He… He must’ve had a reason for it.’

‘I don’t care for reasons. He will die for what he’s done to us and you will help me get close enough to him to kill him.’

‘That will hardly be possible since we swore to serve the Emperor.’

‘We will bring the old order down one Sith after the other. For now, play your role. Make them believe you’re only here to save our mother. If Sidious thinks he has us in his hand, we will eventually let his guard down.’

Galen was reluctant to follow Starkiller's orders but he felt a finality in the others words and was unable to find the connection and keep up a conversation after the other had abandoned it.

He wondered if joining Sidious had been a mistake from the very beginning. But he was here now. He couldn’t contact Juno without giving away her position. He might be able to call Luke through the Force but what was he supposed to tell him? Galen didn’t doubt that he’d been under close surveillance for quite some time so fleeing would be difficult. He wouldn’t be much use in a fight until he’d learned to handle his new arm.

Even if he did make it to Juno without anyone following him – he wasn’t powerful enough to protect her if his presence drew attention to her or the child from Sidious. Even worse, he now apparently had an alter ego that didn’t see Juno as anything but a status symbol and might sacrifice or outright hurt her in an attempt to trick their enemies.

No, he couldn’t rejoin his family. Not until he knew exactly how much power Sidious and Starkiller had over him. He could never forgive himself if he endangered his family like that.

XxX 

2BBY, Month 8, Imperial Center

Darth Sidious entered his private office early in the morning and moved the heavy book shelves out of the way with the Force to enter the hidden room behind. It was dark here and the room was small. It was only holding a few shelves. On each of it stood lines and lines of faintly glowing holocrons.

Most of the treasures brought from the Jedi temple, Sidious kept in the archives but he had a small selection of especially valuable holocrons that he kept to himself. Amongst them was one he’d created himself. It contained records of all the visions of the future he’d ever had. Those that had clearly been fulfilled or it became obvious that they never would, he had deleted. He did so with others that could be used against him if anyone where to ever find it as well. But for the rest he liked to replay them occasionally and meditate on where his plans would lead the galaxy to.

During the last month he’d had much time to think over his next actions. Vader’s betrayal had been unexpected. Not that it had come, not even the when but the how. It might’ve been smart to combine the forces of the rebels, several Jedi, Starkiller and Vader against him if it had all been under Vader’s command. But the other Sith Lord had not organized this, he had simply grasped the opportunity.

Still it would’ve fit into his plan greatly if only Vader had the decency to die properly. But he had not. He had fled and worse still, he had hid. Being as distinctive a figure as he was, it was easy to follow his trail but when Sidious sent out the Imperial fleet they were just a bit too late to catch him and if he sent any fast hunters, they were sent back without their heads. Sidious had even contemplated if he’d have to hunt him down himself but unfortunately, the Jedi and their rising rebellion kept him busy. An Empire didn’t rule itself and without Vader to fill all the security holes and hunt down pesky Force-users, he found himself suddenly lacking competent personnel.

And then there was Galen Marek. Despite all of Sidious’ work during the last years, Vader had managed to raise a new sense of loyalty in the boy. That it had been Vader who betrayed Galen and not the other way around had come as a surprise to Sidious and threw back his plan.

Now the boy was back and Sidious was not sure what to make of that. The unexpected ship had arrived just as the Emperor had given up on trying to win the young Sith back over. He’d already planned a trip to Kamino to wake up one of the clones after he’d killed the original.  
But then Galen had dismissed Vader’s help and sworn loyalty to him.

His first thought had been that he recognized his power and wanted to go back to their previous arrangement, stay close to him and learn what he could until he was strong enough to kill him. And sure, that might be part of it. But there had been something else in his eyes in that moment. It was something he’d missed during all those previous years, something Vader had failed to instill in him. It was a hunger for power. 

Galen wanted to be powerful, not just to kill Sidious or Vader but to become the most powerful Sith Lord. His ambition had gone from that of a child wanting to impress its father figure to a grown man who wanted to rule over those he deemed weaker. That was the last spark Sidious had thought he’d never have, the one thing that could make him realize his full potential.

Right now Galen was still confined to the med bays. His broken bones and fractures were healed within a week but his right arm was beyond repair and needed a bit more… refitting.

Sidious hadn’t had a lot of time to see him yet but he’d been told the boy was still asking for his mother and that stood in a strange conflict with the hunger he’d seen in his eyes.  
So he had meditated on the potential of his young student and whether or not he was fit to take Vader’s place as Sith apprentice. The Force had granted him a vision and Sidious had to admit that it had impressed even him.

Darth Sidious levitated a single pyramid shaped holocron onto a pedestal in the middle of the room and opened it. With a calm voice he started to describe the vision. The planet of dark marshes. Light and fire that consumed everything. Then, another world. The stench of death everywhere. The city of corpses.  
Billions dead. What Sidious could manage with decades of planning and technology, this boy might be able to do through the power of the Force.

And yet… the power was not his. It did not truly belong to Galen even if it came from him because there was something else there, something driving him.  
Sidious recognized the shadow. He’d never seen it before but he’d heard of it in ancient legends. It was danger on an entirely new level but if his student could manage to control this power, he could become a worthy successor indeed.

Fortunately, the Force had also given him a hint on where to find that power. It was on a planet he knew well for he’d been a symbol for the power of the Sith for thousands of years.

It was on Korriban.  
 


	68. Chapter 68

2BBY, Month 9, Imperial Center  
   
Galen Marek was lying in his bed in his room in the Imperial palace. It was early in the morning. The sun had just begun to rise but he was already ready for the day. Thankfully, Starkiller was still ‘asleep’.  
   
The separation between Galen and Starkiller had grown over the last few weeks. They weren’t just different mindsets of the same person anymore. Not just another way how they were or thought sometimes. Changing between each personality wasn’t like changing a mood. They both had a voice and an opinion of their own. They might have the same goals but different priorities in reaching them, different methods as well as different reasons.  
Until now, Starkiller had been content to sit back and watch, occasionally commenting on things Galen did or talking to him while they were alone. He’d never tried to… do anything, or at least Galen thought he didn’t. It made him a little nervous as he feared the day Starkiller would wretch control of their body or something and start doing… whatever it was Sith did. With each day they spend separated in mind, Galen’s understanding of his other self faded until he wasn’t even sure if he could call himself Sith if Starkiller so obviously combined all those qualities in him.  
Galen – Starkiller – had always been Sith. If he wasn’t anymore, then what was he?  And why was Galen the one walking around in their body, having these thoughts? Why wasn’t he the one sitting in a corner of their mind, commenting on things Starkiller did?  
There were moments thought when the line between the two of them grew blurred again. For now, it only happened while they were training. Galen believed that Starkiller was simply more alert during these times and he practically felt his mental capacity double when he merged with the other and concentrated fully on the forms and sequences of their training. He’d started using two blades, a style that would throw off anyone who wasn’t used to it.   
Galen had only seen the Emperor on very few and short occasions. On one such he had asked for advice on how to get the most out of his ‘improved’ arm and he’d been provided with the holocron of an ancient Sith sword master that he could use to start learning the new style. For now it was just memorizing the movements and get used to the different feel. He had adapted to fighting with one blade with the new arm but mastering the new style would take more time.  
When they weren’t training, Galen went around asking questions about his mother. He knew from the beginning that Sidious wouldn’t just give her to him. But Mallie loved him, not the Empire. She didn’t love the Jedi or the Republic, she loved her family. His Mother was loyal to people, not ideas and he had a feeling she had only turned in the first place because her love for him had been used anyway. If he could only sent a message to her, she’d do everything he told her.  
Right now Galen was rereading a datapad for what was probably the third time. It was a report of a mission an Imperial Agent had carried out on Corellia. The Agent’s name was Mallie Marek.  
   
The report was dated three days ago though. She probably crossed half the galaxy before he even got it.  
At least though Mallie was no longer tortured and was out, doing missions. He knew this much was true at least as the pictures in the report conveniently showed proof of being recently taken (such as advertisements on a building’s front or a legible headline of a newspaper someone in the corner held). He doubted those pictures had been taken that way by chance. The pictures could be edited but he didn’t know of a way to make sure and didn’t want to ask anybody for help. Anyone who he might have trusted to do it, he could not risk contact with.  
   
Of course Galen he had demanded to see his mother as soon as he was cleared from the med bay, where he’d had to spend almost a whole months. He got one excuse after another, reports coming in too late, Agent Marek was busy, he could see her later and so on. It was obvious enough that he didn’t bother asking for her long. Evidently, she had not been told about his return either or she would’ve contacted him. Had she even heard of the battle of Trandosha? It had made headlines everywhere, what with Vader’s betrayal and everything. But did she know of the part he’d played?  
   
Galen raised his right hand to scroll down on the report, then stopped at the last moment when he remembered the claws. Instead he put the datapad on his lap and scrolled down with his left hand, not daring to touch it with the claws lest he destroy it. He still needed time to get used to this. He needed…  
   
The young Sith growled and grabbed the datapad so hard that it cracked even under his human hand. The sudden rush of emotion that went through him stirred up his other personality.  
   
‘What’s wrong? Did you kill someone?’, Starkiller asked, momentarily confused as he usually was if he hadn’t been actively paying attention to what Galen was thinking.  
   
   
‘I won’t make it. I won’t be there’, Galen whispered in his mind, still staring down at the date on the report.  
   
‘Seriously? You’re afraid you won’t make it to our son’s birthday?’  
   
Galen growled, feeling possessive all of sudden. ‘He’s my son, not yours.’  
   
‘He kind of is. I know we weren’t keeping track of it back then but I’m pretty sure it was me who sired that child, not you. It was quite a passionate night after all.’  
   
For the first time Galen considered if maybe he actually hated Starkiller. Would that mean hating himself?  
His other self heard the thought but simply felt amused by it.  
   
‘If you’re so damned concerned about her, go and get her. She’s probably waiting for us on Tatooine.’  
   
‘I can’t do that.’  
   
‘Why the hell not?’  
   
‘Because of you, dammit! I can’t trust you around Juno, around the baby! Not to mention she’d merely be another hostage and the Emperor could do horrible things to her to punish me…’  
   
‘If you’re already resolved on the matter, then stop wallowing. You can’t do anything about it so concentrate on the things you can do. Concentrate on the present. There’s someone standing at the door.’  
   
Galen turned and found that there was indeed someone knocking at his door, which he hadn’t heard in his distraction. He should really pay more attention to his surroundings.  
   
His visitor was a messenger. Apparently the Emperor wanted to see him. Galen clipped his two lightsabers to his belt and followed him to the throne room. He could feel Starkiller’s attention focused on the Sith Lord as well as he bowed to the Emperor. His own reluctance and disgust fought with the other’s excitement. They were now fully recovered and ready to go back into battle. Would they be sent away on a mission or stay and start learning about the darkest secrets of the Force?  
   
“Galen, my boy, I see you are feeling better”, the Emperor drawled while watching him closely.  
   
“Yes, my Emperor. My body is fully healed.”  
   
“Your body, yes… But your mind still carries deep wounds. Your will, your fire, your passion… Your ambition when you pledged yourself to me, I sense nothing of it in you now.”  
   
Galen’s unease rose. If Sidious thought him incapable or not worthy of the dark side, he would be killed for sure.  
   
‘Don’t let him know your doubts. Look him into the eyes, fill your heart with anger and demand a chance to prove yourself. Do not beg. Demand.’  
   
Galen raised his head a little higher. He thought about his wife, how he needed to protect her. He thought of his mother, who this man had caused great pain. For their sake, he would not be weak.  
   
“The dark side has always been my ally, that has never changed. Give me the chance to prove myself to you and I will not disappoint you.”  
   
Sidious shielded his emotions well but the mere fact that he didn’t strike down Galen meant he was at least somewhat pleased with his answer.  
   
“If it is a chance to prove yourself that you want, I will give it to you. You said you wanted to become my apprentice but for this honor you have to show that you can be more than a mere assassin or a brutal berserker cutting through the lines of vastly inferior soldiers. You have to prove that you have what it needs to be a Sith Lord. In one hour, the two of us will leave for Korriban. There, we will see if your eyes are open.”  
   
“I… I will accompany you, Master?”, Galen asked. He’d never, ever gone on a mission together with the Sith Lord. It wasn’t that the Emperor never left Imperial Center but he usually did so with a small armada or together with Vader. Never with Galen and especially not only with Galen. If he hadn’t known how hopelessly outmatched he was against the Sith Lord, he would’ve thought it the perfect opportunity for an assassination.  
   
“Get yourself ready for the journey. We might be gone for a few days”; Sidious ordered and Galen bowed again before he left the throne room.  
   
He wondered what was he was supposed to do on Korriban. He knew the planet had a history with the Sith from the old times when the order had had both numbers and an actual culture but he also knew that the place was long since abandoned. Exactly what had Sidious planned for him?  
   
XxX  
   
Korriban  
   
Korriban was a planet covered by empty wasteland. It reminded Galen of Tatooine as it was equally dry and unfriendly with barely any vegetation. However, it was not as hot as he was used to from deserts and there weren’t any sand dunes, just mountains of red stone, cliffs and canyons.   
The two Sith had taken a shuttle with them with an escort of Royal Guards but they stayed behind when master and student walked up a long winding path with mountains rising up on both sides.  
It was Sidious who spoke first: “Tell me Galen, what do you think of Korriban?”  
“I can feel that the dark side is strong in this place. It fills the air and the ground even though there is barely any life around. A lot of people must have violently died here.”  
“Yes, Korriban has seen many battles in the past. It has been a symbol of the power of the Sith and the Jedi have often tried to drive them away from there.”  
“I remember this from my lessons, Master.” Galen had been taught about the history of the Sith under Sidious before or been provided with ancient scrolls and books about it.  
“What else do you remember from your lessons?”  
 “This planet has been the heart of an ancient Sith Empire. It housed a large academy with hundreds of students, its own spaceport and training grounds. The academy was build near the valley of the Dark Lords where the ancient Sith Lords were buried. After the Jedi defeated the Sith, they destroyed the academy. They were unable to cleanse the entire planet from the dark side but they took or destroyed everything of value.”  
Just then the path opened in front of them and Galen could see the ruins of what might’ve once been a great building.  
“Is this it? Is this the academy of Korriban?”  
“Yes, this is all that remains of it after a thousand years of abandonment.”  
The two Sith stopped for a moment but Sidious quickly urged him further and they made their way through what was barely recognizable anymore as corridors. The stone walls went barely to their hips and there was no roof anymore. Sand and wind had eaten most of the exposed structure.  
“Why has the academy not been rebuild after the Jedi order was destroyed?”, Galen wanted to know.  
“All in due time, my boy. Follow me.”  
They left the academy on the other side and entered a valley with damaged and partially destroyed statues of robed humanoids to either side.  
“This is the valley of the Dark Lords”, Sidious said and Galen was uncomfortably aware that the old man was watching his very step. “In the old days, students were sent into the tombs to search for their hidden secrets. Of course the tombs were known equally for their treasures and their traps.”  
   
“Those tombs are incredibly old”, Galen mused and touched a broken stone slide that did no longer block the entrance to one of the tombs. “I feel no power from this building, just malice. Whatever has been hidden here is long gone. The Jedi have destroyed it.”  
   
“Not the Jedi, no”, Sidious whispered. “The Sith themselves destroyed this place.”  
   
“Why would they destroy a source of power of their own?”  
   
“Around a thousand years ago, after many powerful Sith Lords failed to destroy the Jedi, they finally started to understand that they could not defeat the light side with armies of Sith”, Sidious explained. “They would eventually be destroyed from within. There rose a Dark Lord named Kaan who created a Dark Brotherhood in which all Sith Masters were equal. All were called Lord but none claimed the title of Darth. Kaan supported solidarity and loyalty amongst the Sith and wanted to defeat the Jedi and the Republic with a combined might. They build academies all over the galaxy, on Honoghr and Gentes, on Ryloth and Umbara, on Dathomir and Iridonia. They trained warriors and berserks or assassins who used the Force to strengthen their bodies or cloak themselves in darkness. Only on Korriban they trained those that had the potential to be Sith Lords.  
But a true Sith only serves himself. Bonds and affections weaken you. The true potential of the dark side can only be unlocked if you crave power for the sake of power. It was the lack of ambition and understanding of those weak Sith that drained Korriban of most of its power. The Sith Lords of Korriban were rivals but there was no real contest, no means of separating the strong from the weak. They were all equally average. Korriban was given to those students so they could soak in the dark side during the meditation but they never realized the price of this.  
There was only one student in the many academies of the Dark Brotherhood who understood that and it was him who survived the war, who brought down both Jedi and Sith and rose over them all.”  
“Darth Bane”, Galen said. He realized where this story was going.  
“Exactly. The Dark Brotherhood fell and Korriban was abandoned. The Empire too has several academies where talented young people are trained to use the dark side. But they are nothing but better foot soldiers. The elite of the common. They can never be more. They must not be allowed to become more because there can only be one true Master and one true apprentice. Your existence has disrupted this balance from the very start. The Master must not take on more than one student and the student must not take any students himself. If he does, it becomes inevitable that the students, both weaker than the Master, overwhelm him with simple numbers. Soon they will turn on each other but the survivor, the new Master, will be weaker than the previous one.  
The Rule of Two protects our order and makes sure that only the strongest Master prevails.”  
“And yet you did not kill me when you discovered Vader had been teaching me. You took me in and taught me yourself. You taught me more than any of your other tools.”  
“I did this because I felt Vader’s connection to the dark side weakening. I knew if he did not improve, he would have to be replaced eventually. The dark side makes me powerful but I am not immortal. All the knowledge of the dark side that I hold must not be allowed to vanish if I were to die. There are still Jedi out there who are just waiting to raise their heads again. Especially now that the rebellion grows stronger, it is important that there are two. Vader is not worthy to be my apprentice. He has betrayed and yet failed to kill me. He has to be destroyed at all cost. Nothing, not even a Jedi, damages our order more than a weak Sith. It is important that I take on an apprentice but it is equally important that I make sure this apprentice is strong. I raised you to take Vader’s place in case he died or betrayed me. But he is not the only one who changed. That is why I have brought you to Korriban to test you.”  
   
Galen knew that he probably didn’t mean his combat ability.  
   
“What am I to do, Master?”  
   
“The Dark Lords have hidden their secrets well. They only reveal themselves to those worthy and strong in the dark side. No matter how long the Jedi searched, they would never be able to find everything. I want you to feel the Force and trust your instincts while you search for the power that calls you.”  
“As you wish, Master.”  
Galen sat down in the middle of the valley and closed his eyes. However, instead of concentrating on the Force he turned his thoughts inward. He remembered Sidious’ words before their departure. The Emperor felt his lack of excitement for the trip. He knew his fire had burned down but he wouldn’t have brought him all the way to Korriban to test him if he didn’t think he was ready, would he?   
Over the years Galen had become familiar with the kind of manipulations Sidious used. He said it was a test but what if there was another purpose? What if Sidious wanted to somehow brainwash him into giving up those bonds he’d said that made him weak? Maybe he should simply pretend not to sense anything? Korriban was supposed to be drained after all.  
‘What are you doing?’, Starkiller spoke up. ‘This is what we have been waiting for! We have the chance to uncover the secret of the ancient Sith and you want to just ignore it?’  
‘The power might not be worth the price.’  
‘It’s not like we have much of a choice. Do you know what will happen when you stand up and tell him you don’t feel anything special or you wander around the tombs and come back empty handed?’  
‘He will kill me.’  
‘There is no choice. You either do it or you die.’  
Reluctantly, Galen had to agree with him. He began to open his senses to the Force. Almost immediately Starkiller’s presence in his mind grew as he joined his effort until he felt a noticeable pull… back to the way they’d come.  
Galen stood, his eyes still closed and left the valley of the Dark Lords. He ignored the tombs rising up to either side that had long since been emptied if not by Jedi than by greedy Sith.  
Around half way back to the ruins of the academy he spotted the entrance to what appeared to be a cave at the root of a mountain and he walked towards it automatically. Sidious followed after him, silent as a shadow.  
   
The entrance was a black hole, like a gaping maw enclosed in rock. Starkiller felt the pull strengthen, the promise of power and treasures but Galen had a bad feeling about the cave. In fact, he had a rather strong urge not to go in there.  
The young Sith looked back again, contemplating just ignoring the cave. The wind picked up and the air turned from cold to freezing. Sidious was standing right behind him, ignoring the cave but watching him. He had said nothing when he’d left the valley and he didn’t say anything now either but Galen knew his attention was entirely focused on him.  
   
He entered the cave. It was utterly dark inside so he ignited one of his lightsabers and let the red glow of the blade guide him. The big entrance narrowed to a thin corridor that he walked down when he heard a shuffle. There was definitely something moving. Something alive was with him in the cave and if he dared a guess, it was probably not impressed with him trespassing.  
   
The noise came closer and Galen caught a faintly yellow glow in the dark. The eyes of a predator.  
   
He switched on his second lightsaber. The red blade came to life and the creature gave a hiss, jumping back. Then there was a growl and more yellow lights emerged from the dark. A whole pack of four-legged, skinny creatures with dark and dirty fur came rushing at him, their many teeth barred. It was a pack of Tukata, the hounds that infested many of the surrounding ruins and caves. In old times when Korriban had still been inhabited they had been well known and feared. A single Tukata wasn’t particularly dangerous and even faced with a whole pack Galen wouldn’t worry if it weren’t for the fact that the hounds were well known for spreading all kinds of vicious diseases.  
   
Galen cut the first Tukata in half that jumped at him and sent the next withering on the floor under his lightning. The other three weren’t deterred though. They were just skin and bones, probably mad from hunger and he was a most welcome prey. They buried their teeth in his arms and legs and Galen had just barely the mind to move so they would only get him where he wore some leather armor.  
   
The Sith dropped his right lightsaber and ripped the head clean off a Tukata who’d bitten his leg. The metal claws went through the flesh like butter and he buried two fingers into the skull of another hound hanging from his left arm. The last let go just before he could slice him up as well. With a howl it retreated into the dark – and returned seconds after with four more Tukata.  
   
“You’ve got to be kidding me”, Galen muttered. The whole pack started running at him at full speed. The Sith dropped his second lightsaber and raised both hands, grabbing a hold of all five Tukata and lifting them into the air, then slamming them to the right against the cave wall.  
   
The Tukata either fell down with a pathetic whimper and didn’t get up or fled into the cave. Galen called his weapons back to his hands and threw a short glance over his shoulder. Sidious’ silhouette was black against the light coming from the entrance of the cave. Not a single Tukata had bothered him. The Sith Lord stepped back at his side without a word of praise – it was expected of him to prevail against a pack of savage beasts.   
The young Sith looked back into the darkness. He switched on his lightsabers and saw that the cave lead deep into the mountain.  
He followed the corridor deeper into the cave and the darkness became thick and heavy. Galen wouldn’t be surprised if it developed a conscience on its own.   
The cave, as it turned out, was a small labyrinth. If it weren’t for his lightsabers, he wouldn’t be able to see anything. Fortunately the ceiling got higher the deeper he went in and the few Tukata he encountered were disposed of quickly. Occasionally he also encountered a weird species that resembled giant bats as large as he was tall with clawed tails that were fortunately easily incapacitated when he cut off their leathery wings.  
   
Other people had been here before. He caught sight of smashed urns and metal cases, its contents long since rotten. There even was something that resembled a human skull, though it was impossible to tell how old it was.  
   
At last he came to a thin stone walkway that didn’t appear to be entirely natural, spanning a huge canyon. The energy of the dark side was thickest at this passage.   
The Emperor had stopped.

“You have found the place”, Sidious whispered, his voice sounding louder in the wide cave. “From here on, you will go alone.”

“What will I find over there?”, Galen asked, trying not to sound too hesitant.

“Truth. Power. Death. Either way, if you return we will know if you are worthy to become my apprentice.”

Galen turned back to the natural bridge, entirely reluctant to cross it.

‘This would be the right moment for you to let me take over’, Starkiller whispered to him.

‘Why, so you lock me up in my own mind?’  
   
‘You know exactly what I mean. If you’re too scared that the cave will try and corrupt you, then just sent me’  
   
‘Because you already are corrupted.’  
   
‘Exactly.’  
   
‘How would I know that you’d give control back to me if I let you out now? For all I know you’re incapable of taking control unless I let you, in which case it would be stupid of me to give you the chance.’  
   
‘We might have different thoughts on different matters but all thoughts are still being thought in the same head. It’s not like I want to trick you. You know that. I am not your enemy. I am a part of you the way you are a part of me. We happen to have different strengths and weaknesses and in this case, we should make use of my strength. The next time I need to rally up an army to start a war, I’ll call upon you. Promise.’  
   
‘If you’re so determined, why don’t force me?’, Galen wanted to know.  
   
‘I don’t care enough to fight you over this. If you want to go around stumbling in the dark, too scared to see what the cave is trying to show us, be my guest. But if we start starving out here and need to eat diseased Tukata flesh to survive, I’m kicking you out of our head.’  
   
Galen suppressed a sigh. Sidious wouldn’t let him get away with standing here forever. This was his trial, he would have to go through with it. Considering the nature of the planet, it would be safest to let Starkiller do it.  
   
The thought was barely finished that Galen felt his mind shift. There was no outward change and Galen didn’t find himself stashed in a corner of his mind, not literally at least. It was more as if the person he was simply decided to think of himself as Starkiller from now on and the quiet whisper in the back of his mind became a little softer. Thoughts of protecting his family were a little less important now and his fear of the trial turned into eager excitement.  
   
Starkiller grinned and twirled around his lightsabers playfully. He crossed the bridge confidently and hurried further into the darkness.  
“Yes… I can feel the power of the dark side. Fear is just a crutch. If we want to master the dark side, we have to put our heart into it”, he muttered as he sliced up a pair of Tukata waiting for him at the beginning of another stone corridor.  
   
‘You do realize you’re talking to an empty cave?’, Galen mocked him.  
   
‘Actually, I was talking to that dead Tukata over there. It looks like it’s smiling at me.’  
   
‘You’re crazy.’  
   
‘If the voice in my head says so’, Starkiller replied, his grin widening a bit.  
   
‘Just get to work already!’  
   
‘Yes, Daddy’, Starkiller mocked him.   
The young Sith turned his attention back to the path in front of him. There was a feeling of promise in the air, of danger but only in such a way that he had to prove worthy of passage. Whatever this cave contained – knowledge or power or hidden dark artifacts that not even the Jedi had dared to touch – he wanted to know. The dark side was drawing him forward and though he was aware that Galen wanted him to stay away from exactly this kind of thing, now that he felt it – it was impossible to turn away from. This could be the answer to everything he’d been searching for without knowing that he’d even been searching for something.  
   
The rough stone of the cave turned into smooth granite, a solid structure build for eternity. The ancient symbols on the walls of the corridor had long since withered away but there were old wounds still remaining. There were traces of lightsabers having grazed the walls and the floor was dirty and dusty. Starkiller traced one of the slashes and it was as if he could see the desperate attempt of past explorers in warding off the creatures of the cave.  
   
Starkiller continued onwards until the corridor opened into a round room. The walls were made of more stone – no, it was wood, of all things (how had it not rotted away yet?). There was a familiar smell in the air that he couldn’t place. Starkiller stepped forward and in the light of his weapons he saw a figure standing in the middle of the room, its back to him.  
   
The Sith tensed immediately. “Who are you?”, he called out, his saber raised in front of him in a reverse grip. “Turn around!”  
   
The figure turned around and Starkiller’s eyes widened because it was a Jedi.   
   
In the back of his mind though, Galen was shocked and his extreme reaction made Starkiller hesitate.  
   
‘Don’t you recognize him?’, Galen hissed.  
   
‘Should I?’  
   
‘That’s our father, you idiot!’  
   
‘There’s no way that is Vader, even in his Jedi days he didn’t-’  
   
‘Not Vader, our father! Kento Marek!’  
   
The hood of the light brown robe was pulled up, concealing most of the man’s face and Starkiller wondered how Galen could even recognize him like this. Now that he thought about it, none of them should recognize the man because they didn’t know what he looked like, they didn’t remember, never had. And yet Galen recognized him.  
   
“Father?”, Starkiller asked warily. It was a Jedi after all.  
   
“I’m sorry, Galen”, Kento Marek said sadly, looking oh so tired and oh so disappointed “I never wanted any of this for you, son.”  
   
“What do you mean?”, Starkiller wanted to know angrily. What right did the Jedi have to be disappointed in him?   
But Kento didn’t look at him anymore. He looked at something behind him and that’s when Starkiller noticed the sharp breathing sound.


	69. Chapter 69

He whirled around, spotting none other than Darth Vader stepping into the wooden hut and igniting his own lightsaber. He had one hand outstretched and when Starkiller looked back at his father the Jedi was grabbing his own throat, desperately gasping for air.  
   
“You”, Starkiller called out, a familiar anger bubbling up inside of him. He slashed one lightsaber at Vader and was surprised by himself when he hit, severing Vader’s hand and causing his weapon to fall to the ground. Vader’s breathing stuttered and he fell to one kneel, clutching his profusely bleeding arm stump.  
   
“Son… What are you… doing?”, the Sith Lord asked and Starkiller was staring at him in complete confusion. Vader was bleeding… Vader couldn’t bleed, his arms where prosthetics.  
   
Starkiller turned around to his father, who’d sunken to the ground when Vader dropped the Force hold but got back to his feet now.  
   
“Finish him, Galen. You have to… You have to protect your family!”  
   
“What?”, he just made. He looked between his two father figures back and forth.  
   
A Force vision. That was the obvious answer. None of them were really here and he wasn’t standing in a wooden hut either, he was in a cursed cave experiencing hallucinations sent by the dark side. None of this was real.  
   
“You couldn’t save me, Galen”, Kento said quietly. “You couldn’t even run away and save yourself. You were just strong enough to draw the wrong sort of attention, never strong enough to do what you needed to.”  
   
Starkiller felt a dull pain at those words, an echo of the agony Galen felt at the cruel vision. His anger rose because that stupid hallucination was hurting his Galen and he didn’t like it, not one bit!  
   
‘Go to sleep for a moment’, he advised his weaker self. ‘I can handle this.’  
   
‘No…’, Galen muttered. ‘No, you’ll make all the wrong decisions and then both our fathers will die and we already lost them once, I can’t… I can’t…’  
   
‘Sleep’, Starkiller urged him again because he was a Sith and Sith only loved themselves.  
   
Galen fell asleep.  
   
“Son, you have to avenge me!”, vision-Kento called out again.  
   
“Shut up!”, Starkiller answered furiously. “You’re not my father!”  
   
His real father wouldn’t talk like that. Mallie had told him some of how his father had been and though he might have been disappointed at the path Starkiller had chosen, he wouldn’t urge him to kill Vader while he was weaponless, bleeding out on the ground before him. This… vision of him, it was twisted by the dark side. And yet the sight of Vader choking his father like that, it had been… familiar.  
   
“He killed me, Galen”, vision-Kento said as if he’d realized he wasn’t going to trick him into believing any of this was real.  
   
“He killed me, your father. I was always good to you. I loved you so much. Don’t you want to avenge me?”  
   
“Galen, please”, Vader rasped, reaching for him with a hand outstretched. “Please, help me up, son.”  
   
“I get it”, Starkiller said aloud with a scowl. “You want me to choose. But neither of you are my father. I am not solely defined by who my parents are! I am my own person! And I am not Galen, I am Starkiller!”  
   
And just like that the vision vanished. Starkiller was standing alone on the middle of a deserted corridor.  
   
Taking a deep breath, he continued on.  
   
The next vision was much less subtle. He heard it before he saw. Like ghostly images the figure of PROXY was leaping at a younger version of Luke, trying to behead him and Luke shouted for Starkiller to help him.  
   
“PROXY, stop it!”, he called out.  
   
“My Master ordered me to dispose of this human”, PROXY replied stubbornly, though he stopped as the Sith stepped into his way.  
   
“The order was taken back. Vader would hardly want you to kill his son”, he snapped, annoyed.  
   
“I was not sent by Lord Vader.”  
   
“S.K., you have to go, I’ll hold him off!”, a much older version of Luke suddenly shouted before leaping at PROXY with a blue lightsaber. “You have to go on and kill the Emperor!”

“You know what? I think I’ll do that”, Starkiller replied dryly. What a stupid vision. It wasn’t even pretending to show him a possible future scene. After all, PROXY had been lost in the wake of Vader’s betrayal.   
   
Again Galen stirred at the memory of his earliest friend. But he had forged new bonds over time and learned that a droid simply was no adequate replacement for human contact. So much had happened after that day that he’d had barely time to think about PROXY at all. The memory of it was not enough to wake him up again.  
   
Starkiller ignored the two duelists and continued on his path.  
   
The next room held a younger version of himself, maybe five or seven years old. The boy was sitting on the ground, concentrating very hard on a pebble lying in front of him. Next to him there was a throne like chair on which the hooded form of Darth Sidious sat.  
   
“You have to feel your anger, boy. Feel the hatred flow through you.”  
   
“I’m trying”, the boy said in a tiny voice, glancing fearfully at the Sith Lord.  
   
“You’re not trying hard enough.” The Emperor reached out and a single line of electricity run towards the boy, making him cry and whimper pathetically.  
   
Starkiller watched stoically. The vision seemed to show him how his life might have looked if it was Sidious and not Vader who found him. Apparently, it wouldn’t have looked much different.   
The lightning stopped but the boy continued to weep and cry and Sidious made a disgusted sound.  
   
“Get that brat away from me!”, he called out and out of the shadow stepped a third figure.  
   
Starkiller’s breath caught as he recognized Juno, who bowed deeply to the Emperor and then came to pick up the boy.  
   
“I’m sorry”; the child muttered under tears, “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it happen.”  
   
“Shh, it’s alright honey. Next time, it will work.”  
   
“Remember, Mrs. Marek”, Sidious said to Juno, whose face was empty and slack, hopeless, “for every test he fails, your husband has to suffer. He already is in such a bad state, I do not think he could take another punishment.”  
   
Juno bowed lightly again, giving no indication of her feelings even as the child clutched her jacket, crying: “No, Daddy, no!”  
   
Surprised Starkiller realized who that child was supposed to be. Galen started to stir again and the Sith scrambled to block all his emotions and think about anything but the vision in order to not wake up his other self and upset him. Galen must not see this vision.  
   
Seeing as there was a convenient target for his anger, Starkiller turned around to the Emperor but Sidious was just smiling at him.  
   
“You could end it all, you know? The danger to them. All you have to do… is die. You are the only link through which I could discover them. If you died, they would be safe. If you died, there would be no need to harm your mother, useful as she is to me. If you died, I’d have no apprentice and the Skywalkers might succeed in defeating me. The galaxy would be a better place without you.”  
   
“Shut up!”, Starkiller cried out, beyond anger now and he stabbed his lightsaber right through the heart of the old man and as the vision fizzled out he wished for a moment it had been reality.  
Starkiller continued down the dark corridor with angry, wide steps. He met a pair of heavy double doors that he threw open.  
   
In the last chamber, he saw four humanoid statues in each corner, their features too withered to make them out. In each alcove there were also the remains of urns and in the middle of the room there was a rectangle sunken into the stone with a heavy granite sarcophagus in the middle of it. Behind there rose an obelisk with ancient symbols on it, many of which were still readable during to them glowing in a faint yellow light, though he didn’t recognize the language.   
   
In front of the coffin the ghostly blue image of a woman in long robes stood, her pale hair tied up in a ponytail and her back turned to him.  
   
“Who are you?”, Starkiller asked, expecting another vision.  
   
The woman turned around and he did not recognize her features. She was middle aged and dressed like a Jedi, though there was no lightsaber at her hip. It was not his mother and she did not resemble any of the female Jedi Master PROXY had projected for him to fight.  
   
She smiled at him sadly.  
   
“My name is long since forgotten”, she spoke and her voice was like the whisper of the wind. “I have not been called by it in many thousand years.”  
   
Starkiller scowled. What was she? Another Force vision? A projection by some carefully hidden computer?  
   
“What kind of test are you going to put me through then?”, he asked annoyed.  
   
“No more tests. You already went through all of yours, though I wonder whether you understand your result.”  
   
“I’m sure you’re going to enlighten me”, Starkiller said dryly and crossed his arms.  
   
The Jedi continued to look sad.  
   
“You had the choice to help either father but refused them both. You allowed your friend and chosen brother to sacrifice himself so you could follow your own selfish desire. Even when the life and happiness of your wife and child was on stake, you didn’t even consider giving yourself up for them.”  
   
Starkiller stared at her. What the – what?  
   
Between a ghost and an abusive monster, why would he help either of them? Luke could hold his own against PROXY and even if he didn’t, it wasn’t like the vision was real! He’d known it wasn’t real, that was why he had chosen that way! And the last one was the most ridiculous, it was such an obvious trap it wasn’t even funny. Go into the dark cave, pass your test or die.  
   
“I see you are finding excuses for yourself, just as you have always done. Being abused during childhood. Being betrayed and lied to. Being forced to choose between helping either loved one. But there is no excuse, none, for what you have done.”  
   
“What have I done? I only ever tried to become a powerful Sith so I could kill the Emperor and free the galaxy! What’s so wrong about that?”  
   
“In your mad craving for power you pushed away those that cared for you. Your path will only lead you further into darkness. How many more are you going to sacrifice to kill the Emperor?”

“As many as are necessary! He deserves to die and I a deserve to be the one to kill him!”  
   
“So you only want to kill him for yourself. Not to end his tyranny or to protect anyone.”  
   
“I want to protect my family.” Well, sort of. Galen would want that.  
   
“You could die. If you never left this cave, all would be well. I know it, for I have seen it. If you die now, you save billions of lives. The Skywalkers will bring down the Emperor and they will care for your family. They will be happy.”  
   
“That’s the same thing the evil Sith Lord said last vision. You really think I’m gonna trust your word?”  
   
The Jedi sighed. “This place does not want you to sacrifice yourself. It wants to kill a part of you that you must preserve at all cost. It gives you the obvious solution precisely because it knows then you will not choose it.”  
   
“Yes well, or you’re part of the cave as well and you just want to kill everyone who enters it. You still haven’t told me who you are.”

“Why are names so important to you? You have so many of them and yet they hold little meaning. But if you insist, I will tell you who I am. The Emperor is not the first one to try and wipe out the Jedi. I have once been the last. I know what you are going through. I know the pull of the dark side. But the power you crave for, you must not use it. It is evil and unnatural, to both Jedi and Sith. If you will not die, then leave. Leave now while you still can. I will pray that your path does not lead where I have seen you.”  
   
Starkiller narrowed his eyes. “The power I crave…?” His eyes flickered to the coffin. “You are a guardian, aren’t you? You’ve protected it until now. That’s why you weren’t able to pass on. That’s why this place hasn’t been raided yet. There is something in that coffin, something powerful.”

“No, Galen. Please, turn away.”  
   
“Something powerful enough to kill the Emperor.” He stepped forward, right through the ghostly image of the Jedi. It was more then just a guess. It was a whisper in the Force. Something was pulling at him, on a very deep level. Something was pulling at his soul.  
   
She turned around, now desperate.  
   
“Galen, NO!”  
   
“You are long dead, Jedi. Your only weapons are your words. Well, they won’t help you against me. They might’ve helped against Galen but I am not him. I am Starkiller.” Starkiller raised his hands and lifted the heavy stone lid with the Force. The Jedi begged him to stop, he didn’t know what he was doing, didn’t know how much had had to be sacrificed to put it there. He didn’t listen to her, transfixed by the feeling of power coming from whatever was buried in the stone.  
   
Starkiller opened the sarcophagus and within he found a mummified corpse with tattered pale robes. Clutched in its hands above the chest was a white mask with blood red markings and it didn’t look the least bit old or faded. When he looked closer he couldn’t even detect a speck of dust on it. It was this mask that gave off the feeling of power and Starkiller felt instantly drawn to it. His mind became fogged until nothing but him and the mask existed, its tempting call only meant for him and him alone.  
   
“Galen, you must not touch it. It is too powerful to control. Leave, I beg you!”  
   
Starkiller reached out and touched the white mask. He could feel the power under his fingertips at once. It was like a surge running up his arm and he gasped. His fingers curled tightly around the mask as he lifted it up slowly. In some corner of his mind Galen sensed that something big was going on, something that might forever define his path as a Sith. He tried to rear his head but the visions had left him weakened and he could do nothing.  
   
Starkiller raised up the mask. If he was powerful enough to master what tainted this mask, he would become the most powerful Sith in the galaxy.  
   
“Don’t put it on. Whatever you do, don’t put it on!”, the Jedi screeched.  
   
Starkiller smiled wryly. “You’re not very good at this, you know that?”  
   
And he put the mask on.  
   
If Starkiller concentrated really, really hard he might be able to remember the first time he touched the Force. That incredible feeling of being connected to everyone in the galaxy, to feel their life force and know that all of them had a place and purpose.  
   
He could also remember the first time he touched the dark side. It was like dipping his head in a bucket of water that became colder with every second until he was numb and watching like a spectator as the laws of physics dissolved under his hands.  
   
The mask was… It was hard to describe. At first he thought maybe it was an amplifier of some sort because he felt the whole galaxy the way he only ever did after several long minutes in meditation. He didn’t just feel connected to each living being either, he felt as if he was right there with them in their minds. He could feel the power coming from them. For many it was just the little bit they needed to keep breathing but he could make out every single power spike there was in the galaxy and for several that were familiar, he even knew who they were, though it was impossible to make out their location in the storm of Force signatures he felt.  
   
Then there was the hunger. It hadn’t hit him immediately but as soon as his senses adjusted, he felt the life force of all those beings and he felt it not only in the Force. It was as if his other senses were part of the Force now too and he could smell them and taste them and he was so, so hungry.  
Conveniently there was a force of life nearby. It screeched and wailed and shouted as he reached for it but he held it without touching. He tasted the desperation, the pain and fear and he sucked it all in and then… Then he grasped for its life force and it was a tiny, tiny sliver compared to the monstrosity that was his hunger but it was good.  
   
Starkiller had fed off the pain of others before during battle to strengthen himself but all he’d tasted, he now realized, was the shadow of the person as it passed. Through the mask he could grasp the actual life force, the very soul of a being and absorb its power. Not to heal himself or chase away exhaustion but to permanently strengthen himself.  
   
That meant… if he absorbed enough souls, he’d eventually become more powerful than the Emperor.  
   
Under the mask, Starkiller grinned, a grin that went on to become a laugh and then a mad cackle. Had the Emperor known what he would find on Korriban? Surely not. Every Sith experienced a different test, or so they said. Starkiller had always had a talent for drawing strength out of his enemies death, so this power, it was meant just for him. The stupid Jedi guardian didn’t know what she was talking about, she was just afraid of true power like all Jedi. Which was no wonder if the previous Jedi had been wiped out and the current order was based on her. But she was gone now and Starkiller laughed harder, wondering if anybody before him had ever managed to kill a Force ghost.  
   
But the small taste only made him more hungry. Starkiller no longer needed to reach out with his senses to find a satisfying treat, he felt them all at once. The most powerful spike in the Force that he could find was dark and tainted but weary and weakening. He lunged at it like a bird of prey. His victim was surprised but started struggling at once, its great well of power leaning against his, trying to choke the life out of him. Then there was a great shove and he couldn’t feel his victim anymore, not clearly enough at least to connect with it.  
   
Starkiller let go, gasping. He was not yet powerful enough to absorb that one. That was alright. His power would grow and he would return, later.  
   
He started searching for other powerful Force signatures. There was a particular light and cold one, so bright it was unapproachable and so hard it was impossible to break down. He never got a good grasp on it, it must be far away and fleeting.  
   
Then there was a black and slimy one that felt nearby. It seemed to answer his call but blocked him with solid mental walls once he tried to taste it. When he continued to pound against those walls there was an almost audible snap before that one too was lost to him.  
   
Furious that he couldn’t find a fast way to quench his hunger, Starkiller searched further and came upon a bright and warm presence that foolishly welcomed his touch. He started absorbing the life force at once and the presence flinched away from his mind. It struggled and fled in panic, he tried to hold it off but couldn’t. Starkiller continued to feed off the presence, enjoying the power that spread through him. At last the link, almost drained completely, snapped as well and, still hungry, he turned his attention elsewhere.  
   
Before loosing the bright presence, he’d tasted a faint link to another from that one and he followed it to another great source of power. He latched onto that one too, eager for more and this one seemed to have no defenses against him at all. Eagerly he started to lap on it, sucking in all the life force, enjoying every sliver of power that filled him. He sensed the fear and pain, so primal, so delicious. He sunk right into it, was there in the mind of his prey and for a moment it was as if he was standing right beside his victim that was screaming and tossing around in a strange place that was all dark and red and warm. And he saw, and for the first time actually realized what, and who he was eating.  
   
Galen ripped off the mask with a gasp and threw up all over the mummified Sith Lord in the sarcophagus.


	70. Chapter 70

Manaan

 

Darth Vader hated it when people watched him while he was stripped of his prosthetics. On his own ship he usually had a chamber that was fully staffed with a crew of droids that would take care of him.

 

He’d come to Manaan two weeks ago to get yet another organ transplant – he’d stopped counting which one it was. Something to do with his kidneys. The planet, though officially under Imperial control, was inhabited by the Selkath who valued their neutrality. Being mainly covered by water, forcing the locals to adhere to Imperial law was difficult. That was why Vader had come here when his health had once again started to deteriorate.

 

Now of course the healers and surgeons had to see him naked, that couldn’t be helped. The prosthetics were now being refitted onto his limps and only a single healer stood ready, its small fish eyes watching him bored. There was a protocol droid standing next to him to translate the sounds he made, which even other Selkath had trouble understanding above the water.

 

“The surgery has been successful”, the droid informed him, translating the gurgling noises. “You will have to stay to be watched for another week though in case there are any complications.”

 

Vader refrained from talking before he didn’t have his mask on but he sighed inwardly at how this would delay his plans even further.

 

All of sudden Vader felt a foreign mind invade his own.

 

Startled he recognized the familiar presence as Starkiller – but that was impossible. Their mind link had been neglected for a long time, he shouldn’t be able to communicate with him, or at least he shouldn’t be able to feel his presence so strongly.

Vader answered the insistent push carefully. Not a day went by that he didn’t regret how his path had diverged from his adopted son. He had already given it up as a lost cause, but if his son was reaching out for him now…

 

Then came the drain.

 

Vader felt a sudden terrible cold begin to spread from his heart as Starkiller somehow seemed to drain all energy from him from wherever he was – certainly not on Manaan, he was sure of it. He started coughing, his whole torso shaking in the binders holding him aloft as slowly, slowly the life was drained from him. His senses dimmed and the Force grew weak and he was filled with a sudden panic.

 

Decades of honed instincts responded as he lashed out with his dark power, attacking the draining force and trying to get back what was stolen of him. But Starkiller continued to pull, all the force he put into attacking was absorbed and in one last desperate move Vader cut down on the already frayed mind link, severing it as completely as he could, thus shielding himself forever from a small part of the Force that lived in his apprentice.

 

The Dark Lord hung in his binders limply and the Selkath healer looked at the protocol droid and made a series of gurgling noises.

 

“Yes, Master I will tell the team at once. My, who would’ve thought the tissue rejection would be this severe!”

 

Darth Vader didn’t wake up for another four days.

 

XxX

 

Dagobah

 

Former Jedi Grandmaster Yoda, now crazy old Yoda-the-little-green-gnome, flinched when during his evening meditation he sensed something dark and terrible rise in the Force. It was as if a shadow, an ancient and long forgotten shadow, had been cast over the entire galaxy. Yoda’s eyes widened as he tried to garner the meaning of this forbidden presence and then coldness filled him as he sensed the creature’s attention focusing on him.

 

Nobody except Master Kenobi knew where he was and yet for a moment it was as if the creature stood right next to him.

 

Yoda steeled his mental defenses, determined to give the devil nothing even as it scratched and clawed at his very soul with its entire hungry being. It could not find a hole, it could not find him. Yoda stared the thing down resolutely and if anything, he felt a sliver of pity for whoever had woken such unspeakable evil.

 

Then the shadow passed, frustrated that it could not find an easy way to devour him.

 

Yoda didn’t allow himself to relax until hours later, long after the presence had vanished from the galaxy as quickly as it had appeared. But he was not fooled. The immediate threat had passed but the thing had awoken and it would not sleep again until its hunger was quenched. For all the darkness that encompassed the galaxy, Yoda feared that the return of this shadow could be a threat worse than anything the Empire could think up.

 

XxX

 

Korriban

 

Emperor Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious, fell to his knees with a gasp as he felt a dark presence grasp for his life.

 

The terrible presence felt familiar and yet not. A part of it he recognized as Galen Marek but the other – the other, the one mixed with it, wound around it like a cocoon or a dark cloak, it was so foreign and black and ancient-

 

Sidious slammed down his mental shields but the drain continued. He was losing himself so fast and he feared-

 

Sidious cried out in pain as he turned his own powers against himself, cutting into his own mind and forcefully ripping out the mental link rooted there over which he felt his life drain away.

The Emperor lay sprawled on the floor, gasping. His energy did not return to him at once but he felt exhausted, more tired than he’d felt in decades. It was several minutes before he stood on his own power and straightened his robes.

 

Sidious knew then that the first step to ensuring his vision of his powerful new apprentice had been done. The backlash had been stronger than expected. In fact, if he hadn’t known what to expect, the surprise as well as his close proximity to Starkiller might’ve killed him. The only way he’d been able to save himself in time had been to cut his Master-student bond with Starkiller. Not simply block it or seal it away as the boy had done when he first betrayed him but to permanently turn the boy into a blind spot in the Force.

He knew the boy would not be able to control the power. He would either be devoured by it or shy away from it. Even the latter would take a great strength of will but he had foreseen that the boy, despite all his misgivings, would find that strength.

Still, the Force only showed him a possible future. He would have to be very careful when he approached who – or what - left the cave.

 

XxX

 

Tatooine

 

Juno was resting in one of the pleasantly cool caves in the Homestead when she heard the scream. She was alert at once and fast to get up despite her huge belly giving her some trouble. She pushed aside the curtain that separated her small bedroom from the rest of the cave. People were rushing past her and none of them were answering when she wanted to know what was going on.

 

Following the crowd she eventually saw two men carrying someone inside on a stretcher.

 

It was Luke and he was sweating and moaning, sometimes thrashing around and almost falling off the stretcher several times.

 

“Luke! What’s going on, what happened to him?”, she asked, addressing the Tusken Raider who followed him inside.

 

“I do not know what happened”, Kazgul answered. “We were training as usual and he suddenly fell to his knees. He’s completely unresponsive.”

 

The men brought Luke to the medical tent and Juno followed, feeling sick with worry. If something happened to Luke… He was all she still had after Galen left. She had made other friends while at the Homestead, some of them even soon-to-be-mothers like her but Luke was still the only connection to her old life and to her husband.

 

She stood by him as two healers and a med droid tried to find any injury on Luke. He had stopped thrashing but his eyes were unfocussed and he shivered. She hesitantly touched his forehead and flinched back – it was freezing cold.

 

“Luke, what’s happening to you?”, she wanted to know but Luke didn’t answer.

 

Suddenly he jerked up and started trembling again as if there was invisible lightning coursing through him. The healers held him down until Luke lay still, disturbingly still.

 

Then his lips moved and Juno leaned forward to understand his whispered words.

 

“Brother… I’m sorry.”

 

Juno stepped away from him quickly, what did that mean? And Luke closed his eyes and then -

The young man took one mighty breath, sitting up as he did so and stared around with his eyes clear again.

 

“Luke?”, she asked with a scowl. “Luke, what was that?”

 

“S.K….He did something, I don’t know what…” He shivered and wound his arms around himself.

 

“He attacked me”, he muttered disbelievingly. “He… He wanted to kill me.”

 

“What are you talking about?”, Juno wanted to know, her voice rising.

 

Luke opened his mouth, then looked up at her, hesitated, and closed it again.

 

“Luke”, she said again, slowly, “what happened?”

 

“Nothing”, he said. “It was… nothing.”

 

“Nothing!? You were obviously in pain!”

 

“Not… pain, not really. It was…. It’s a Force-thing. You wouldn’t-”

 

“Don’t tell me I wouldn’t understand! Was it...” Now she hesitated after all. “Was it really Galen?”

 

“I… I’m not sure. Look, I was pretty out of it, you shouldn’t-”

 

But then he stopped because Juno leaned over with wide eyes, clutching her swollen belly with both hands.

 

“J-Juno?”, Luke asked, somehow sounding more afraid than when he’d been attacked himself.

 

“Something… Something’s wrong… with the baby”, she muttered, horrified.

 

Luke’s eyes widened and he reached out, hesitantly pressing his palm against her belly. Then he blanched.

 

Juno was starting to panic. “Something is wrong with my baby!”, she repeated, now turning to the two healers who were staring at her. “Somebody help me!”

 

The healers jumped and one of them urged her to lay on the table Luke had just abandoned.

Luke was too horrified to remember to look away when they pushed down her leggings, only to discover that the pregnant woman was leaking blood.

 

“Ma’am, you have to talk to us”, one of the healers said. “Where does it hurt?”

 

“It… it doesn’t… But something’s wrong, I- I know. You…” Then she seemed to make a decision. “You have to get him out.”

 

“But Ma’am, it’s still too early-”

 

“Get him out now! Y-You have to. He… He’s in pain!”

 

The two healers looked at each other.

 

“Well, we could try… But there’s a risk to you as well as the baby.”

 

“I don’t care, you have to get him out, you have to save him!”

 

“Get the narcotic-”

 

“No, you have to start right now!”, Juno insisted, knowing full well that the med bay she was in was poorly equipped and not wanting one of the healers to run away and waste time her child didn’t have.

 

The healer sighed but stepped outside to order one of the waiting people to fetch the medicine. The other started to prepare everything for a C-section.

 

Luke had been stepping away gradually, muttering under his breath, still staring horrified at Juno. She had the feeling he knew what was wrong with her baby and she would grill him for it afterward but right now she needed him at her side.

 

“Luke, come here.”

 

“I-I can’t, you… I really shouldn’t-”

 

“Get here you sorry excuse for a Jedi and hold my hand so I can break yours!”

 

Luke ducked his head but obediently stepped next to her and like she promised she clutched his hand with an iron grip when the med droid came to hover over her and started to cut into her.

Thirty minutes later, filled with curses and sweat and blood and a trauma for life for Luke, they pulled a tiny, slimy, bloody thing out of her. It was a little baby boy. The healers gave it to Luke and Juno stared up at him, exhausted and still grimacing from the pain even though she’d received some painkillers twenty minutes ago.

 

“Is he… Is he alright?”, she wanted to know.

 

Luke carefully wiped the blood off the disturbingly silent child. It did not move. It did not breathe either.

 

A terrible, terrible sinking feeling settled in Luke’s stomach.

 

It can’t be dead, it just can’t, he told himself. That would just be too sad, too terrible to even imagine.

 

“Luke!”, Juno cried out. “Is my baby alright? Is my baby… is he…? Why isn’t he crying?”

 

“He’s… He’s just tired”, Luke said with a terribly forced smile, turning away from her a bit.

 

Juno started to cry.

 

Luke looked down at the small bundle in his hands. There had to be something he could do. This… This child couldn’t be allowed to die, not like this.

 

And then he realized with a start that there was something he could do.

 

Taking a deep breath Luke held the baby in one arm and covered it with his right hand which seemed so big compared to the tiny little thing. He reached out to the Force, wincing as he felt the wound where he’d cut himself off from the part that used to be a connection to his brother. He felt for the light and life, remembering all his healing lessons and gently started to pour energy back into the lifeless body in his arms.

 

Luke himself was exhausted, barely able to stand tall. Whatever his brother had done to him… it had left him nearly dead himself and he really didn’t have any energy to spare but the little one needed it more than him. So Luke continued even when the stream seemed to just evaporate into nothing. He gave a stronger pulse now and then like he’d practiced when giving first aid and reviving people but he was careful to still make it weak enough not to damage the little body. Juno was crying louder behind him and tried to climb out of the bed and get to him but the healers fought her over it. She was still bleeding profusely and loosing a lot of blood during her struggles.

 

Luke too started to cry when his efforts seemed to have no effect. He had just come to the terrible conclusion that it wasn’t working when he felt the weak flutter of a heartbeat under his fingertips.

Gaining hope he continued to pour his own energy into the child, growing weaker all the while and not caring as the heartbeat grew stronger. And then… Then the tiny thing opened its mouth and gave a weak but audible cry.

 

Juno stopped fighting the healers and stared at Luke, who slowly turned around.

 

“See”, he slurred, the world starting to blur in front of him, “he wassust tired...”

 

Then his knees gave in. The healers cried out, one of them lunging forward to save the child while the other caught Luke before he met the floor and now nothing was stopping Juno from falling out of the bed and crawling over to take the child from the healer.

 

“My baby, my son, my beautiful son”, she cooed, still tears in her eyes, half crying and half laughing as she held the baby that started crying a bit louder now.

 

“Ma’am, please, you have to get back on the table. You’ve lost a lot of blood”, one of the healers urged her.

 

“But – my baby!”

 

“Your baby will be alright. See, he’s crying already. That’s a good sign.”

 

It was then that Juno noticed Luke still wasn’t moving.

 

“What about...”

 

“We’ll take care of him too. Please, let me help you up.”

 

The other healer went outside for a moment and returned with a petite brown-haired human female who was also pregnant. Her name was Brianna and she and Juno had helped each other out during the pregnancy. The healer convinced her to give the child to her so they could take care of Luke and her.

 

“He’s beautiful”, her friend said with a smile, trying to calm the other woman down. “What’s his name?”

 

“Carus”, Juno told her with a smile. “That’s what we… what I wanted to call him. Carus Marek.”

Brianna smiled a bit wider and took the boy away to clean him up.

 

An hour later the healers had patched up Juno. Because of the blood loss she was very tired and exhausted but she was smiling brighter than the two suns of Tatooine and wouldn’t let go of her tiny son, covered in blankets so only his round face could be seen with his little black tuft of hair and his brilliant baby blue eyes. She couldn’t stop marveling at how soft his tiny little fingers were and how he made the funniest noises when she touched his little feet. She told Luke all about it as she sat by his bed. She didn’t believe the healers when they told her he couldn’t hear her. They didn’t know what was wrong with him or why he wouldn’t wake up, just that he had no injuries and appeared to everyone to just be asleep.

 

Juno stayed with him while marveling at her little son and she was determined to not let this beautiful day be ruined by anything and that’s why Luke was alright, just asleep, just tired and he would wake up soon just like Carus had woken up.

 

He didn’t wake up the next day and not the day after. Juno continued to stay by his side, walking around the room with Carus on her arm, singing soft songs and telling him stories. Brianna and her other friends brought her food and clothing but she could only just barely be convinced to leave her baby out of her sight even just to go and take a sonic shower.

 

After five days they moved Luke out of the med station. They set him up in a small cave under the Homestead and started to feed him intravenously. Juno left his side for the first time to show Carus the world outside and the blue sky and the two suns but she still spend most of the day at Luke’s side, occasionally joined by Kazgul, Elvoy or even Tirri.

 

She stayed by his side because she needed to be there when he woke up. She needed him to tell her that whatever happened to him had not been Galen’s doing because she knew, on some level she just knew, that whatever had hurt Luke had also almost killed her son.


	71. Chapter 71

Galen sat on his cot in the Imperial shuttle and stared blankly ahead. His thoughts were still a bit cloudy and slow. Maybe he was in shock. That wasn’t surprising, considering he had – Stop.  
A part of him still tried to figure out what had happened in that cave. He remembered only parts of it. Others he had pierced together from Starkiller’s thoughts. The Force ghost… the white mask… and then that horrible, horrible hunger. Just thinking about it made his skin crawl and his stomach churn. He had… He had really – Stop.  
   
It didn’t even make any sense what Starkiller had felt in that moment of high. He’d felt invulnerable and all powerful but Galen was pretty sure he’d been stupidly standing there, his guard down completely, for at least an hour in which anyone could have sneaked up on him and killed him. Well, anyone without a Force presence to be sensed and devoured, anyway.  
Had they really just tried to absorb the life force of several people across the whole galaxy? Had they absorbed – Stop.  
   
Was it a coincidence that they’d been mentally connected to almost all of those they’d attacked? Starkiller had felt at that time as if he’d just searched for the most powerful individuals but it could very well be that those they were linked to had simply been easier to reach.  
   
And yet despite feeling so powerful Starkiller had obviously failed to kill anyone since he’d never managed to get the last sliver. Except for – Stop.  
   
Galen had left the mask in the tomb and fled the cave as if ten packs of Tukata were after him. The Emperor had been waiting for him at the exit of the cave. Galen had realized that Starkiller had tried to devour him too and he’d thought Sidious would kill him for it, had even hoped he’d do it – but the Emperor had merely reassured him with a soft, understanding voice that didn’t fit to him at all that the strongest powers were often disturbing the first time you felt it, that it would take time for him to gather his thoughts. Then he’d led him back to the shuttle and Galen had wanted to turn away, wanted to flee because he had elsewhere to be, he had to – Stop.  
   
But he’d gone to the shuttle in the end simply because he needed to get away from Korriban as fast as possible and it was the only transport that was available. He’d considered murdering the crew and taking over the ship but he’d never beat the Royal Guard in his current state, never mind the Emperor. The mere thought of spilling anyone’s blood, ending anyone’s life was suddenly revolting because – Stop.  
   
‘No! No, I can’t just stop all the time!’, Galen thought. ‘We have to address this. We have to acknowledge the very real possibility that we’ve just eaten our son!’  
   
‘We don’t know if that’s true!’, said the part of him that refused to believe everything had spiraled out of control this quickly. ‘I don’t know whose presence it was that I felt.’  
   
‘It was bright, it was young, it was powerful – it wasn’t Luke but it was close to him, it definitely wasn’t Kazgul and who else was there in the Alliance who was Force-sensitive?’  
   
‘It could be any other baby! There are lots of children in the Homestead!’  
   
‘And how many has Luke build up an emotional connection to?’  
   
‘He hasn’t even been born yet!’, Starkiller shrieked panicked. ‘You can’t kill somebody who’s not been born yet!’  
   
‘Yes you can. If you killed the woman who carried the unborn.’  
   
‘No, no, no, no!’  
   
‘Yes. We killed her. We ate the baby. We murdered our family.’  
   
The realization was terrible and hurt so much and Galen wished with all his being that he’d taken the ghost’s advice and killed himself-  
   
‘No, no, no, no!’, Starkiller called out again. He tried to prove it and reached out to Luke but couldn’t find him. Confused but realizing the meaning he tried to sense the Emperor – and after one furious pause, even Vader. But he couldn’t feel any of them, despite knowing for sure that Sidious was alive and nearby. It was as if his mental links to his family and teachers just ended in nothing. He was completely cut off from them.  
   
‘Nobody is going to take the blame from you’, Galen told himself, feeling strangely amused as he mocked the part of him that struggled against the rising self-hatred, against the pain that made him want to stab his lightsaber right through his own stomach.  
   
‘She can’t be dead! She can’t!’  
   
‘That’s strange’, Galen thought to himself, ‘aren’t you supposed to be my dark side? You seem to care for her an awful lot.’  
   
And that’s when Galen realized that the part of him that was Starkiller wasn’t upset about having killed their family. He was upset about his plans being disrupted, about never having a son and heir on his own who he could teach everything he knew to, never again being able to call that beautiful yet strong woman his own, never being able to sneer at Vader in triumph because he could have that happiness that the Dark Lord threw away.  
   
Galen was disgusted with himself for even having such thoughts.  
   
‘Better than to wallow in misery and think about killing yourself!’, Starkiller argued back. ‘We are Sith. We may have made a mistake, we don’t know yet but it’s not like it’s our fault, it was all the mask-’  
   
Galen drew his lightsaber quicker than most eyes would catch. He pressed the cool metal to his chin, pointing upwards and-  
   
Starkiller threw away the lightsaber, gasping loudly and grabbing his own throat as if to make sure it was still there.  
   
“What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”, he shouted, not caring that he was addressing a voice in his head.  
   
‘We can’t continue like this!’, Galen thought back furiously. ‘We almost killed our family!’  
   
“So? That’s no reason to bloody kill yourself!”  
   
‘This is all your fault!’, Galen raged. ‘Why did you have to put on the stupid mask!? The Jedi told you not to!’  
   
“Oh, now we should listen to what Jedi say!?”  
   
‘It was a decision we should’ve made together! But you didn’t even let me have any part in it!’  
   
“I was protecting you, you bloody fool!”  
   
‘No, you just wanted to have more power, no matter how many innocents you had to kill for it! That’s why you brought the mask with you!’  
   
“What are you talking about? You left the mask in the cave after you threw me out.”  
   
‘Oh? And then what’s that over there?’  
   
Starkiller moved his head slightly and focused on the small desk opposite of his cot. There on top laid a white mask.  
   
“Didn’t you throw that back into the sarcophagus?”  
   
‘I did. You must’ve taken it without me noticing.’  
   
“I did no such thing. I couldn’t. You were...”, oh how he loathed to admit it, “you were too powerful in that moment.”  
   
Starkiller could remember storming out of the cave but he definitely couldn’t remember carrying the mask with him or even just putting it in a bag or something. He hadn’t brought it with him. But he also couldn’t quite remember throwing it away. He’d thought he did but… it was… right… there.  
   
“I have a very bad feeling about this.”  
   
Galen gave him a mental kick, causing Starkiller to hiss and hold his head in pain.  
   
“What was that for!?”

‘Destroy the mask. Do it right now or I swear I’ll kill us both.’  
   
Starkiller grumbled something in annoyance but he went over to retrieve the mask. The moment his fingers touched it though he felt the alluring power course through them. Why would he ever want to destroy such a powerful artifact?  
   
‘Because it’s evil. It does things to your head, come on, you have to feel that!’  
   
Feel what? All he felt was the power, enough power to kill the Emperor, enough power to destroy the Cartel, enough po-  
   
‘By the stars, just destroy it already! You won’t have anything from that power if I give you cardiac arrest and I promise I’ll find a way to do that!’  
   
Well… that would indeed be unfortunate. Having a separate personality to share your head with was bad enough, he didn’t need said personality to become suicidal.  
   
Reluctantly Starkiller raised his lightsaber. The mere effort it took to bring it down and cut the mask in half was so great it did indeed feel unnatural and Starkiller wondered if maybe Galen was right and the mask had been influencing his mind.   
   
At last though the two halves fell away and Galen calmed down enough for Starkiller to relax as well.  
   
“I did what you wanted. Can you let up on the death threats now?”  
   
Starkiller knew that his poor, conscience-plagued other self was still feeling guilty but the guilt was less now than Starkiller’s rather strong sense of self-preservation.  
   
‘We have to go to Tatooine’, Galen said tiredly. ‘We have to look for Juno.’  
   
“What happened to not leading the Emperor there?”  
   
‘It’s a risk but I… I have to know that she’s alright. The shuttle is too obvious but once we’re on Imperial Center we can take a small craft and fly to Tatooine with stops in between so they can’t track us.’  
   
‘Look, I know you don’t want to hear this’, Starkiller spoke in his mind, ‘but do you realize the huge opportunity we have here?’  
   
‘What do you mean?’, Galen asked sharply.  
   
‘Whatever it was we did on Korriban, Sidious could only save himself from it by severing our connection to him. Even now we can’t find him in the Force. With some luck it works both ways and the Emperor can’t see our future any longer. He wouldn’t be able to anticipate an attack of us. We completed the trial. I report back to him right now, play the obedient apprentice, get close to him and stab him in the back before he even knows what’s going on.’  
   
‘The Emperor isn’t important right now!’, Galen protested. ‘Juno is!’  
   
‘Look’, Starkiller said with a sigh, ‘if we did kill the child, there’s nothing we can do about it now. She probably wouldn’t want to see us anyway. But if we didn’t kill it, then we’d bring it in danger by rushing there. Which we can’t do until we’ve taken over the ship anyway, which in turn can be best done by killing the Emperor.’  
   
Galen was silent for a moment. Until: ‘Alright.’  
   
‘Yeah? That was fast.’  
   
‘Your plan is stupid and we’re going to die following it. We could get killed by the Emperor if we’re wrong about him not sensing our intention. We could get killed by the Emperor if we’re just not fast enough. We could get killed by the Royal Guard even if we succeed. Our spaceship could be damaged in a fight and explode and kill us. So yeah, let’s do that. It’s easier letting you kill yourself than having to do it on my own.’  
   
‘You have absolutely no confidence in my abilities, do you?’  
   
‘Someone has to make up for your incredibly large arrogance.’  
   
Unfortunately Starkiller could see Galen’s point. It would be impossible to try anything while on the shuttle. If he didn’t know better he’d say that this was exactly the reason why the Emperor had come along in the first place. A crew of mere troopers, he could’ve killed without problem.  
   
The situation was still dangerous though, even if he decided not to try anything. Starkiller’s attack through the Force might’ve made the Emperor wary but he doubted that if he hid away in the shuttle the entire trip, afraid of the power he’d unleashed, his trial would not count as passed and he’d be killed anyway. He had to go to the Emperor now and prove his strength in doing so. He had to make Sidious believe he was still eager to be his apprentice – which he, in fact, was – and worry about what to do with his traumatized alter ego later.  
   
Starkiller clipped his lightsaber to his belt and crossed the shuttle to reach the Emperor.   
   
“Ah, Galen. Have you calmed down a bit? Korriban has left its mark on you”, Sidious said, smiling at him understandingly. But Starkiller saw the contempt under that facade.  
   
“Korriban has opened my eyes”, Starkiller said proudly. He would not show any weakness. “I have succeeded in my trial and brought back an ancient Sith artifact. I wish to use its power but its secrets escape me. You know more about the ancient Sith than anyone else… Master.”  
   
“What is it that you have found?”, Sidious asked. He did sound interested and a little less disgusted with him.  
   
“It’s a mask. A white mask with red markings around its edge.”  
   
“Ah… The Mask of Nihilus. I suspected as much.”  
   
Starkiller was surprised. He hadn’t really expected to get a clear answer.  
   
“You know it?”  
   
Darth Sidious started to pace while talking.  
   
“I know of a legend, whispered even by the Sith. Old history records tell of a time when the Jedi became all but extinct. The blame was largely put on a civil war four thousand years ago but it was followed by a strange plague that befell only Force-sensitives. As usual, the truth is a bit more complicated. - May I take a look at the mask?”  
   
Starkiller watched the old Sith Lord warily. While pacing, he could easily put more distance between them but at the same time his attention was not solely focused on Starkiller.  
   
He took another step forward as if in curiosity of the tale and answered:

“I left the mask in my room”, he lied smoothly. Best too hide that he had returned with empty hands as long as possible. “But what does it have to do with this old story?”  
   
Sidious stopped pacing and looked at him strangely.  
   
“You left it in your room? What are you talking about? Is it not the white mask you speak of that I see there in you pocket?”  
   
Starkiller’s hand flew to his belt instinctively and indeed there in one of the leather pouches the white mask was sticking out. Power surged through his fingers as they grazed the unknown material and he had a sudden brilliant vision of putting on the mask and using its power to strike down Sidious.  
   
“You did not know that you had it with you”, the Emperor concluded.  
   
“I… I left it behind! I know I did!” He’d destroyed the mask, he’d cut it in half with his lightsaber, yet there it was, unblemished and whole.  
   
Sidious nodded gravely. “The mask followed you here. You will not be able to leave it behind. I have felt you use its power and it is obvious you are not able to control it. Give me the mask. Give it to me and you shall no longer be cursed by it.”  
   
Starkiller grasped the mask, all of his being shouting NO!  
   
“It is I who found it on Korriban. It is I who was chosen!”, he snarled.   
   
To his surprise, Sidious smiled.  
   
“Of course. That too is a protective measure of the mask. It will drive you to protect it from anyone who wants to take it from you.”  
   
The Emperor turned around, walked back to his seat and sat down.  
   
Starkiller scowled. He wouldn’t give the mask to Sidious because whatever that power was, it would be unimaginably worse in the Emperor’s hands. It was not because he wanted to protect the mask or even keep it for himself. Galen wouldn’t let him use it a second time anyway.  
   
So, was it just one of Sidious’ manipulations then? Like reverse psychology? By implying that the mask was influencing his decisions, did he want to make sure Starkiller trusted in his council instead?  
   
Well, he didn’t need to do that. He had his own mental compass.   
   
Starkiller concentrated on the softer part that was reluctant to disrupt his attention while he dealt with the Emperor. Galen stirred and took a second or two to process the memories that came down on him.  
   
‘The mask… is not destroyed!?’, was his first question. Starkiller sensed the new rush of terror and guilt and gave a mental eye roll.  
   
‘No, the mask is not destroyed. Now Sidious thinks it’s taking over my mind. You’re an expert on that kind of thing. Do you think it’s true?’  
   
Starkiller felt a slight unease at the thought of being controlled by some kind of dark artifact but it was nothing compared to the horror that filled up his other self at the mere possibility.  
   
‘You’re not helping!’, he accused him.   
   
‘I think you really should stop touching that thing’, Galen said seriously.  
   
It was only then that Starkiller noticed he was still holding the mask in his hand. His fingers twitched. It would be a simple movement to at least stick it back into his pocket. It would be an equally simple movement to put it on…  
   
‘Starkiller. Let go of the mask. Now.’  
   
With a sigh, Starkiller slipped the object back into his pocket. His fingertips itched at the loss of power.  
   
The Emperor had watched his mental struggle with great interest and when Starkiller put away the mask, his lips curled in a satisfied smile.  
   
“I am not a fool, Galen. I withstood your attack while you were on Korriban. You could not strike down me and all my guards with it. The power clouds your senses.”  
   
Starkiller’s eyes widened. He’d disregarded the half a dozen red clad guards surrounding the Emperor as unimportant. It was… It was the mask, he realized. It hungered for Sidious’ life force but was not nearly as interested in the others.  
   
But they were not unimportant. Their Force-sensitivity was only slightly above average, true. A single Royal Guard was no threat to Starkiller. Six of them as well as the Emperor were.  
   
“This is larger than you can possibly understand”, Sidious drawled once he’d seen his student’s gaze darken. “Let me tell you of the history of the mask and the price it demands for this power.”  
Starkiller narrowed his eyes. The urge to put on the mask was still strong but the knowledge that his mind might be manipulated by it as well as the rising headache Galen was giving him as a warning made him stop.  
   
“I’m listening.”  
   
“There are stories of a power so dark, so evil and so old that it was there when the Force was born and it will be there when it dies. There are legends of a creature that mastered this power. The Sith call him the Lord of Hunger, Darth Nihilus, but he was not truly one of us. He was born of death and emptiness, a human possessed and turned into something that was less and more at the same time. Eventually he devoured all the Jedi that had survived the civil war.”  
   
“Not all of them”, Starkiller couldn’t help but cut in. “Some of them survived or their order wouldn’t have continued.”  
   
“There are different reports about what happened to the last of the Jedi. The Jedi archives say that a single exiled Jedi survived the war and plague and later returned to rebuild the order. Other sources say she left in search of the revolutionary Darth Revan and it was one of her students who continued her work. Amongst the Sith, a different truth has been passed on.   
   
It tells of a mad Jedi turned Sith with name Darth Traya who wanted to destroy the Force, both the light and the dark side. After witnessing Nihilus birth, she recognized the power of the mask. Darth Traya set out to search for the Exile, who had always been blessed with a natural talent to form Force bonds with people around her. She trained her to control and use the power of the mask and sent her to take it from Nihilus. With her as a host, she would’ve been able to connect to every living being that touched the Force and drain them of their life.  
   
In order to master the power of the mask, she would’ve had to reach a balance between the dark and the light side of the Force, which was what Traya tried to teach her. But the Exile was taken in by the dark side. She wanted to rule over the living, not kill them all. In the end she killed both Traya and Nihilus but she never used the mask for herself. She left later to join Darth Revan in the unknown regions and her students continued to raise a new Sith order. Eventually though they were betrayed by one of their own, a former historian, who left to search for the lost knowledge of the Jedi and revive their order.”  
   
Starkiller scowled at the last part. If the Exile had slayed Nihilus, it was probably her ghost that had been guarding the mask in the tomb but she had appeared to him more like a Jedi than a Sith. He briefly wondered how the Jedi’s version of this story would sound but dismissed it as unimportant.  
   
“How was the Exile able to defeat Nihilus?”, he wanted to know.  
   
“According to legend, the Jedi Council cut her off from the Force as punishment for following Revan into the Mandalorian war. She was Force-blind until she met Darth Traya, who formed a training bond with her. Later she formed other bonds and although she could not use the Force herself, through her companions she could still draw on it. When Nihilus tried to devour her life force, the emptiness inside her drew on his energy instead. His power would not work on her and thus he became vulnerable for her attacks.”  
   
Sidious regarded him with his head tilted to the side. “Come here, Galen.”  
   
The young Sith hesitated but at last stepped closer to the throne.  
   
“You are right, you know. The mask chose you. Only someone completely dedicated to one side of the Force can wield it without risking wiping out all life in the galaxy. For that reason it must never fall into the hands of one such as Vader. A Jedi could do nothing with it of course but in your hands, child of darkness, in your hands it could unleash the same power Nihilus once held. You could have the power to control every Force-sensitive in the galaxy from afar and give them power or take it from them.  
   
You have the potential to be the strongest of all my apprentices. When I felt what you’ve done on Korriban, I was sure it would be the end of you. I was sure you would be consumed by the power and you’d think yourself invincible. It would’ve been suicide to attack me of course but under the influence of the mask, you wouldn’t have cared. I was prepared to destroy you. But just as quickly, your presence vanished again. You did not fall, you did not lose yourself. You took off the mask. You even withstood the temptation to use it this close to me. You have taken the first step in mastering the power of the Void.  
   
I want you to have that mask. I will teach you how to control its power and I will make you into the greatest Sith that has ever lived.”  
   
“You want to… to use the power?”, Starkiller exclaimed.   
   
‘He can’t use it!’, Galen called out in his head. ‘It’s evil and unnatural and it has to be destroyed!’  
   
Starkiller looked down at the mask. The urge to… protect it did seem irrational to him. Maybe destroying it would be best. It would be preferable to his Galen-side killing him, at any rate.   
   
“I already tried to destroy it once”, he admitted. “Surely if it has the power to wipe out all life in the galaxy, it is too risky to use it even for a Sith. But it didn’t work.”  
   
“Yes, destroying it is impossible. The mask is merely a manifestation of the power of the Void. It’s shadow already clings to you like it clung to Nihilus. You can destroy it, even throw it away. But it will always return to you because it has chosen you and is now a part of you. The only way you can lose it is if someone else absorbs your life Force the way the Exile did with Nihilus. Then you will die and the mask will possess its next host.”  
   
‘Then we have to die’, Galen said simply. ‘It’s the obvious solution. The Exile did it too. The mask stayed with her after she killed Nihilus so she went to Korriban without any company, killed herself and the mask stayed behind. It wasn’t a Sith Lord’s corpse in that sarcophagus, it was the Jedi’s.’  
   
‘I don’t want to die though’, Starkiller thought back furiously. ‘I want to kill the Emperor. I want to get revenge on Vader. I want to crush the Hutt Cartel. I have things to live for!’  
   
‘And I don’t?’, Galen returned angrily. ‘What about Juno and our son? I would love to be with them as well but not if my presence endangers them!’  
   
‘You know, I can usually tolerate you, sentimental fool that you are. But when you start going suicidal, I do believe we can agree that I’m the saner one of the two of us.’  
   
‘I can’t believe I have to argue over this with myself!’  
   
‘I refuse to die, not before I haven’t exhausted every other possibility. And the Emperor just so happens to have given us one.’  
   
‘Starkiller – no!’  
   
“You can teach me how to control this power?”, Starkiller asked coldly.  
   
Sidious smiled, showing off sick, yellow teeth.  
   
“Oh, yes I can.”  
   
Starkiller’s eyes glowed yellow for a moment. Then he sunk down on one knee and bowed his head.  
   
“Then please, teach me, Master. I want to learn everything you know. I want to become our apprentice.”

Sidious smiled down at him maliciously. “You will swear to to follow my orders above all else?”

“I swear.”

“You will dedicate your life to the dark side and the Sith order?”

“I will.”

“You will show no mercy to your enemies and do what is necessary to ensure your supremacy over those weaker than you?”

“I will.”

“Then from this day on, you shall be known as Darth Nova, Dark Lord of the Sith. Rise, my apprentice.”

Darth Nova rose and Starkiller smiled in dark joy and Galen shouted silently in denial because this was everything they’d ever wished for and yet nothing like they had ever imagined.  
The dark side seldom was.


	72. Chapter 72

2BBY, Mustafar, Month 10

   
Princess Leia Organa was a strong young woman. She was not easily intimidated and as a newly elected Senator, this was more important than ever.  
   
In one week, to the beginning of a new galactic standard year, she would begin her career as an Imperial Senator.   
Her situation was a precarious one. Alderaan had fallen under heavy suspicion following the Battle of Trandosha. When her father, Bail Organa, went into hiding, the Empire took it as a sign that he was guilty of treason and he was declared a wanted man. Her mother Breha, the queen, had done what she could to save her planet from punishment. She had allowed Imperial troops to come to her planet and take over the police force and she had moved the election of a new senator forward one year to convince the Empire that Bail had acted as an individual and not with the backing of his family or his planet.  
   
It pained her to turn away from her husband like that but Bail and Breha had agreed to this before they even joined the resistance. The safety of their planet had priority.   
   
Still, the Emperor had demanded that she, the future Senator, must be examined to determine whether or not she shared her father’s political opinion. For this purpose she had been ordered to Obsidian Castle, a huge fortress on the volcanic planet Mustafar. Here she was to meet the Commander of the Galactic Security Force. It was him that she would have to convince of her loyalty to the Empire.  
   
Considering the pressure on her and the dangerous consequences if she failed, Leia had done everything she could think of to prepare herself for this meeting. Unfortunately, very little was known of Lord Nova or his regiment. The GSF had been called into life very recently as an answer both to the rising threat of the Rebellion and to prevent treason on the highest command level such as Vader’s. As a consequence, Lord Nova had authority to kill pretty much whoever he wanted with the jurisdiction of it being a traitor. He answered directly to the Emperor.  
   
With Vader the Empire had lost one of his most terrifying minions and in the Rebellion many had been relieved. That the Emperor had found a replacement this fast was quite daunting, especially if he turned  out to be equally dangerous. There were many, even within the Empire, that thought nobody could adequately replace Vader but that could possibly turn out to be bad for them. The new one might overcompensate by being unnecessarily cruel or destructive. He might kill Leia not because he had any proof of her involvement with the rebellion but just because.  
   
That was what she was most afraid of, to be made an example of because Lord Nova was incapable of hunting down any real traitors (never mind that technically she was one).  
   
Leia’s transport landed on a black platform. She was greeted by a group of four Stormtroopers and one Officer who led her down a walkway into the black fortress.  
   
Obsidian Castle was nothing short of a monster. Whoever its architect had been, he hadn’t had his mind on beauty, practicability or heck, even defense. It had clearly been designed for the sole purpose of being intimidating. Looking at the smooth, empty black walls and the towers reaching up like vicious spears into the red-orange sky that mirrored the lava pits covering the planet between black and red stone, she shuddered at the monstrosity as well as the thought of what kind of person would willingly live here.  
   
The Imperial Officer introduced himself as Valum Riland, personal aide of Lord Nova. He was young, she noticed, just a few years older than her, with short red hair, blue eyes and a few freckles around his nose that stood off against his pale skin. He appeared nervous, even a bit flustered in her presence and his gaze seemed to flicker around the empty corridors as if following the ominous shadows dancing around them as they passed under the dim red ceiling lighting.   
   
“Lord Nova is currently outside on a walk”, Riland informed her with a small smile.   
   
Leia almost rolled her eyes. Was he really going to let her wait in hope the surrounding castle would make her nervous?  
   
“Well, when will he be back then?”

“I have been ordered to bring you directly to him”, the Officer said. “Please, follow me.”  
   
A bit disbelieving, Leia followed the group to a hovercar. She hadn’t been allowed to bring any of her own guards but the troopers stayed behind and it was only the two of them in the hovercar. It occurred to her that an escape wouldn’t be all that difficult – they hadn’t searched her for hidden weapons. If the GSF chief gave her any problems she might be able to get in a few shots with her blaster, then steal the hovercar and get back to her ship. If they were stupid enough to not have taken with them a comm, she might be able to just fly away with her ship long before anyone could think about stopping her.  
   
The hovercar slowed to a stop.  
   
“The heat occasionally drives poisonous gases from the earth”, Riland said and held up a white gas mask for her. “For your own safety, you have to wear one of these for prolonged stays outside of the castle.”  
   
Leia stared at him as if he were mad.  
   
“If the air is poisonous, why would anyone build an outpost here?”  
   
“There are several important mining facilities on Mustafar as well as droid factories. Obsidian Castle has been build here to mark the victory of the Empire over the Separatist threat, which was ended here.”  
   
That still didn’t explain why anybody would want to live here but Leia didn’t comment and just put on the oxygen mask.  
   
They got out of the hovercar and Leia saw a river of lava nearby with a single figure standing at its shore. Riland stayed behind as she approached Lord Nova.  
   
Instead of an oxygen mask he wore a gray metal helmet covering his entire head, which she supposed was an added security measure if he spent large amounts of time in such an environment. When he turned to her she was faced only with a black slit in the helmet. His arms were bare and glistering with sweat in the heat so she immediately noticed the steel encompassing his right arm which ended in a monstrous clawed hand. He wore a black vest that was reinforced with light armor and his boots made a clanking sound on the ground as if they too were reinforced with metal. Her gaze though was immediately drawn to the two lightsabers hanging from his belt.  
   
“Lord Nova”, she said with her head held high. A month ago protocol would’ve demanded she bow to him. Now, she was a Senator and she refused to be intimidated by him. “I am Leia Organa, Senator of Alderaan.”  
   
“I know who you are”, Nova said in a slightly distorted, mechanical voice. “I might’ve never met you but I’ve heard plenty.”  
   
Leia refused to be thrown off. “Then I hope this will be over fast.”  
   
“Why so impatient? Come here. I want you to enjoy the view with me.” He motioned to the river with a clawed hand.  
   
Leia hesitated a full five seconds longer than she should’ve. Then she stepped next to him and as she did, it was as if a cold breeze went over her that made her shudder despite the hotness of the air.  
   
“Do you know the significance of this place?”, Nova asked her.  
   
“I do not”, she answered between gritted teeth.  
   
“This very spot you stand on is where Darth Vader was born.”  
   
Leia’s eyes widened and she stared down to her feet where the ground suddenly seemed dark and evil to her. She took a step back from the lazily flowing lava.  
   
“Not literally, of course”, the Lord continued. “This is where he first gave himself to the dark side of the Force. You have heard of it, haven’t you?”  
   
“I don’t know. I always thought the Force existed only in stories”, she repeated what she’d been told to say when ever asked about the power that gave the Jedi their strength.  
   
“It’s much more than a story. Vader himself was a Jedi once and wielded the Force for the good of people. That was until his former Jedi Master mutilated his body and threw it into this very river. That day the Jedi died and a Sith was born.”  
   
“Obsidian Castle. That was his place”, Leia realized suddenly because nobody could build such a huge and detailed place in the few weeks since Nova had been appointed.  
   
“But why…!?”  
   
“Why would anyone choose to live so near to the place of his greatest defeat and most terrible agony? The answer is simple: He didn’t. Although he was gifted with this huge castle, Vader chose to use up his personal fortune to assemble his own personal fleet and he traveled with it everywhere. In all records and documents, Obsidian Castle was listed as his home and yet he’s never set a foot in it.”  
   
“Why… Why would the Emperor give him a castle like this? Didn’t he know what the place meant to him?”, Leia wanted to know. She held no fond feelings for Vader whatsoever but it was hard not to feel sympathy when you stood at the very place that had burned and mutilated someone so horribly, someone you knew and had met and spoken to just a few months ago.  
   
“Oh, the Emperor knew. You see, it is all about chains. The Emperor gave Vader a home to call his own and from that day on he could never build himself a new one without insulting his Master. Yet he did not want to actually live here so he made up an excuse about his duties not allowing him to stay at one place for long and he set out with his own fleet. Ever since then, Obsidian Castle has served as a prison for the vilest of the Empire’s captives and criminals.”  
   
That’s when Leia realized why Nova had moved his headquarters here. This place held so many bad memories for his predecessor. For Nova to use it as his new home was both an insult and a challenge to the old Lord.  
   
Slowly Leia started to connect the dots in her head. Nova’s knowledge about the Force, the lightsabers he wore, the way he’d implied he knew about her and now his apparent personal grudge against Lord Vader.  
   
Nova had appeared out of nowhere shortly after Leia and the crew of the Shadow had left him in the Emperor’s hands.  
   
The Princess let out a gasp. “You… You are Galen Marek!”  
   
Nova whirled around and reached out with his clawed hand so fast she thought for a moment he might hit her. Instead she felt an invisible pressure all around her that made her gasp for air and sink down on her knees, right next to the lava river where 18 years ago, Darth Vader had been born.  
   
“You will never say that name again in my presence. Do you understand me?”  
   
Leia couldn’t speak, she couldn’t breathe, she could only choke and cry and with plenty of effort, she managed to nod.  
   
The pressure vanished and Leia scrambled backwards until she felt the heat of the lava behind her and she didn’t dare move any further.  
   
“Galen Marek is a nuisance… But your connection to his so-called family might be of use yet.” Nova stepped forward and Leia was uncomfortably aware that even though she really wanted to, she couldn’t move back.  
   
 “You are a traitor to the Empire. That is obvious and I don’t even need to prove it. Not even your status as a Senator can protect you from me if I choose to end your life. You would do well to remember this next time you stick out your pretty little neck for your friends. Now get out of my sight.”  
   
He stepped aside then, facing the lava river with his hands clasped behind his back. Leia watched him disbelievingly for a moment but she wasn’t going to miss out on this chance and took advantage of his dismissal of her. The Princess scrambled to her feet and rushed back to the speeder where the Officer greeted her with a pitying look. She imagined she must look quite pale and flustered.  
   
The meeting had shaken her more than she wanted to admit and on the whole ride back to her ship, she debated what she should do not. And whether or not to tell Luke.  
   
XxX  
   
Starkiller pulled off his helmet that served as a breathing mask in the poisonous environment as soon as the blast doors of the side entrance to Obsidian Castle closed behind him. The back half of the helmet folded into itself until only the visor remained, which he clipped tpmhis belt right next to the pouch that held the white mask. Faintly amused he noted how he seemed to collect both names and faces at a ridiculous rate.   
   
‘This is not funny’, Galen admonished him. ‘You ever thought that maybe the whole name calling and playing roles thing is what led to our situation in the first place?’  
   
‘Well, we have evidently become stronger so I don’t see where your problem is’, Starkiller answered. ‘You are awfully itchy today.’  
   
‘I don’t like this place. I don’t understand how anyone could like this place.’  
   
‘But don’t you feel it? The dark side is strong on this planet. It is reviving, refreshing. The echo of pain, of terror and hatred… I feel closer to Vader here than I have ever before. That’s nice, isn’t it?’  
   
‘No. This is just wrong.’  
   
Starkiller sighed. ‘You’re still mad at me for putting a tiny itsy bit of pressure on the girl.’  
   
‘She’s a friend.’  
   
‘You don’t even know her.’  
   
‘I didn’t say she was my friend. But she’s still a friend. You know. A friend’s friend.’  
   
‘I know and that’s why I didn’t kill her. Or hurt her all that much. I’m playing by your rules. Don’t you feel appreciated?’  
   
For some reason, that only made Galen angry. ‘No you’re not! You’ve joined Sidious and became his apprentice and do his bidding like… like a slave!  
   
‘As much as you might despise my decision, you know it is the only right one. You and me, we have to live with each other. There is no choice. So far, we’ve discovered two triggers that enable one of us to take control against the will of the other. I am able to overwhelm you when you go suicidal and you are able to overwhelm me when I threaten your loved ones. That means as long as I don’t hurt your friends, you can’t kill us. And other than killing me there’s nothing you can threaten me with.  
   
I don’t want things to be like that between us. I don’t want to have to threaten you. There is no reason why we shouldn’t work together. My goal is to become more powerful and not dying is a very important part of that. Your goal is to protect our family and we’ve established that you do that best by staying away from them. You have to agree that joining a side they despise is a very effective way to do that. So long as I serve the Emperor faithfully, he has no need to use our family against us either.’  
   
‘And what if they decide to go to war? What if Luke joined the Rebellion and drags Juno into it? You can’t fight against them, you literally can’t. But the Emperor will command you to.’  
   
‘That’s what I left the Princess alive for. If we do get reports of any of them on the battlefield, we can use her to explain our… unique situation. If they still fight against us, knowing that if I try to kill them, I will die but will try anyway, then they’d be fighting against the Empire consciously risking our life and nobody who actually loved you would do that so… They’d no longer be considered family. Problem solved.’  
   
‘That does not solve the problem. I’m perfectly willing to sacrifice our life even if they continue to fight you. Especially then, actually, since it would mean you’ve caused them great pain.’  
   
‘You are so difficult sometimes!’, Starkiller complained. ‘Seriously, what’s with your death wish? Do I have to get us a therapist? Wait, I know what would cheer you up. Maybe talking to mother would help you? She’s scheduled to come by today.’  
   
‘I know. I was there when you got the message’, Galen replied with a mental glare.  
   
‘That’s good, isn’t it? You were looking forward to meeting her again. Aren’t you happy?’  
   
‘How can I be when you’re planning to take her with you to training?’  
   
‘Well, to be fair that’s the whole reason Sidious allowed her to move in with us in the first place. I can’t really skip that part or he’d get suspicious. Do you want to see her or not?’  
   
‘Yes...’  
   
‘Then she will have to take part in training. I’m sure she won’t mind.’  
   
Galen had some serious doubts about that.


	73. Chapter 73

Mallie Marek stepped out of the Imperial shuttle and looked up at the huge black castle that rose to the sky like a vicious fang. She could feel that the dark side was strong in the air all around the volcanic planet but she didn’t shudder at the feeling as she might’ve done a year ago. Her eyes were cold as she took in the intimidating building. She only glanced at the escort that came to show her the way. She didn’t need them for she could find her way with the help of the Force.  
   
So this was the place her son lived in now. It did not surprise her, nor did it make her sad. No, it was fitting. He was a Dark Lord now – Darth Nova and so naturally he would have his base in one of the darkest corners of the galaxy.  
   
But she did wonder why she was here. Nova wouldn’t need her, wouldn’t want her anymore. There was only one use she could imagine she might still serve. If the Emperor was not entirely convinced of Nova’s loyalty, he might’ve ordered him to kill her.   
   
Her death would serve to solidify her son’s position. She could rest in peace, knowing that. It was unfortunate that this path would never truly make him happy but there had never been much of a chance of happiness for him anyway, had there?  
   
Mallie centered herself in the Force and calmed her mind with apathy. She had long since lost her fear of death and if she could see her son one last time, it couldn’t be such a bad way to go.  
   
Darth Nova was sitting in the lounge, a wide room with a white carpet and smooth couches that had a great view out of a large window front picturing a nearby volcano as well as a bar in the back. The young man was sitting with his head bowed low, staring at the hands clasped in front of him, one of which had some long claws protruding from what pretended to be fingers. When she entered he looked up and Mallie was startled at what she saw.  
   
There was no yellow in his eyes as she’d seen with many other dark agents. In fact, he looked hopeful and even relieved to see her. When he sprung up to meet her it wasn’t in an attack. It was in no way threatening and Mallie was shocked when he actually hugged her.  
   
“Mother, I’m so glad you’re here”, he whispered into her ear.  
   
Her son who’d shied away from her touch, who’d freely admitted to only having gained her love and trust so he could use her.

She pushed him away from her, eyes narrowed.  
   
“What… What is going on?”, she wanted to know.  
   
“What do you mean? It… It’s me, Galen. I asked for you so many times… They would only allow you to come now.”  
   
She took a step back from him but the man seemed to misinterpret her move and reached out for her again.  
   
“Please, mother, I’m sorry for what happened to you. For leaving you alone like that, in the hands of the Empire. I… I thought you must’ve been killed for sure. It was only at the Battle of Trandosha  that I found out you were still alive. The… The Emperor promised to let you live and let us be together if I joined him.”  
   
She stared at him as if he’d grown a second head.  
   
“Mother? What’s wrong?”  
   
She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “You are… not what I expected.”  
   
There was a flash of surprise on his face, then a brief moment of sadness and disappointment – he’d never been so easy to read, never except when he was angry – and then suddenly his eyes became cold and dark, all grief lines smoothed and his lips curled to a tiny, cruel smile.  
   
“What it is that you expected, mother?”, he asked mockingly, stepping back and holding out his arms, turning in a circle as if to show off.  
   
“A monster ready to slay you the moment you stepped into my room? Did you expect a dark robed figure who’d demand you either kneel before him or be cut down?”  
   
“Something like that”, she admitted with a whisper. Despite the darkness she felt rolling off her son after the sudden mood swing, she relaxed a bit.  
   
Her son smiled at her, benevolently but entirely fake.  
   
“I’m not going to kill you”, he promised. “Not now. Maybe later but right now, I just want to talk. Come, sit with me.” He motioned for the couch.  
   
Mallie was still tense but the sheer weirdness of the hug was diminishing and she sat down together with Nova.  
   
“First of all, I’ve been in an information vacuum for some time”, he started. “I need you to tell me exactly where you stand, what you’ve been doing and why.”  
   
She nodded, his need for information was sensible. If he hadn’t gotten an order to kill her, he might have use for her as an agent himself if she could convince him that she was more loyal to him than the Emperor.  
   
“That day when we returned from Felucia, Luke had a vision shortly after we docked on the ship. He saw Vader killing you. I went in to save you together with the droid. Only I got through to the hangar but I was too late. You were already… gone. I tried to avenge you but the Emperor stunned me and I was taken into custody.   
   
For the next few months, I thought you had died by Vader’s hand. I was brought to an academy where they taught me about the dark side. They promised me the power to avenge you… to kill Lord Vader. I didn’t listen to them at first but I knew I could never defeat Vader on my own. But the dark side isn’t all about raw power and destruction. It’s about hiding in the shadows and striking when your opponents least expect it. I learned all I needed to carry out my plan… And then… Then I heard you were still alive. I heard that you had fought against the Empire together with Vader and been betrayed by him again.” She looked at him pleadingly.  
   
“Lord Nova, I know that to truly master the dark side you have to defeat the Emperor. I understand that now, I understand that you need and want that. I have sensed that power myself. I don’t know if you really plan to side with the Emperor to get stronger or if it’s another plan of Vader’s to get close enough to destroy him but please, Vader is not good for you! He’s not trustworthy, he only cares for his own advantage and he will betray you again and again! If you need someone to plan your move against the Emperor or even just to watch your back while you grow stronger under him, then please take me! I can never be a Sith, not because I don’t want to but because I’m simply not strong enough in the Force. But you are destined for greatness and I want to help you archive your full potential.”  
   
“You… are incredible, you know that?”, Nova said, looking at her with wonder. “You know just what to say. As it happens, I actually do need you help for-” Nova stopped, then suddenly grimaced as if in pain.  
   
“Right. But first, that.” He started to rub his temple.  
   
“Lord Nova? Is everything alright?”

“There is something you have to understand, mother. While being a Sith Lord does have its advantages, I’m still occasionally… Galen.”  
   
She looked at him stunned. Mallie had assumed that the Emperor would never allow her son to take on the title of Sith if he didn’t think his journey to the dark side was complete. Galen was a part of his past. It stood for uncertainty, attachment and weakness. Mallie had come to Obsidian Castle fully expecting her son, Galen, to be dead. She hadn’t expected to find anything left of the person she’d gotten to know in Lord Nova. After all she represented a connection to his past that he would want to get rid of to be stronger.  
   
The next words hurt her more like anything but she knew if she wanted her son to be alive and be the best Sith he could be, she had to speak them.  
   
“So you… You want to get rid of… of Galen. I can...” But she stopped, swallowing a sob because damn it, she couldn’t, she couldn’t- “Force no, I can’t help you with that. Please, don’t make me.”  
   
Nova scowled at her. “I – no! No, that’s not what I meant! I don’t want to get rid of him and I don’t want you to choose between him and me either. And if you ever have to, you’ll do damn well to choose him, lest you make his stupid tendencies even worse!”  
   
She blinked away the tears, surprised. “I… I don’t understand.”  
   
“I need you to take care of Galen. He is unstable and weak and needs… what’s it called… emotional support. The better he feels, the weaker his influence is on me and I can concentrate on becoming more powerful.”  
   
This was just getting more confusing.  
   
“I don’t understand. You… You are Galen… aren’t you?”  
   
“I am. I am using the name to describe a certain mood I’m sometimes in. Most of the time, I’m just Starkiller. Now do you think you could do that for me?”  
   
I… I will do my best”, she answered, not knowing what else to say.  
   
“Alright. But there’s no use introducing you to… me, unless you can pass a little test.”  
   
“A test?”

“Yes. If you want to stay by my side, I have to know if you’re strong enough. Follow me.”  
   
Nova – currently in the mood of Starkiller, apparently – stood and she followed him out of the lounge and through a series of corridors and turbolifts that eventually led them to a detention level.  
After Vader had decided not to live in the castle, the building had been used as a prison and it was on this level that all kinds of dangerous criminals were being kept. The prison had four levels, each of them connected by a lift. Mallie and Starkiller came to a stop on the walkway on the second level, looking down through the gap onto the first level. Behind them, cells with prisoners behind energy shields were being kept. The cells ran all the way around the rectangular hole.  
   
“Do you have your weapon with you?”, Starkiller asked.  
   
Mallie revealed the hilt of her lightsaber under the black robe she wore.  
   
“Good. Now I want you to jump down to the ground level. I will turn off the energy fields and the inmates will attack you. They’ve been told that the first to kill you will gain his freedom so take them seriously.”  
   
“And if I kill them all… I will pass your test?”, Mallie asked. If there were as many cells on the ground level as on the one they stood on, it would be at least fifty. She was good, she knew that, especially since the criminals wouldn’t be armed but still, that was a lot. It would be a test of her physical capabilities as well as her morals. Though if Starkiller thought she’d have a problem killing criminals, then he underestimated her. She had done far worse during her time as an agent of the Empire.  
   
“You will pass the test if you’re the last person standing”, Starkiller confirmed with a small smile.  
   
“Alright”, she said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”  
   
Mallie jumped down on the ground floor and drew her lightsaber – a red blade sprang to life.  
   
The energy shields vanished shortly after without a noise and before she knew what was happening, a small army of thugs came rushing at her with cries of war.  
   
Mallie moved faster than she had ever done, whirling around and swinging her weapon in a defensive style. She cut through body parts and necks, ducked under fists and jumped over fallen bodies. She was in a rush, calling forth the power of the dark side and letting it surround her.  
Suddenly there was a bright, red-orange light coming from above. It caught one of the criminals charging at her and he stopped in the middle of the movement, then rose to the air for a second or two, motionless, his eyes rolling up into his head – then he fell down as a boneless heap, lifeless, dead.  
   
Mallie watched with wide eyes and got a fist to her head for her troubles. She bisected her attacker and whirled around just in time to see a second light hitting another criminal, then another and another. Like lightning the light was emerging from the top rays and forking down to meet several attackers at once, who all rose in the air, some motionless, others convulsing, some moaning and groaning, others silent in shock.  
   
The attackers had stopped, focusing on the new threat and Mallie too looked up. On top of the rail, Starkiller stood, his clawed hand outstretched with red-orange lighting hitting the criminals soundlessly and apparently without causing much pain put killing them one after another almost instantly. His posture was relaxed with his flesh hand stuck in a pouch at his belt but his eyes… There was something wrong with his eyes. They weren’t yellow from dark-side corruption as she’d seen before. They were black, utterly black, with no iris or the white of the eyeballs to be seen.  Just a pair of black mirrors reflecting her horrified face.  
   
Mallie had trouble to hold onto her weapon. She backed away from Nova slowly. There was the dark side surrounding him but also something else, something old and evil and all she could think about was getting away from him.  
   
The criminals had given up on attacking her and instead tried to flee. Some went back into their cells, some started pounding on the door leading to the lift and she joined them in their mindless fear, not caring as she wriggled between their sweaty bodies to get to the door because she had to get out, out, out! Before that terrible light struck her too as it struck more and more men all around her. They were dying, they were all dying and she didn’t even know how, she had never seen anything like that before.  
   
She was at the door, she tried to cut a hole in it with her lightsaber but the durasteel was very thick and she knew she wouldn’t make it in time.  
   
Then there were no men pounding against the door with her and she knew she was the last. A shadow made for her soul, a terrible cold gripping her. She sunk down at the door with a sob, knowing she could do nothing. Just an hour ago she’d thought about how she wasn’t afraid of death but this, this somehow seemed worse than death. What gripped her was a primitive fear of the unknown and evil and she sank down to her knees, sobbing, just wishing for it to end.  
   
Suddenly there was a hand on her shoulder and she flinched and turned around quickly. Nova was standing in front of her and he had that soft, pained air around him like he did the first time she saw him and she realized that this was what he’d spoken about. This was Galen. Her Galen.  
   
Mallie sobbed and hugged his legs, which was as far up as she could reach with her knees too wobbly to stand up but he merely came down to her level. She huddled against him, crying in his arm, surrounded by over fifty dead bodies, most of which didn’t have a single scratch on them.  
   
XxX  
   
Galen held on his mother’s arm the whole way back to the room he’d had prepared for her, half supporting and half dragging her. Mallie was still shaking but she didn’t try to fight him anymore. He knew though that she was still afraid of him. She’d thought that she could take it, that she’d gotten used to the thought of having a Sith Lord as a son, that she’d accepted it… but she hadn’t.  
   
‘She was fine just a moment ago’, Starkiller told him. ‘In fact, she felt more comfortable with me than she did with you.’  
   
‘Yeah. Right until you tried to suck the life out if her’, Galen answered venomously.   
   
‘Well, at least now we know, don’t we? It was a success.’  
   
Galen didn’t even bother answering. He was so angry it took all he had not to smash anything. His face was blank and his grip tight around his mother’s arm. He wanted to kill something so badly. Preferably Starkiller.  
   
They arrived at Mallie’s room and he pushed her on a chair, feeling too twitchy to take a seat himself. He looked down on her, scared and nervous and sobbing. He did feel guilty about what he’d done to her but even more than that he felt angry at himself.  
   
Deciding that she probably didn’t want to see him anymore, he turned around without a word but when he was at the door, Mallie called out for him.  
   
“W-Wait!”  
   
Galen turned around slowly, his eyes still cold like ice.  
   
“What is it… What did…. What did you do back there?”, she whispered.  
   
“You don’t want to know”, Galen answered coldly.  
   
“But… Galen...”

He closed his eyes in pain and had to turn away from her. The things he’d done… how could she even stand to look at him anymore?  
   
“What’s going on, Galen?”, she whispered brokenly.  
   
The Sith turned back to her slowly.  
   
“It’s a long story.”  
   
“Please tell me.”  
   
Slowly Galen walked back to where she sat. He opened the pouch at his belt and with the claws of his right hand pulled out the cursed mask and let it clatter on the small table in front of Mallie.  
   
The former Jedi looked at it confused. “What is that?”  
   
“It’s the mask of Darth Nihilus, an ancient Sith artifact. It controls the mind of the wearer and gives him the power to consume people’s life force at a large scale.” He said it in a monotone and didn’t blink even when Mallie gasped. She’d moved her hand to touch the mask but when hearing his words quickly drew it back.  
   
“Is it that what you did… to those men?”  
   
“Yes and no. The ability to absorb the life force of an opponent is an ability that many Sith have used over the centuries. It’s difficult but it can be learned. The mask amplifies the senses of a Force-user as well as the… desire to absorb this life force. It basically turns your mind into a black hole that swallows all the energy around you.”  
   
“But you didn’t wear the mask. When you killed them, you didn’t wear it.”

“No, but I touched it while it was in my pocket. Just touching it… it gives me this ability, all I have to do is act on instinct but I still have to target every victim separately. I still have to concentrate and be conscious about what I’m doing. If I put on the mask… there would be nothing left of me. I wouldn’t be able to stop. Like this, I still have a semblance of control.”  
   
“But I don’t understand. Why are you doing this?”, Mallie asked.  
   
“It’s training. Eventually I want to be able to absorb people’s life force without relying on the mask. But also… this was a test. I had to know if I’d be able to fight against the mind controlling effect of the mask. I...” Galen hesitated but he knew he had to tell his mother. He had to tell her and maybe, just maybe she’d be smart enough to run away from him. “I did this before. I released the criminals of a whole level and I fought against them together with two troopers at my side. I wanted to absorb the life force of all the criminals but spare the troopers. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t separate them in my mind.”  
   
“So you… you killed the troopers even though they were on your side?”, Mallie asked.  
   
“Yes. And after that I went along the cells, absorbing the life Force of every single criminal who was still imprisoned, all the way up to fourth level. I didn’t even bother to release them and give them a chance to fight. I just barely kept myself from putting on the mask again.”  
   
His mother shook her head. “But you stopped it with me.”  
   
“Yes. That was the test. If I can’t… If I can’t recognize a person I love and can’t stop killing to protect them, then I couldn’t ever risk using this ability. If I can’t even stop myself from killing you, sooner or later I would put on the mask again and I… can’t do that. Never again.”

Mallie was crying now and Galen looked away, though his eyes softened a bit in sadness.   
   
“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?”, she echoed. “You… You said you love me!”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
“Really?” She took his face in her hands, smiling though tears. “I... I’m glad.”  
   
Galen looked at her in disbelief. “I… I used you! I used you to test my self-control, I could’ve easily killed you!”  
   
“But you didn’t. You didn’t deny the part of you that loves me even though you’re a Sith Lord now and… that makes me happy.”  
   
Galen touched her cheek in wonder, trailing after her tears.  
   
“It’s more… complicated than that”, he admitted. “There is still… Starkiller. That part of me… He’s too weak, he can’t fight against the power of the mask. When he… When I’m using the mask and I want to stop, the only way to do that is by completely changing who I am, by changing back into Galen. But he’s still there, still in me and when he comes back… I won’t be your son anymore.”  
   
“But you can change back when you’re with me, can’t you? You’re angry… I can feel it, you’re angry at…. That part of you. But he… The other you… he doesn’t deny you or want to get rid of you. That’s what he told me.”  
   
“No”, Galen answered bitterly. “He wants to use me to get stronger. To learn how to control the life drain.”  
   
“And you? Do you want to learn how to control it?”  
   
“I don’t want to ever hurt anyone I care about accidentally. It’s not just… Mother, it’s not just about you either. The Emperor will eventually want me to fight Luke again and I… I have a wife, mother, I have...” Galen choked, unable to say the words. He didn’t even know if he had a wife anymore, let alone…  
   
Mallie pulled him into a hug and whispered soothing words to him and he gripped her tightly and buried his nose in her hair.  
   
“Shh, it’s alright. I will help you, Galen. I will help you to control this power.”  
   
“I don’t want you to help. I want you gone from here, far away where I can’t ever hurt you”, he muttered.  
   
“But you can’t let me go. The Emperor wouldn’t allow it… and neither would Starkiller.”  
   
“I can deal with Starkiller, he can’t fight me when I set my mind onto something-”  
   
But Mallie interrupted him. “But he wants me to help. Galen… I love you but I love you, all of you and when there’s a part of you that wants me to stay and help, even if it’s just a small part, then you’re not getting rid of me.”  
   
He shook his head, muttering: “This is crazy”, but Mallie just hugged him tighter and he stopped talking because if he was being honest, he didn’t want her to go. He needed her too much.


	74. Chapter 74

1 BBY, Month 1, Tatooine  
   
The first thing Luke saw when he woke up was a ceiling with stars and comets painted on it. He sat up carefully and with some trouble. His muscles were all stiff and there were needles stuck in his arms connected to a little green tank next to his bed that he recognized as bacta. He looked around and recognized that he was in some kind of children’s room. There were cheap toys laying around and an empty crib on the other side of the room.  
   
Luke swung his legs over the edge of his bed and promptly planted himself face-first on the floor, his balance was that off. With a growl he pulled the needles out of his arms. He only wore a light white robe and was barefoot, but he didn’t even register his state of semi-undress. His head felt all fuzzy, the light coming from a small lamp on a bedside table was blinding and everything was blurry and smelled weird and there seemed to be some kind of ringing in his ears that he couldn’t get rid of.  
   
Luke shook his head to get rid of the dizziness and stumbled out of the room, intent on finding out where he was. He thought he heard a shout and then someone was rushing towards him and gently but firmly grabbed his arm.  
   
“Luke… Luke, you’re awake! But you shouldn’t be walking around like that. Please, let me help you.”  
   
“J-Juno?”, Luke mumbled, vaguely recognizing the face. His sight began to get better gradually and he could confirm that he was indeed talking to Juno. She looked tired but she smiled and that’s when he noticed the little bundle she carried strapped to her chest.  
   
“Is that...”  
   
Juno’s smile widened and she guided him gently back into the room. Then she turned so he could see the little rosy face sticking out of the bundle, watching him curiously and with big eyes.  
   
“Yes, that’s my little Carus. Lookie, look who’s awake. See Honey, that’s your Uncle Luke.”  
   
Luke allowed her to guide him back to the bed where she sat down with him.  
   
“Is he… Is he alright? Are you alright?”  
   
“Yes”, she replied, gently rocking her child. “Yes, we’re both very well, thanks to you.”  
   
Luke’s mouth was dry as he tentatively reached out for the child but stopped before he could touch it.  
   
“How long… How long was I out?”, he croaked.   
   
“Two months”, Juno whispered. “I… I’m so glad you finally woke up. The doctors weren’t sure what was wrong with you. I kept you here, with Carus so I could see you every day and we talked to you a lot. They said that might help you.”  
   
Luke pulled his hand back from the baby, a shaking hand.  
   
“What did I miss? Are we still on Tatooine? What… What’s with the Alliance?”, he wanted to know.  
   
“Yes, we’re still on Tatooine… Elvoy continued the fight against the Cartel, we’re a serious threat to them now and have several dozen systems under our control. The Empire hasn’t bothered us yet. They’re too busy splitting their attention between the Rebellion and the Rogues.”  
   
“The Rogues?”, Luke repeated.  
   
“Yeah. You see, after Vader left the Empire it wasn’t long until a large part of the Imperial fleet defected and banded together under him. All of Death Squadron were declared deserters. The Rogues aren’t actually enough to really threaten the Empire of course but they’ve been spreading chaos all across the galaxy. I’m not sure but from what I’ve found out, Vader seems to be attacking specific strongholds of the Empire.”  
   
Luke rubbed his eyes, his head was hurting. “What do you mean specific? What’s he after?”  
   
Juno hesitated, then answered: “I think he’s attacking institutions that teach Force-sensitives.”  
   
The pilot gently took his hand when he started scratching on his cheeks.  
   
“Luke? What’s wrong?”

He didn’t answer. Instead he took a deep breath and asked: “What about Kazgul? Where is he?”  
   
“He returned to his tribe around three weeks ago.”  
   
“And Leia?”  
   
“She’s a senator now. I sometimes see her on the news but there has been no contact. She came once, after we told her what happened to you but… Well, her new duties didn’t allow her to stay for long.”  
   
Luke was silent for longer this time, opening his mouth several times to speak but not getting out a word.  
   
“I haven’t heard from him though”, Juno said at last, guessing what he couldn’t say. “It’s like he just vanished. Or like he...”

“He’s not dead”, Luke interrupted her. He wasn’t looking at her, fixing his stare on his bed sheet which he gripped tightly with both hands.  
   
“Luke”, Juno said, now sounding afraid, “what… what happened, when you fell into that coma… Do you know if-”

“I don’t remember”, Luke cut her off. “I know there was something… moving… in the Force but I can’t remember any details.”  
   
“Oh. Uhm… You said something… You, you said that… You said that Starkiller wanted to kill you. Do you…?”

“I don’t remember, Juno”, he said a bit more vehemently.  
   
“But – Luke, I have to know-”

“I don’t remember! Don’t ask me that!”, Luke returned loudly and clutched his head in both hands, closing his eyes tightly as if that could shut out the world.  
   
Juno’s voice became soft again and she gently pried one of his hands off his temple, taking it into hers.  
   
“It’s alright, Luke. You… You just need time, that’s all. You… You see… Look, if you want to you can hold Carus for a moment. I’m sure he wants to get to know you.”  
   
She opened the straps holding the bundle to her chest and Luke hesitantly received the infant.  
“Isn’t he the sweetest thing?”, Juno asked proudly.  
   
But Luke only looked down at the baby with an expression bordering on desperation.  
   
“Luke? What’s wrong?”

I… I saved him, didn’t I? I remember that”, he muttered.  
   
“Yes, you… You made him cry. He was so silent after he was born and you made him cry.”  
   
Luke’s hands holding the baby were shaking. “Then why… Why does he feel so dead? He’s… He’s so cold. Just like… Just like you.” He looked up at the woman with tears in his eyes. “Juno, I… I think I can’t feel the Force anymore.”

XxX

Imperial Center  
   
Darth Sidious read over the bill the Imperial Senate had passed this morning. His lips pulled back to a sneer and his finger already hovered over the button that would reject it but at the last moment he stopped.

The war with the Rebellion was swaying more and more Senators to their traitorous cause. It wouldn’t be of any concern in a year when the Death Star was finished but until then they could cause him a headache or two.

This new bill was of no real consequence. It merely set a minimum wage for all workers. The people saw it as the first step in removing the system of forced labor that kept the war machinery of the Empire running. That could not be allowed to happen of course. However if he did pass this bill, the people would think it a peace offering to the Rebellion, the first step to reform the Empire without bloodshed.

The reason the Rebellion was so hard to kill was that for every rebel his troopers killed, two more got recruited, inspired by their so-called sacrifice. That had only become a problem after Trandosha though. It had been the first great battle, and though they lost it had ignited a flame. Before that the rebels had concentrated their efforts on the Senate. They had tried to beat Sidious on his very own battlefield, in politics, where he had the upper hand.

If he passed this bill, it would look like a victory to the rebel faction that wanted to fight politically and might decrease the number of recruits their military factions gained as their support among the people waned.

Strengthening the Senate like that was in itself dangerous of course but since this institution wouldn’t exist much longer anyway, it didn’t really matter. He could even reverse the bill after the Death Star was complete if he wanted to.

Sidious contemplated this. Forced labor (Imperial standards refused the use of the word ‘slavery’) was a major foundation of the Empire’s ecology. All the troopers were paid with lodging in barracks and meal vouchers as well as a small amount of credits once a year that most sent home to their families. Forced labor served as a punishment for criminals and traitors. In the private sector, it was legitimate to loan money and have employees work off the debt.

The bill wouldn’t affect prisoners and Sidious supposed there’d be no large difference in having troopers earn a minimum wage and buy all their equipment and food themselves. It was the private sector that would see the most changes. Right now a father could sell his daughter to work off his debt and even if she somehow got enough money to pay it off, her owner could refuse to take the money if he wanted to keep her as a slave.

Sidious had initially made this arrangement in order to build up good connections with the Hutt Cartel. Every Empire (or Republic for that matter) had its organized crime but it was far better if he had some kind of control over them. However the Cartel had become pretty useless during the last months as they were busy fighting their own riots in the Outer Rim.

In summary, the benefits pretty much balanced out the disadvantages for passing the bill. What to do, what to do?

Sidious chuckled to himself. Oh, he knew just the thing.

The Emperor activated his personal comm and ordered Lord Nova to be brought to him. He’d returned recently from Mustafar in order for Sidious to evaluate his improvement in his training. His apprentice still needed to touch the mask in order to use the Life Drain but he was far more accurate now in who he killed with it and it pleased Sidious that he had no qualms about using his own mother as a test subject when demonstrating his progress.

Yes, his apprentice was coming along well but there were still some concerns to address. Nova harbored bonds and attachments that could be his greatest weakness but they could also serve to strengthen him. It was Sidious’ duty as his Master to make sure the latter was the case.

Twenty minutes later Darth Nova knelt at his feet, his yellow eyes cast to the ground in respect.

“My Master, what is thy bidding?”, he asked.

Sidious could feel how strong the dark side was in his young apprentice. He was not perfect but he was slowly getting there. One day he might actually make Sidious proud.

“Rise, Lord Nova. I wish to hear your opinion on an important matter”, the Emperor said and motioned for the Sith to come closer.

Nova did so and Sidious lightly brushed his mind as the warrior stepped behind him to read the datapad that he passed him. He caught the flash of a lightsaber, Sidious’ decapitated head rolling across the floor…

The Emperor scowled and prodded a bit more, then relaxed. There was no real intent behind the fantasy. Nova simply enjoyed imagining all the different ways he could kill people. For fun. It should probably worry him – the Sith were not about senseless violence and sadism – but Nova did have himself under control. He was thinking about killing Sidious with the wishful thinking of a child that would like to have some chocolate but knew it was bad for his teeth. It was a bit odd as Sidious would’ve expected at least some hatred to back up the murderous thoughts – but there was nothing.

He would have to keep an eye on him. Something was not right with Nova. He was so different from the boy he had sent out to spy on Vader but he didn’t resemble the Outer Rim hero of the reports either. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was just the influence of the mask. But Sidious couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something wrong with Nova. He was just… too good. At the same time he couldn’t believe that he was acting because his thoughts did mirror his outward behavior and Sidious’ mind powers were too refined to be fooled by a man more than sixty years younger than him.

“This bill”, Nova said in answer to his earlier question, “looks like the result of rebel propaganda. We should make a list of the Senators who approved it and kill them all.”

“Is that what you think”, Sidious mused. “Considering you fought for the rights of former slaves in the Outer Rim, I would’ve thought you’d approve of this bill.” 

“Slaves?” Nova scowled and skimmed over the contents of the document again. “Right, I see what you mean. I suppose a minimum wage would improve some people’s lives but I don’t think that’s really a priority right now. We have to secure peace and order in the Empire first.”

Sidious’ lips thinned. A few years ago, he would’ve used those exact words to explain to Lord Vader why they couldn’t allow such a bill to pass. Did his former student teach Nova how to act, how to please him? Was he being manipulated?

“Lord Nova, you are a formidable warrior. You have even proved yourself to be a charismatic leader but you have only ever been in charge of a band of farmers and thieves that need a strong hand in order to not fall apart in front of the threat of an overwhelming foe. You have to learn that in order to keep power that you do have, sometimes you have to act differently than if you want to gain power that you don’t. There will come a day when I will no longer be there to guide you and it may very well fall to you to rule this Empire in my stead. Now I want you to look at that bill again and think about what the consequences of passing it would be as opposed to refusing it.”

Nova scowled but did as he was told. A few moments later he looked at the Emperor again.

“There are different factions in the Empire whose reactions to this bill are to be considered. If it is passed, we’d anger the conservative Imperial Elite as well as the Hutt Cartel. The latter isn’t much of a bother as they’re too busy fighting the Phoenix Alliance but the former could lend support to Vader and his band of Rogues. If the bill is passed, there is an opportunity to gain support among the Alliance. By making concessions to their ideals, it might open the door for negotiations. It would take little effort for us to lend them the firepower to destroy the Cartel and in return we could then use them to hunt down the Rogues for us. That way we could concentrate more of our own power on crushing the Rebellion. There’s opportunity but also risk in passing the bill.”

“Then what would you decide to do?”

“Well, I was never one to shy away from a challenge.”

Sidious chuckled. “That is true. Your connection to this Alliance gives you an advantage. You were their leader, weren’t you?”

“I was more of a symbol than a leader to most of them. If I play my cards right, I believe I could get them to follow me… and join the Empire”, Nova offered.

The Emperor lightly brushed over his apprentice’ mind again without him noticing. The reports of his spies had never been clear on whether the ‘Chainbreaker’ actually cared about the fate of the Outer Rim slaves of if he just used them as a means to an end to build up his own army. His especially bloody methods could indicate both. It was the same with his explanation now. Did Nova want the bill to be passed because it would grant freedom to some people or was he just waiting for an opening to get back in contact with the army that worshiped him? If he planned to dethrone and murder the Emperor, his own personal squad would be quite useful. It was why Vader had hand-picked every crew member of Death Squadron after all.

Sidious was not sure which alternative he preferred. If Nova did care, it would make him easier to manipulate and if he did not he might become a threat to him. Realistically, it was probably a bit of both. Political ambition and personal ideals would not always fall together like that for Nova but Sidious knew that the more often they did, the more often he succeeded in evading the touch choice between the two, the easier it would be in the end to make the right choice. Ideals changed, precious people died; only power was everlasting.

“They might be useful as a distraction”, Sidious conceded. “However, I do hope you realize we cannot work with them for very long. Their ideals are no longer yours. Eventually, when the Rebellion is dealt with, you will have to… let them go. There might be those who do not appreciate you not keeping any promises you may have to make to them to get them to comply. When they turn against you, will you be ready to put them down?”

Nova looked at him with confusion. “They’re tools. Why should I have a problem killing a few pawns? They’re of no use if they misbehave.”

Such coldness, such calculation… Could it be that Nova was long past that point, that he had already fully embraced the meaning of power? Sidious doubted that it was all an act. Even Vader, who’d gone behind his back for a long time, would just gnaw his teeth and promise to do as he commanded. It wasn’t as if Sidious demanded his apprentice to understand as long as he followed orders.

“Very well. Prepare everything to make contact with the Alliance then.”

“It will be done, my Master.”

Nova turned to leave. Darth Sidious waited until he was almost at the door before he added:  
“Oh, and when you go to Tatooine to talk to them… Do make sure to pick up your wife, will you? I’m dying to get to know her.”

Lord Nova stopped in his tracks and Sidious smiled sinisterly, happy to have gotten a rise out of him.

“You did not expect to leave me in the dark about her forever, did you?”, he teased the younger Sith.

“Of course not”, he answered stiffly. “You do have your spies everywhere.”

“Oh, it’s not about the spies, dear boy. I sensed your bond to her when you first rejoined me. Admittedly, I was not sure exactly what it meant... until you confirmed it to me just now.” His smile was turning positively evil now.

Nova turned around with a scowl.

“I was a different man back then… before Korriban”, he claimed. “There is not much connecting me to that woman anymore and I doubt she feels differently but if you insist, I will bring her.”

“Oh, but you are wrong about that, my apprentice. There is a connection between you. Something… Or someone...” Sidious noticed a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes and brushed against his mind again. Oh… oh! That was quite a surprise.

“A child...” Sidious breathed out, feeling an odd sort of giddy excitement. He’d had great hopes when he first heard of Vader’s boy but his apprentice had ruined his upbringing and now young Skywalker was steeled against the influence of the dark side to the point where it would be too much hassle to try and turn him. But a child, an infant, untainted by the light and in the hands of a true Sith…

“The child is dead”, Nova cut off his train of thought. “I killed it myself when I grabbed the mask on Korriban.”

Sidious knew he truly believed that as he felt the regret in him. It wasn’t nearly as strong as Vader’s anguish when he’d believed to have accidentally killed his offspring but then again, this could explain why Nova had been so cold and detached since Korriban.

At the same time Sidious was of the strong belief that Nova was wrong. The child was alive. The moment he’d realized it existed, his view was opened to a wide range of possible futures and the Force hummed in anticipation.

“No… I believe you are wrong about that. Your child lives and you will bring it to Imperial Center.”

“The child…. is alive?”, Nova asked with not quite hope, more like…. Eagerness?

“Yes. And it is great news, my apprentice. If your training goes well and you prove yourself worthy of it, one day you may be sitting on my throne and your child will become heir to it. It will become your apprentice and one day, Emperor. You have to bring it here. Bring the mother if you can but if she makes you any trouble… kill her.”

Nova’s eyes had lit up at the future he painted for him and Sidious knew that he had him. He didn’t even flinch at the possibility at having to kill his wife, too concerned with the brilliant vision of becoming Emperor and raising his own dynasty. 

“It will be done, my Master”, he promised and Sidious knew that this time he had chosen the right apprentice.  
   
XxX  
   
Starkiller left the throne room high on glorious visions, barely keeping himself from putting a skip to his steps. But as soon as they were outside of the immediate vicinity of the Emperor, Starkiller tripped for no reason, lost his balance and fell into a black abyss while helplessly watching a doppelganger of himself rise up to the surface next to him.

Way to ruin a great day.

‘What the hell was that back there!?’, Galen shouted at him, his mental image looming over him like a giant over a child.

‘What? I just played my role! No weakness in front of the Emperor, remember?’

‘You told him about Juno! About my child!’

‘I told him nothing, he just knew!’

‘Because you didn’t shield your mind properly!’

‘I’m sorry, I was a little busy keeping your existence a secret!’, Starkiller returned angrily.

‘You should’ve concentrated on keeping theirs hidden!’

‘Hello, self-preservation here? I don’t even know what you’re so upset about. We get to play with our old friends again. You get to see your family. We even confirmed that Starkiller junior is alive. Can’t you be happy for one damn second?’

‘You said you wouldn’t think twice about betraying the Alliance… or killing Juno!’

‘Well… yeah. That’s what he wanted to hear.’

‘That’s what you thought!’, Galen roared.

‘That’s why it worked! Look, even if I don’t give a fuck, we already know you could take over and make us spare them so what’s the big deal? I got him thinking we were fully on his side, which gets him off our back. He wants our child as the next apprentice, slash, heir to the throne so it will be safe here with us. Now gimme back control, I was looking forward to a nice bath… It’s Zhellday, Zhellday is my day...’

‘You’re acting like a child! A little… psychotic child!’

‘And you’re acting like my kriffing father. Save that for our junior. The Emperor knows about them, nothing can be changed about that so let’s just deal with it.’

Galen tried for a few moments to come up with any ideas on how to get his family away from Sidious’ attention but he didn’t need Starkiller’s sneering comments to point out what little effort he put in it. The truth was… he was missing his wife desperately And if there was a chance he could have her with him and have her safe...

‘Fine. But when it comes to that… Let me talk to her. I might be able to convince her without any trouble. If she gets hurt...’

‘I know, I know. No distressing the lady.’

‘I mean it, Starkiller. You stay away from them, Juno and the child. When we’re around her, they will only ever get to see me.’

‘What? No way! They’re my family too. I made that child!’

‘For the last time, it’s not yours!’

‘What if the Emperor is around? Huh? If you go all mother hen in front of him, they’ll end up as hostages faster than you can blink.’

‘Fine, you can be with them when he’s there but if you hurt them I will end you.’

‘Then what about training? We have to test if you can wrest control of me when I’m using the mask-’

‘YOU WILL NOT USE THE MASK AROUND MY WIFE AND CHILD!’

‘Force, alright, alright. Calm down.’

‘You won’t be anywhere near them. You will nap and not comment and let me be myself around them.’

‘You can’t ask that of me!’, Starkiller howled angrily. ‘You will pamper that child and spoil it rotten and besides, I love sex with the lady...’

‘That is my price. I know we have to make this work but if you don’t agree to those terms, I will not allow you to bring Juno here. I will fight you every meter of the way if I have to. All I need is a moment of your inattention while you’re standing next to an airlock and it’s over!’

Starkiller growled in frustration. ‘You won’t talk to me like that! I’m not even planning to harm them, I just don’t want them to think us a complete weakling.’

‘You will stay away from them!’

‘I want to have control during training sessions and in the bedroom at least half of the time.’

‘Absolutely not!’

‘Those are my terms, or else I will I will wrest control of you when she’s standing next to an airlock.’

Galen fumed in anger but the sudden mental image of Juno being sucked out into space forced him to reconsider.

‘Fine, you get to watch and comment during those times but that’s it. Don’t push your luck.’

‘Then we have a deal.’

XxX  
   
Senator Leia Organa was sitting in her office on Coruscant, staring blankly at the datapad in her hand and the message it displayed.  
   
Three days ago the Imperial Senate had come together to discuss a new bill that set a minimum wage, to be paid out in cash to workers all around the Empire. A clause like that had existed in the old Republic before but had gained large exceptions in the form of clone troopers and later other military workers and personnel until it had been removed completely.  
   
It wasn’t a complete removal of slavery but it was a step in the right direction.  
   
During the last few months, the Rebellion had struggled to put together something resembling an army. However, the Empire’s fleet was ruthlessly destroying their outposts where ever they could find them and Leia suspected the only reason they were able to keep up was because the Emperor had to focus some of his attention on the Rogues.  
   
But the ruthless methods of the Empire had also gained the Rebellion more support in the Imperial Senate. It was one of their allies that had proposed the bill. Leia had been against it, had argued with the Senator in question and pointed out how it would look suspicious, make the Emperor doubt their loyalties and it would never work anyway. Even if the bill passed with a majority in the Senate, the Emperor would just shoot it down and then they’d have his attention focused on them. But the Senator had wanted to do it anyway and Mon Mothma took his side. Leia couldn’t very well betray them by voting against the bill and so together they had pulled their strings and passed the bill.  
She’d fully expected the bill to be vetoed and so, when today she got the message that it had been approved and would be implemented soon, she was dumbfounded.  
   
Mon saw it as a victory of the Rebellion. The Emperor was a recluse, most of the Empire’s management was taken care of by the Senate anyway so that’s where their real fight took place, that’s where they had to win over people.  
   
Leia was not convinced but this victory proved her wrong and she didn’t know what to think anymore.  
   
“Surprised, are you?”, a deep, mechanical voice sounded and Leia’s head shot up. In the doorway to her office stood General Nova.  
   
“General”, she said stiffly, acutely aware of the threats he’d delivered to her the last time they met. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”  
   
“I have a political matter to discuss with you.” He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Leia immediately felt trapped.  
   
“It is usual practice for such matters to be spoken face to face”, she said pointedly, referring to the metal helmet he wore. “Or do you expect an attack with poison gas anytime soon?”  
   
“Well, no”, the Sith Lord said and removed the helmet. He looked at her with cold, yellow eyes and she shuddered. “The mask actually serves the purpose of hiding my youth from those who do not take well to me replacing Vader. But of course, there’s no need for that with you.”  
   
“What did you want?”, she asked curtly.  
   
“I have a message to deliver to Commander Elvoy.”  
   
She blinked at him. “What?”

“I heard he’s taken over the Phoenix Alliance. I want you to tell him that I’m back and that the Empire supports his war against the Cartel. I’m going to send shipments with weapons and troops to Tatooine and other bases soon. The Cartel has been a thorn in our side for too long, it’s time to get rid of it.”  
   
“What are you talking about?”, Leia asked furiously. “The Empire is known to have made deals with the Hutts on a regular basis!”  
   
“Neither the Cartel nor the Alliance have ever declared their independence from the Empire. They are, effectively, just a bunch of distant planets no one cares about. If any Imperials have dealt with the Cartel before, it has been done by corrupt politicians or officers. It is time to root out the organized crime and help the local civilian movements to bring back Imperial order to their home worlds.”  
   
Leia could only gape at his audacity. “The Alliance is fighting against slavery! The Empire is advocating it, they fought each other over Trandosha!”  
   
“For the latter, there is no proof as no prisoners were taken and about the former you may want to reread that bill.” He smiled coldly, glancing to the datapad on her desk.  
   
“You did this!”, she realized. “Somehow, you made the Emperor pass the bill. But… But why?”  
   
“I don’t like slavery.”  
   
“Then why did you join the Empire in the first place!?”  
   
The Sith gave a light shrug. “Well alright, that was a lie. I really don’t care about slavery. But someone else does and the hassle of firing up a war against the Hutts is less than the one I’d have if I lost him as an ally. So, are you going to deliver the message?”  
   
Leia hesitated still, wondering who Nova’s ally was. He couldn’t be talking about Luke, could he? “Why do you want me to do it though?” Nova knew she was with the Rebellion. Offering support to the Alliance was actually a clever move if he wanted to prevent the Alliance and the Rebellion to team up on the Empire. But what incentive would she have to do this when it would only hurt her party?  
   
“If I just sent some Imps to negotiate with Elvoy, he’d shoot them down without listening. You are the only one beside the Emperor who knows my former identity and the only one who can convince Elvoy that my offer for support is genuine.”  
   
“Which it is not, since you don’t actually care”, she shot back.  
   
“I may not care about their cause but I do care that there’s a whole army out there who worships me and would follow my lead if I asked for it, so in that regard, my offer to join forces is genuine”, he replied annoyed.  
   
“I still do not see why I should help you”, Leia said stubbornly.  
   
“You mean, me not revealing your connection to the Rebellion is not enough?”  
   
She wavered a bit, knowing that if he did that, she’d be declared a traitor and most likely sentenced to death.  
   
“Some things are worth standing your ground on, no matter what”, she answered but her voice didn’t sound as strong as she would’ve liked. After all if she was revealed as a Rebel so shortly after her father has been declared a traitor, that would be two rebellious Senators for Alderaan, which did not reflect good on her planet’s loyalty.  
   
“My dear Princess, you have two choices”, Nova said and stepped closer to her. He lightly touched her cheek with one clawed finger, the sharp edge scraping over her skin and just barely not breaking it.  
   
“You can refuse my very simple request, be executed for treason and have the Empire focus on cleansing your planet of any Rebel activity. Or you can go on this very simple diplomatic mission for the Empire and thus draw away the attention of its armies from your friends and onto the organized crime.”  
   
Leia lowered her eyes, unable to look into his anymore. She desperately searched for a way to get out of this. If the Empire did attack Alderaan, they might be able to call in a favor and have the Alliance help them out. Their two forces had to ally in order to have any chance to defeat the Empire.  
   
But that was just it, wasn’t it? If she refused, they would have a small chance of defeating the Empire in gaining a powerful ally but a much larger chance of being wiped out in one big battle that they weren’t ready for yet. If she agreed though, she gave up any chance of winning in the near future, however their survival would be assured… for a time being.  
   
Leia really would like to say she fought to win, not just to survive. But the truth was, her responsibility was to her planet and her people first. Her father had entrusted her with the task to protect them. He could not risk Nova setting out against Alderaan as a personal vendetta against her.  
The only comfort she could find was that essentially, this could be counted as a political victory if the Empire was forced to reform in order to keep their opportunists from being swarmed with new recruits.  
   
“I… I will relay your message”, Leia agreed, feeling terrible.  
   
“Very good. I knew you would come around.”  
   
“What about… What about Luke?”, she asked,  confused that he hadn’t even asked for him. “And… and Juno? Do you want me to tell them anything?”  
   
It was just for a very short moment but Leia thought she saw his cold mask slip for a second.  
   
“Juno is… still around?”  
   
“I don’t know”, she lied, “I haven’t heard from her since Trandosha but I could ask Commander Elvoy to give her a message if she shows up.”  
   
“Tell her...” Nova hesitated. He looked like he was either in pain or concentrating very hard but caught himself a moment later. “Tell her to wait for me. Tell her I’ll come for her.”  
   
Leia narrowed her eyes. What could’ve sounded sweet and loving from any other husband sounded resentful and threatening coming from the Sith. She couldn’t imagine from those words that he cared for Juno or loved her and Leia was glad she hadn’t mentioned where Juno was or anything about the baby. He didn’t deserve to know and when Leia did meet her, she’d make sure to warn her to leave the planet before the Imperial troops arrived.  
   
There was a small twinge of doubt when she remembered how loyal Luke still was to his father even after being raised away from him but she swallowed the thought quickly. It wasn’t like the situation was in any way comparable.  
   
“If that was all, General.”  
   
Her voice must’ve been too cold and rebellious because a moment later Leia once again felt that pressure coming down on her as Nova narrowed his eyes. She gasped and grabbed the edge of her desk, feeling as if she carried the weight of a small hovercar on her shoulders.  
   
“That would be all, Princess”, the Sith Lord said.  
   
The weight didn’t lift until he put his helmet back on, left her office and the sound of his footsteps could no longer be heard.  
   
Leia decided then that she hated that man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: One should think when you're sick and have lots of spare time you could write a litte further but nope... note a very creative time right now.  
> Anyway, so we kind of have a political chapter at hand this time. I though it importat to highlight the growing influence Nova has on the Empire. He is essentially replacing Vader, HOWEVER he has 1) an official position which Vader only got in EP 5, and 2) I want to remind you of the dark ending of FU I in which Sidious told Starkiller that he could've been his successor and a great apprentice but he lost the fight, made a wrong decision and now he's physically weakened in a similiar way that Vader was on Mustafar so now his worth is reduced and he'll always remain just a tool until he's thrown away. Essentially, from this I deduce that Sidious thinks Nova has more potential to be a true Sith Lord than Vader (especially since in this version Vader is further weakened). The only bad injury Nova got in here is his arm after all and Anakin did fine with just one. The cybernetics the Sith Stalker had were a lot more extensive but I did like the look so much that I found an excuse for my Nova to wear the helmet and that combined with his hand makes his very similiar to the Sith Stalker in looks.
> 
> So, please tell me what you think! About Luke 'loosing' the Force? About Sidious knowing about Juno? Nova's decision to take her to him and join Alliance and Empire? Leia's position as forced accomplice? I'm particulary proud of the latter btw since it shows Starkiller's more manipulative side. Let me know what you think, like, really. I'll use your feedback to build a latter that will help me out of my creative misery-hole.


	75. Chapter 75

1BBY, Month 2, Tatooine  
   
Luke rebalanced his weight from one foot to the other as he stood in front of the simple door, hand raised but unable to bring himself to knock. The decision was taken from him when the door swung open on its own account and an elderly voice told him to come in.  
   
The young man took a deep breath and entered the small hut.  
   
“Luke, it’s nice to see you. Take a seat”, the old man said and offered him a chair.  
   
“Hello Master Kenobi”, Luke greeted him back and took a seat.  
   
“Would you like some tea?”  
   
“Yes, please”, he answered, wondering if the old hermit had expected him. He looked around in the small but cozy hut. “I didn’t expect that you’d move in here again.”  
   
The old Obi-Wan Kenobi started to prepare some tea and talked with his back to Luke.  
   
“Well, I was on the run for a while. I actually expected your father to make good on his promise to hunt me down but he’s been so busy being a thorn in the Empire’s side that he hasn’t showed up on this side of the galaxy for a while. I thought it might be safe to return.”  
   
“Yeah”, Luke made sullenly. “Everyone’s been busy.”  
   
The tea was done and Kenobi came over to him with it.  
   
“I’m glad you’re better now at least. I heard you’ve been sick for a while.”  
   
“Yes… That’s kind of what I’m here for”, Luke admitted. “There was a… disturbance in the Force. Did you feel it?”  
   
“Yes”, Kenobi said quietly. “Do you mean the disturbance affected you?”  
   
“Sort of. I don’t know. Have you ever felt anything like that?”  
   
“Once, I think. At the end of the Republic, when… When the Empire ordered the execution of the Jedi. It was as if in a single moment, the balance from light to darkness shifted. The disturbance three months ago was similar and yet different. The galaxy is already shrouded in darkness but if we want to go with the metaphor… for a moment, it became pitch black. Then it was just dark again.”  
   
Luke nodded. “I felt the same way only I think the darkness… It was closer to me. I think it touched me. I was in a coma for two months and when I woke up… I couldn’t feel the Force anymore. I’ve tried meditation and combat and all kinds of triggers but I couldn’t get the connection back.”  
   
“And now you’ve come to me for advice.”  
   
Luke went a little red. “I know what you think. I’m the son of your mortal enemy and I haven’t exactly been friendly to you. But you’re the only Master I have access to and I need your help. Not feeling the Force…. it’s terrible. I never understood how huge a part of my life it was until it wasn’t there anymore. Everyone feels dead to me, like they’re not even there and I’m all jumpy and nervous because I expect these little warnings and signs but they’re not coming. I just… I feel so lost and useless. I promised I’d protect Juno but I can’t do that without the Force.”  
   
Kenobi slowly lifted his cup to his lips and drank some tea.  
   
“You’re wrong about something, Luke”, he said at last. “You’re not the son of my mortal enemy. You’re the son of my best friend. I believe I can help you with your problem but I wonder if you truly understand what this problem is.”  
   
Luke shrugged helplessly.  
   
“What you are experiencing is a mental block. No outside force is stopping you from touching the Force, just your own heart. Something in you doesn’t want to be a part of the Force. You have to find the cause of our inhibition and overcome it.”  
   
“I don’t understand. I want to use the Force. I just can’t.”  
   
“Give me your hand, Luke.”  
   
The young man obeyed and Kenobi closed his eyes as he held Luke’s hand in his.  
   
“I don’t believe your connection is entirely gone, my boy. Such things have happened before. Especially compassionate people would feel the pain of many others dying and they would cut their connection forever in order to no longer endure such pain. What you experienced is of a far smaller scale. You felt pain in a single connection and you cut it off to protect yourself.”  
   
Luke quickly pulled his hand back. “How do you know that?”  
   
“The Force bonds we forge with other people are visible in our own signature. There is a hole where should be a connection to someone else. Would that be the connection to your father?”

“No”, Luke answered hesitantly. “It’s the one to S.K.”  
   
“Of course, your brother. He is still working for the Empire, growing more powerful. It was wise of you to cut that bond before he dragged you down with him.”  
   
“How do I repair it?”

“Repair? You can’t.”  
   
“But it’s the source of me not feeling the Force, isn’t it?”

“No, Luke. A bond so thoroughly destroyed can only be rebuilt from scratch and even then only when one of you changes on such a fundamental level that their very Force signature transforms. I believe that whatever made you cut that connection as well as your fear of that which caused the disturbance is making you afraid of the Force itself. You are strong in the light side, you have followed its guidance for years. Something makes you hesitate in continuing to do so. You have to restore your trust in the Force if you want to recover your connection to it.”  
   
Luke thought about that for a moment.  
   
“I am… maybe a bit afraid”, he admitted. When he first felt that blackness, all his instincts had told him that it was evil and that it had to be destroyed at all cost. But he also thought… He thought that cost would be his brother’s life. S.K. was somehow connected to the disturbance and he had a feeling ‘destroying at all cost’ would mean killing his brother. If that was what the Force demanded of him, he couldn’t do it. If that was the advice, then he couldn’t trust in the guide.  
   
“Fear is holding you back, Luke. You have to overcome it. Don’t let it cloud your judgment when you make a decision.”  
   
“But fear is a good thing”, Luke argued. “It is healthy to be afraid, especially of something so evil. If I’m not afraid, I’d be careless, wouldn’t I? Then I’d just lose all the faster.”  
   
“I can assure you that being afraid makes you much more irrational. And I’m not telling you to forget about your fear or ignore it. You have to rationalize it, to look at the dangers and risks objectively. Acknowledge your fear and move on. That is what being brave means.”  
   
What Luke really was afraid of was fighting S.K. Not because he was afraid he might lose the fight – he was afraid what happened if he won. He was afraid that he might have to kill his brother.  
In his eyes, that was a perfectly rational fear. If S.K. had unleashed the blackness, under Sidious’ influence he might decide to do it again and he might threaten those Luke loved. If it came down to it, if he was forced to decide between protecting Juno and Carus and Leia and even his father, would he fight S.K.? If killing him was the only way to end the threat, would he do it?  
   
“Do you know anything else about the disturbance?”, Luke wanted to know. There was no point in thinking about ‘if’s’ and making a decision now. If he did, he might dismiss an opportunity for an alternate way later.  
   
“I’m afraid I don’t. It was over so quickly and I haven’t heard of any great disasters taking place at the time.”  
   
Luke nodded. “I will think about what you said. But… it’s hard and it will take time. Is there anything else you can do to help me?”  
   
“We can meditate together and see if I can help you to re-familiarize yourself with the Force.”  
   
Luke nodded and the two took matching meditation poses to try and connect their minds.  
   
“This doesn’t mean I’m your Padawan”, Luke muttered before he closed his eyes.  
   
“Of course not”, Obi-Wan agreed with a smile. “I’m far too old to train another Skywalker. You’d give me a heart attack.”  
   
“...thank you.”  
   
“For teasing you?”  
   
“For speaking to me and helping me even after I ignored your pain when my father held you prisoner.”  
   
Something wet was glinting at the corner of Obi-Wan’s closed eye – the other being covered by an old eye patch.  
   
“You’re welcome, Luke.”

 

XxX

Two weeks later

It was the first full Council meeting the Phoenix Alliance held since they conquered the volcanic planet Shola and its mining facilities. Even so, ‘full’ meetings still normally had two or three members being only present as a hologram but this time they were all meeting in person on Tatooine.  
   
Kazgul, who had made great progress in unifying the Tusken tribes, had occasionally taken over ground assault or gone on missions that needed some aggressive negotiations but he still returned to Tatooine whenever possible.  
   
Tirri had worked tirelessly to build up a reliable merchant network using his many connections to various Jawa groups on less hospitable planets but he rarely ever left Tatooine and instead sent messengers and spoke over the holonet.  
   
Commander Elvoy, head of all military operations and leader in most of their space battles had returned to Tatooine specifically for this meeting after ensuring that their latest conquest was secured.  
   
Han Solo, officially head of communication, was really working on recruiting spies in the ranks of the Hutts and smuggling slaves out of facilities the Alliance wanted to raze to the ground. He’d been lucky to be on Tatooine to deliver a ship full of newly Freed-Ones when the message arrived.  
   
Luke Skywalker, officially called head diplomat, had just returned from a meditation exercise at old Ben’s when he’d been called to the Council and though he didn’t like sitting in on them normally, Elvoy’s call had sounded urgent.  
   
Lastly, Galen was of course absent but Juno had taken her husband’s place, leaving little Carus with her friend Brianna.  
   
“Alright, now that we’re all here”, Han Solo said, ignoring the fact that he’d been last to arrive, “why doesn’t someone tell me what this is about?”  
   
“A couple of hours ago”, Elvoy began, “I got a message that I thought you should all know about. It’s from Lord Nova, head of the Galactic Security Force.”  
   
“That new Vader-wannabe?”, Han scoffed.  
   
“What does the Empire want?”, Kazgul asked.  
   
“They want to support our war against the Hutts and send troops to strengthen our defense lines.”  
   
Juno stood up angrily. “What’s that supposed to mean!? We won’t surrender to the Empire!”  
   
“Kazuluga wari na tasha”, Tirri said.  
   
“What was that? I can’t understand the gnome”, Han complained.  
   
“He said the Empire offers support, it’s not a declaration of war”, Luke translated. “But Juno is right. I’ve been waiting for the Empire to attack us ever since Trandosha. We did try to kill their Emperor after all.”  
   
“They want us to surrender before we’ve even started a fight”, Han said with a nod. “We haven’t declared war on them officially, Trandosha could be blamed on the Rebellion. We could let their troops in, play nice to the Empire and not get on their radar.”  
   
“Yes and then they will pretend to fight with us for some time until slowly corruption starts spreading again and they will make deals with the Hutts for money and betray us. Nothing will change and our war will have been for nothing. We cannot allow that to happen!”, Kazgul protested.  
   
“They have to know that too. So it’s a warning”, Luke concluded. “We reject and the next thing they do, they send an army to fight us.”  
   
“We could ask the Rebellion for help”, Juno suggested hesitantly.  
   
“Ta wafa ma kuna is latani.”  
   
“The gnome is right, that didn’t work out so good the last time”, Elvoy scoffed. “But there is something else. The message was encrypted, sent with a messenger who had no idea of anything. Someone wanted to make sure its contents didn’t get out in the open and that’s because there was another piece of information with it.”  
   
“Now don’t get us all excited”, Han complained. “What did it say?”

“It said that this Lord Nova, working for the Empire… is actually Galen Marek, the Chainbreaker.” He gave a small glance to Juno, who sat down very slowly with her eyes wide.  
   
“Galen… S.K. is Lord Nova?”, Luke repeated. He blanched and the people closest to him couldn’t help but notice the shadow of fear in his eyes.  
   
“How reliable is this information?”, Kazgul wanted to know.  
   
“It was sent by Senator Organa. She wrote that she witnessed proof of it herself and that he  
 held her involvement with the Rebellion against her to make sure the information reached us.”  
   
“I thought he died at Trandosha”, Han said.  
   
Luke shook his head. “No, I always knew he was still alive. I felt it. Well… I did before. If the Emperor didn’t kill him at Trandosha, he still needed him for something. Guess we know now what that was.”  
   
“He needed a new apprentice”, Juno whispered.  
   
“The senator warns us that it’s a trap and that Nova will use or betray us but she is with the Rebellion and as such biased”, Elvoy continued. “Normally I would agree with you that surrender is not an option but if it is true and Nova is the Chainbreaker, that changes everything.”  
   
“The Chainbreaker cares that the Hutts are slavers. If he can use his resources as the Emperor’s right hand to help our cause, he will not turn back on it in the middle”, Kazgul mused. “His offer could be genuine after all.”  
   
“Ta Lempire katona we tu sacha emitti atuna Hutts”, Tirri said, thereby pointing out that the Empire’s troops would be a great help in the Cartel war.  
   
“I always thought that after we’re done with the Hutts and secured the Outer Rim, we’d be independent. If we just go back under Imperial rule, then how can we be sure things will change?”, Luke said. “Even if you’re right and S.K. really wants to continue to fight with us, his influence over the Emperor is limited. In fact, if we don’t give control over to the Imps completely, I’m pretty sure the Empire will just override everything S.K. said and do as they like.”  
   
“But we’re just the Outer Rim”, Juno tried hesitantly. “The Empire was never interested in these planets and for good reason. They can’t position troops everywhere either because they need those for the Rebellion. Galen wants to help us, he found a way to make sure the Empire won’t threaten us and even sends help against the Hutts.”  
   
“Woah lady, a minute ago you were against the idea of surrender!”, Han protested.  
   
“That was before I knew it was my husband! He must’ve made some kind of deal with the Emperor, like serving him in exchange for helping us against the Cartel. He… He hasn’t forgotten about us after all.”  
   
“But Juno”, Luke said slowly, “if S.K. is a Sith apprentice, Sidious won’t play nice with him for long. What if this is all just a plot to get to you, Carus, and me? The Emperor still wants to kill my father but can’t catch him, he will want me as a hostage and if he has you and Carus, that will make it impossible for S.K. to ever escape his grasp.”  
   
“The Emperor can’t want the Outer Rim to become independent, he’ll want it under his control. I don’t have a problem with that as long as that control is being wrought by the Chainbreaker”, Elvoy declared. “But then we have to make sure the Chainbreaker really is able to act under his own will and if this is all some crazy manipulation game that ends with you lot in a golden cage to be threatened every time we want to change something then our hero would just be another puppet. We can’t let that happen but I also think we owe it to him to check and make sure.”  
   
“If we let the troops in, it will be too late”, Kazgul growled. “They could capture the woman and all would be lost.”  
   
“Then we leave”, Luke offered. “I take Juno and-”

“No”, Juno protested. “I will meet my husband myself.”  
   
“But-”

“You don’t get to decide that, Luke. Galen is alive and he’s coming for me.”  
   
“You don’t even know that. He’s been with the Emperor for months now. He… he changes people, Juno. I mean, he didn’t even mention you in the message-”  
   
“Actually, he did”, Elovy countered, looking uncomfortable. “Apparently, Mrs. Marek is to wait for him here.”  
   
“See!”, Juno exclaimed. “He hasn’t forgotten about us. Whatever the Emperor has done to him, I’m sure I can bring him back. He loves me, I know he does and… and he will want to be with Carus, of course. If we ran, don’t you think it would just make him angry and drive him further to the Emperor?”  
   
“What is it with you Force users, thinking the entire galaxy is a playing field for your stupid schemes and romances and machinations?”, Han called out annoyed. “This is a decision that will affect the lives of several dozen planets and countless of beings and everything should depend on whether or not your husband loves you?!”

“The Old Republic changing into an Empire was because my father loved my mother so… does this really surprise you?”, Luke countered.  
   
“I think it’s time we put the matter to a vote”, Kazgul decided.  
   
“Alright then”, Elvoy agreed “Everyone in favor of admitting the Empire’s troops raise their hands.”

Juno’s hand shot up first, followed by Elvoy.  
   
“Everyone in favor of refusing the offer, raise your hand now.”  
   
Both Luke and Kazgul raised their hands. Tirri was stubbornly abstaining and Han was still undecided.  
   
“Look… I hope you get that all cleared up and get your friend back and stuff”, he said to Juno and Luke, “but as I see it, we either get beaten into the ground by the Empire once we’re weakened after defeating the Cartel on our own or we exchange Hutt slavers for Imperial slavers. None of those are great options so we have to go with our greatest survival chances. I vote for the Empire.”  
   
Kazgul jumped up. “You are a coward! When the Empire starts treating my people like they did the Wookies, you can just switch sides and make deals with the corrupt Imperials, the same that have dealt with the Hutts in the past. You don’t care at all about the Tusken or the Freed Ones and what will become of them!”  
   
Han now stood as well and drew his blaster. “Listen here, metal-face! I’m a member of this stupid council and I’m representing the smuggler and undercover agents that have been helping you against the Hutts. Of course I will vote in a way that will protect my faction, that’s what I’m bloody well here for!”  
   
“Enough!”, Luke called out and stood between the two. “Han is right, we are all here as representatives and we have to make our votes the way we think our faction would want us to. We have to accept that, even if we don’t like it.”  
   
Tirri started to speak quickly, reminding them that if they went strictly by the law by which their Alliance had been forged, the Chainbreaker as their founder had the right to veto all of their decisions anyway.  
   
“The vote has been called”, Elvoy said loudly. “I will let the Empire know that we’ll welcome their help but only if negotiations are being led by the Chainbreaker.”  
   
XxX

Several hours later, Tatooine Homestead  
   
It was in the middle of the night but the crying wouldn’t stop. Luke stood next to the crib and looked down on the infant, whimpering and wailing.  
   
It would be easy. He could take Carus and soothe him till he was asleep again. The baby knew him, trusted him and wouldn’t make a fuss. He could leave the Homestead with it before anyone knew what had happened.  
   
Obi-Wan was already waiting for him outside. They had agreed to meet at midnight and Luke had all his things packed. Tomorrow the orbit over Tatooine was expected to be swarmed with Imperials and there would be no getaway, not for Luke who’s name had been put on Starkiller’s to-kill-list by the Emperor since the day he’d been sent after him two years ago and certainly not for the old Jedi General.  
   
If the Phoenix Alliance made a deal with the Empire, they had to go and this… this was Luke’s chance to take the son of his best friend with him.  
   
Juno wouldn’t allow it of course. She had made that clear at the meeting, she wanted to give Starkiller another chance. Luke desperately wanted to do that too but while he had no problem putting his life on the line for it, it was a whole different matter with Carus. If Starkiller were to hurt him or raise him a Sith and give him as terrible a childhood as he’d suffered under Vader then Luke would never forgive himself.  
   
Slowly Luke reached down and picked up the infant. The baby continued to cry but Luke rocked him a bit and hummed a soothing tone. He caressed the little one’s cheek and smiled when Carus grabbed his finger and stuck it in his mouth.  
   
Over the last two weeks he had continued his lessons with Obi-Wan. Luke was now able to feel the baby in the Force, though he still couldn’t do much else. It’s bright and pure presence was a joy to him and he’d hate to see it corrupted.  
   
But could he really take away the baby from its family? The way Obi-Wan had taken him from his? The old Jedi had thought his father a monster, an unredeemable Sith and yet he’d been a good father to him. What’s more, he’d even given up his position and much of his power to protect his brother and him. If anyone would succeed in bringing Starkiller back, surely it would be his family.  
Luke pressed the baby to his chest, thoughts of what if’s plaguing him. What if Starkiller lost his temper around the little one? He was so small, so vulnerable. What if the Emperor decided to hurt them to punish Starkiller? What if Juno one day decided she didn’t want to be with his brother anymore? Would Starkiller just let her go?  
   
So what if Carus might grow up to be the light of his father? So what if the baby’s influence had the best chances of breaking through whatever shadow had possessed him? It wasn’t fair to put that kind of responsibility on a child. It deserved to grow up in peace and happiness, not in guilt of whoever his father decided to kill.  
   
“Luke?”  
   
Luke whirled around. In the doorway stood Juno, only wearing a bathrobe over her sleeping clothes and rubbing her eyes tiredly.  
   
“Oh, good, you calmed him down already. I swear I haven’t had more then four hours sleep at piece during the last few months. Does he need changing?”  
   
“No”, Luke answered. His mouth was so dry. “No, I think he just dreamed badly.”  
   
“Oh, my Honey”, Juno cooed and took the baby from him, rocking it gently and tickling its chin. “Everything’s alright now, mommy is here...”  
   
Luke stepped back, feeling disgusted with himself. There was a very important difference between him and Carus in that the little one still had his mother. Whatever reasons there might be for keeping him away from his father, the same excuses couldn’t count for his mother.  
   
“You… You’ll take good care of him. You’ll be a great mother”, he choked up.  
   
“Luke?”, she asked confused. “What’s the matter?”

“I… I won’t be there to help you with him any longer. But I’m sure you’ll do fine.” He glanced at the door. “I’ll be leaving tonight, Juno. The Emperor wanted me dead before and I don’t want to risk making a scene.”  
   
“Oh”, she made. “Of course… I understand.” Then her eyes narrowed. “You weren’t going to leave without saying goodbye though, were you?”  
   
“Well… It was kind of spontaneous.”  
   
“Where do you want to go?”  
   
“Don’t know yet”, he said, unable to look at her.  
   
She smiled and gave him half a hug, one arm still holding Carus.  
   
“I wish you the best luck then. Is there anything you want me to tell him?”  
   
“Tell him that I love him… and that he shouldn’t ever do it again.”

“It?”

“He’ll know what I mean.”  
   
Luke caressed the baby’s head one last time, then he turned away. He tried telling himself that he was not breaking his vow to his brother. He had promised to protect his family in his absence. Now that Starkiller was back… His job was done. At least for the time being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I'm back from my creative hole and climping upwards. We have another big bang ahead of us that will change the course of this fanfiction. You just have to wait for another few chapters XD
> 
> Let's see if I can't update a bit more regulary from now on.


	76. Chapter 76

Starkiller sighed as he watched the troopers bring in the woman. Honestly, he couldn’t see why Galen was so crazy for her. She was too athletic for his tastes, her hair was a boring, straw-like blonde and the very nice curves he knew she had were hidden under the long flowing tunic she wore to protect herself against the sun.

 

Starkiller waited for a moment but no comment came forth from his other self, no protest against his less than flattering thoughts.

 

‘What’s the matter, have you lost your tongue?’, he asked but still no answer. Only when he bothered to concentrate deeper on the emotions bottled up deep inside – always easier to read then the other’s actual thoughts – did he realize that Galen was mostly paying attention to the blanket covered basket Juno was carrying.

 

‘Is that… Do you think that could be…?’

 

Galen sounded so hopeful, so vulnerable it made Starkiller gag.

 

‘Unless our woman has suddenly become Force-sensitive, I believe it is, yeah.’

 

‘My child...’

 

‘Our child.’

 

A fresh burst of fury. ‘It’s not yours!’

 

‘I beg to differ. Let’s go and say hello, shall we?’

 

Starkiller prepared to jump over the railing of the walkway and down to the level below but Galen held him back.

 

‘Have you forgotten our deal? This is where you go to sleep.’

 

Starkiller growled, having hoped the other would forget about that. ‘Fine, have it your way.’

There was no way he was going to sleep if he didn’t have to, seeing as there was little chance that Galen would wake him up by himself but he would retreat for the moment and keep his quiet.

 

As soon as the change was complete, Galen swung over the railing, startling the troopers as well as Juno who shielded the basket with her body protectively.

 

“Lord Nova”, they greeted him with a salute.

 

Juno’s eyes widened and she raked her eyes over his form, from the metal helmet to his bare shoulders, his clawed hand and down to his steel enforced boots. He could practically smell her fear and uncertainty but she did not step back.

 

“Juno...”, Galen whispered, sounding so pathetic in Starkiller’s ears he almost gagged.

 

Galen reached out for her as if to touch Juno, remembered his clawed hand at the last moment and drew back, gathering himself.

 

Starkiller rolled his eyes mentally but kept his promise and didn’t comment.

 

“Galen?”, she whispered, watching him uncertainly.

 

The Sith Lord straightened his shoulders and commanded the troopers to leave them.

 

“Please, come with me. We need to talk”, he said to his wife and she followed him quietly.

Because Galen had been so anxious to see his family he’d made Starkiller wait for them at the hangar bay of the Star Destroyer that took him to Tatooine for almost four hours before they’d been scheduled to arrive. He had to wait another fifteen minutes till they reached his quarters. Fifteen long minutes of awkward silence in which Starkiller reconsidered; maybe it was good that he’d promised not to take part in this. This was Galen’s territory and he didn’t fancy suffering from headaches for the next week if Galen fucked it up and found an excuse to blame it on him.

 

“You’re looking good”, Galen said quietly while they were alone, riding a turbolift.

 

“I’m doing alright… all things considered”, Juno replied, not looking at him.

 

“That’s good. Good.” Galen gnawed his teeth, clenching and unclenching his fists in an attempt to keep him from making any wrong move. He had so many questions but the words died in his mouth. He wanted to take that basket she was holding and pull back the blanket to lay eyes on his child for the first time but feared she’d take it the wrong way.

 

At last they reached his quarters where he offered her a chair, took off his helmet and just looked at her awkwardly for a few moments.

 

“Can I…?”, he asked, motioning to the basket.

 

She gave him a small smile. “I thought you’d never ask”, she said and moved the blanket aside.

“His name his Carus. You can hold him but make sure to support his head.”

 

And suddenly he hesitated again because there was no way he could hold his son – he had a son! - in those monstrous claws.

 

Juno saw his predicament and her eyes softened a bit.

 

“Here, let me help you.”

 

She showed how to hold his left arm so she could put the baby in with its head resting in the crook of his arm. He didn’t move his right arm from his side and in that moment he hated it with all his might because he wanted to caress that little face and see his little fingers wrap around his but didn’t dare to.

 

Little Carus looked up at him and made a funny gurgling noise and Galen felt a warmth spread in him that painted the first truly happy smile on his face in what felt like ages.

 

“He’s wonderful”, he whispered.

 

“Of course he is. I made him”, Juno replied, trying to lighten the mood further.

 

Galen sat down next to her and tried rocking the child a bit but quickly felt unsure in his one-handed grip of him and stopped. He was torn between never letting go of that beautiful treasure he’d almost destroyed once and setting him down and getting away from him so he couldn’t accidentally hurt him.

 

The Sith Lord looked up to Juno again. He felt so not ready to talk to her.

 

“You… have questions, I suppose”, he said at last. Maybe if she started it would be easier for him to sort out his thoughts.

 

“Yes… Galen. I have to know. Why did you stay behind on Trandosha?”

 

Galen bowed his head in shame. Now that he held his son in his arm he was all the more aware that he had abandoned his family that day. He should’ve been there when Carus was born, he should’ve been there during Juno’s pregnancy.

 

“There were… a number of reasons”, he began, looking down at Carus so he wouldn’t see her judging gaze.

 

“I confronted the Emperor fully intending to kill him but he turned out to be far stronger than expected. Also he showed me a live hologram. He’d been holding my mother captive ever since we escaped the Devastator. He let me watch as he tortured her and offered to let her go when I joined him.” He pulled himself together and looked Juno in the face.

 

“Back on Tatooine I was so sure of what I was doing. The Freed Ones, the Alliance, us, everything. I thought I could build up my own side. Free of hypocrites and false heroes and free of traitors. Then you came to rescue me and you were working with a Jedi and with Vader and suddenly I wasn’t so sure anymore. Those people are my worst enemies, how could you and Luke work with them? How could you expect me to do the same?”

 

“Neither the Jedi nor Vader are your worst enemy. That’s the Emperor”, Juno said.

 

“Is he? I was brought up to hate him just like I was brought up to hate the Jedi but I trusted Vader and he betrayed and almost killed me not once but twice! Accepting his help that day would’ve meant I forgave him and I couldn’t do that. I just couldn’t. Then after you all left it was joining the Empire or die. I chose to live and find a way to save my mother. The Emperor kept his word. She’s with me now. She’s safe. And so will you and Carus be.”

 

“You want us to come with you?”

 

“Of course I do.”

 

“Galen, do you really believe that you can keep us safe? The Emperor is only using you. He won’t have second thoughts about harming us to get you to follow his commands.”

 

“Nothing will happen to you! I will protect you.”

 

“How? By taking Vader’s place? By becoming the monster he wants you to be?”

 

“No matter what he makes me do, he can’t change who I am or how I feel about you.”

 

Juno dropped her eyes. “Galen, I love you. I really do but I am a mother now and Carus’ safety has to come first. Can you look at me and tell me that our son will be safe with you if you stay with the Empire?”

 

Galen scowled, not liking where this was going.

 

If it really came down to it, he knew he could fight Starkiller and leave the Empire but he feared the consequences of that. If he enforced his will over his other self like that, Starkiller would find a way to make him pay and Galen’s weakness was painfully obvious to him. Starkiller might not be able to hurt his family himself but Galen was not in charge all the time. He wasn’t even aware of what the other one was doing sometimes and it would be easy for him to slip information about his family to the Empire that, if they were on the run, could end up killing them. Without his family giving him strength, Galen wouldn’t be able to fight Starkiller.

 

That’s why leaving the Empire was not an option for him.

 

“I thought about that myself. There are… circumstances that bind me to the Empire. I might be able to overcome them but that would put you in greater danger than if we just stayed. I have always been a Sith, Juno. I have always been a weapon but I’m a sharp tool, not a loose cannon. I’m a warrior, not a monster. I fight against the enemies of the Emperor, which includes the Hutt Cartel as well as Vader and his traitors. There’s nothing wrong about that and I have no reason to hesitate or mess up or do anything to make the Emperor punish me through you. So yes, when the alternative is forever running from the Empire or fighting a lost war against it, you are way safer with me when I’m with the Empire.”

 

“Of course there’s nothing wrong with fighting the Cartel and I can understand why you’d want to fight Vader as well. But the Empire has other enemies. What about the Rebellion? What about Luke? He’s made friends with the Jedi.”

 

“Well, he’s a bloody idiot then.”

 

“Galen...”

 

Galen sighed. “Fine. I can’t just ignore those terrorists, Juno, I can’t. If it’s my call, I’m always gonna try to fight at another front but I admit there is a chance I get a direct order to fight the Rebellion or hunt down a Jedi and for the peace of the Empire, I will have to do it. The Empire is in enough danger as it is, a strong Rebellion could push it to outright civil war. Is that a galaxy you’d want our son to grow up in?”

 

“No, of course not...”

 

“Then trust me in this.”

 

“I do. But still… If you’re fighting against Jedi and Vader and everyone, you might not always complete your mission. If the Emperor is displeased with you and sends someone...”

 

“You don’t have to worry about that. Remember that few know of the Emperor’s true power. The people working for me in my new home are far more afraid of me than they are of him and they won’t let anyone come near you. Besides, whenever I’m not around I’ll have my mother there to protect you. She’s been helping me out a lot and she’s powerful enough to take on any enemy long enough for the two of you to flee. See, everything is taken care of.”

 

“If that’s what you think...”

 

“Everything will be alright. I will take care of you and Carus, I promise.”

 

Galen stood and put Carus back in the basket. Then he came over to Juno and she allowed him to kiss her gently though she was still a bit stiff.

 

“I love you, Juno. I love our baby. Whatever happens, never doubt that.”

 

“Alright”, she said with a little sigh. “I trust you. Carus and I will come with you.”

 

XxX

 

Luke was working the control console in front of him, pulling out information about the small freighter he was piloting. The Alliance couldn’t spare many ships but it did serve to be on the Council and so Luke had gotten his own ship and taken off from Tatooine the same night after the meeting that decided that they’d be receiving help from the Empire.

 

Right now the ship was in hyperspace but they’d exit it soon. Luke threw a look behind him into the corridor. In the small room to the right, Obi-Wan was asleep. Luke had offered to manage the flying for the first couple of hours. They intended to exit and re-enter hyperspace at least three times to make absolutely sure they couldn’t be tracked. This would be their first stop. Obi-Wan had said that he’d only tell him their final destination after their second, so he still had to kill some time.

 

The stars in front of him rapidly came into view. Luke went through the motions mechanically, selected a random system and let the computer calculate the optimal coordinates. When it was time to confirm his input however, he hesitated, then looked back to the corridor again. There was no noise indicating Obi-Wan was awake. They had started off in the middle of the night and he was an old man so he’d probably be out for quite some time. This might be the only chance he got to use the freighter’s long-range transmitters without being supervised for some time.

 

Luke bit his lips in contemplation. He knew what it would look like but he really, really had to contact his father. His connection to the Force was not strong enough yet to reach out to him through their bond but he knew how to contact the Devastator. If it was still Vader’s flag ship, that is. He had to warn his father that the Alliance was joining the Empire. He knew that Elvoy had dealt with the Rogues before, lending crafts and sometimes taking in injured people, stuff like that. It was all very secret so as to not draw attention but Luke was sure if the Empire found out (and they would) they might force Elvoy to do something to lure out the Rogues and into a trap. He had to warn his father but if Obi-Wan found out he used the transmitter to send a message to Vader, he might believe that he gave away something about the Jedi and feel betrayed. Of course Luke should tell his father about the Jedi, especially since it was Obi-Wan but… his father hadn’t wanted him to accompany him and without his guidance, the Jedi were the only ones who could help him reconnect with the Force. The old man had only ever helped him, he couldn’t sell him to his father even knowing what Obi-Wan had done to him. Regardless of how he decided, he would betray someone…

 

Luke sighed and activated the transmitter. He’d checked it over before, making sure the line was secure and he was lucky, his identification code was accepted and the messenger on the other side put him through without question.

 

A small blue figure of Darth Vader appeared on the holo pad and Luke’s heart sang and hurt at the same time at the sight of him.

 

“Hi Dad”, he whispered, feeling tears choking him up. They hadn’t seen each other for so long, hadn’t spoken a word in months and the last time they had met, they’d had a bad argument.

 

Luke almost never called Vader ‘Dad’ except a few times when he was very young, just ‘father’. But in that moment it just slipped out and Luke cursed himself for feeling like a little boy even though he was already 18 years old.

 

“Luke”, Vader answered in his deep baritone that had always been so calming to him. “What is the matter? Why are you calling?”

 

Luke opened his mouth but nothing came out. He’d prepared the words, how he’d tell him about Starkiller’s return, that he was really Lord Nova and now wanted to have the Alliance back… but the words died in his throat. Suddenly he was just feeling angry and disappointed. This was the first time Luke had made contact with his father in four months, two of which he’d been in coma and his father couldn’t even manage a small greeting, no ‘Hello, how are you?’, he went just straight to business. As if he was just some annoyance.

 

“Do I need a reason?”, Luke snapped, furiously blinking away the tears that wanted to spill. “Can’t I just call you because you’re my father?”

 

Vader was silent for a few moments after Luke’s outburst. Then he asked in his mechanical, unemotional voice: “Luke, why are you upset?”

 

“I’m not upset!”, Luke snapped back.

 

“Are you in danger?”

 

“No!”

 

“Then why are you-”

 

“Oh forget about it!” Luke leaned over to end the call but Vader stopped him.

 

“No, son, wait. Tell me what is wrong… please.”

 

Luke hesitated, feeling stupid. Finally he said resigned:

 

“Apparently S.K. is calling himself Lord Nova now and is working as the Emperor’s right hand. He’s also opened negotiations with Commander Elvoy and the Phoenix Alliance. He wants to lend support and troops against the Cartel and reinforce Imperial control on our conquered planets. Once the Cartel is done for, it’s a fifty-fifty chance who he sends them after next, you or the Rebellion. I just thought I should give you a heads up. Oh, and it’s a boy, in case you were wondering.”

 

“What?”

 

“Juno’s baby. It’s a boy, his name is Carus. Juno decided to take him with her when she meets S.K.”

 

“That...might or might not be a terrible idea but I’m still wondering why you had to tell me this via holo. It is much more secure to use the bond.”

 

And that’s when Luke belatedly realized that it was entirely possible his father had tried to contact him via the bond but since Luke couldn’t answer, he’d thought he was being blocked.

 

“I can’t use the bond, father. I… I can’t use the Force at all.”

 

Again Vader was silent for several long moments. “What do you mean by that?”

 

“Just that. I haven’t been able to use the Force ever since I woke up from the coma.”

 

“You were in a coma!?”

 

Luke gaped at him. “What? You didn’t know?” For some reason, that hurt. “Well, maybe you would’ve known if you’d tried to contact me or cared how I was!”

 

He could see the small figure of his father clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly, a sure sign that he was fuming in anger.

 

“How was I supposed to know!? I minimized contact to you for your own protection, Luke, you know that! When you started blocking me… I thought you were still angry because I said you couldn’t come with me. I gave you time to come along. How the kriffing hell did you fall into a coma!?”

 

Luke wondered if maybe fathers had some kind of super power to make you feel stupid.

 

“Well… you remember that terrible disturbance in the Force a few months ago? It kind of hit me hard. I only woke up a few weeks ago.”

 

“And now you can’t use the Force?”

 

“No. In the beginning I couldn’t even feel it but that is slowly coming back. I think I might just need some time to… relearn things, overcome some kind of block.”

 

“Do not take this lightly, son. Such things can take time.” He looked at something to his side. “It will be difficult but I can make it work. Where are you now, Luke?”

 

“Why?”

 

“You’re coming to me. I will show you how to reconnect with the Force.”

 

Luke scowled even as a part of him sang with joy. “But… You said you didn’t want me with you.”

 

“I never said I didn’t want you with me, Luke, that’s… That couldn’t be farther from it. I am fighting the Empire at the first front and that is dangerous, son, I don’t want you exposed to that. But if this disturbance could send you into a coma for two months on a planet as remote as Tatooine then there’s little need for you to hide there, especially if you’re powerless. You will be safer at my side.”

 

That… was not quite what Luke had hoped to hear. His father didn’t want him because he was useful or strong but because he was weak and needed babysitting…. But at least he did want him.

At Luke’s silence, Vader continued:

 

“Luke, I am sorry that I was so harsh before. When you called me over this line, I thought you had an emergency that required quick action. Our bond is still strong so I knew you were physically fine but I should’ve made sure you were alright long before now. Please tell me where you are so I can come and get you.”

 

Luke hesitated still. He wanted to go with his father, he really did. He missed him so much and it would certainly be preferable to being stuck with a bunch of old Jedi. The problem was that he still had the old Jedi on board and he really didn’t fancy explaining that to his father.

 

“I… I can meet you on Aztubek in a couple of hours. Have to stop there anyway to re-supply.” It was the closest planet he could get to from his current position. It would just take a very small jump. He would explain to Obi-Wan that he’d changed his mind and that he wouldn’t be coming with him for any more Jedi training. Obi-Wan could have the freighter and take it whether he wanted without having to be afraid that Luke would tell anyone where the Jedi were hiding since he hadn’t been told the location yet. Once he met his father, he’d just tell him that he came with a one-man fighter that he sold in order to erase any traces of him being here. That way, none of them would feel betrayed for him having talked to the other. Perfect solution.

 

Vader and Luke agreed on a meeting time and location after which Luke ended the call and stood. He would have to tell Obi-Wan that they’d make an unscheduled stop.

 

He went down the corridor and entered Obi-Wan’s room. The door was open a crack so he didn’t knock and instead went in while calling the old man’s name.

 

The Jedi sat up in his cot sleepily.

 

“What is it, Luke?”

 

“I’m sorry to disturb you. It’s just, I did some thinking and I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to continue traveling with you.”

 

Obi-Wan looked very grave, which promptly made Luke feel uncomfortable.

 

“And what pray tell led you to that change of mind?”

 

He sighed. “It’s just… everything. The whole deal that went on between you and my father, I don’t feel comfortable with it. I know you helped me and I’m grateful for that but… I don’t know, everything good I have seems to be ruined by something Force-related and I just don’t think learning how to use it the Jedi way will make things better. I’m sorry. I set the ship’s coordinates for the nearest planet, which is Aztubek. I’ll leave you there and you can take the freighter to your friends.”

 

“What will you be doing?”

 

“I’ll make my own way. Don’t worry about me.”

 

Obi-Wan looked at him for a long time with piercing eyes.

 

“Is that your final decision?”

 

“It is.”

 

“You’re making a mistake, Luke. You could be great as a Jedi. You could help many people and make the galaxy a better place.”

 

“I’m sorry but… I’m not a hero. I don’t want to make the galaxy a better place. I just want to find some happiness”, Luke told him, wondering if he sounded as tired as he felt.

 

“It seems then that my judgment of you has been flawed. I’m sorry too, Luke.” Obi-Wan grabbed his outer robe and came over to him.

 

“You can take the cot. Rest up for bit, I will manage the landing.”

 

Luke’s shoulders sagged a bit in relief, he’d feared a lengthy discussion.

 

“You sure? I don’t mind staying up a bit longer.”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

“Okay then, the coordinates are in the navi.”

 

Luke lay down on the cot and closed his eyes, allowing exhaustion to catch up to him. There was a brief moment when he remembered the door to the crew-quarters being a crack open when he entered – hadn’t it been closed the last time he checked? - before he felt Obi-Wan’s hand on his forehead soothingly and everything around him abruptly turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you recognized how awesome the irony was at that moment when Luke was about to take Carus. Also the mottled crew I threw together for the PA council should represent how young the organization and inexperienced yet they do their best.
> 
> I wondered for a long time if Ishould let Luke go with Vader or Obi-Wan and I had to wonder this long because that character is torn himself, which is great because that's exaclty what I wanted for him. He is pro Empire but contra Emperor, he is pro light side but used to be contra Jedi, he's at a point where he knows that it's never black and white, good and evil and he's torn which side to join because there are so many!


	77. Chapter 77

Obi-Wan pulled his hood deeper when he passed a group of Stormtroopers. None of them looked in his direction and he managed to sneak by unseen.

He’d heard that Vader and his recruits hadn’t changed a thing about their uniforms and were still boldly marching into Imperial facilities as if they belonged there with codes they had to steal anew every other week. On most planets people were used to the Empire doing whatever they wanted including randomly raising military presence. He could already sense Vader’s presence nearby so the chances were fifty-fifty that these troopers were local military of Aztubek or Vader’s minions. Unlike the Rebellion, Death Squadron was hiding in the very midst of the Empire, like trees concealing themselves in a forest.

 

Obi-Wan had no doubt the Sith Lord had sensed him as well yet he did not move from his position.

The Jedi’s heart still hurt at the thought of Luke betraying him like that. He’d woken in the middle of the night from a quiet conversation and only caught the end of it, but that was enough. Luke planned to meet the Sith Lord here. He’d almost expected the ship to be stormed the moment they landed. If Luke wanted to join his father, what better way to show his loyalty and determination than to present him his worst enemy on a silver platter? It was so selfish, so egoistic, Obi-Wan was truly disappointed in the boy. Disappointed and hurt. He’d thought he’d steeled his heart against betrayal. Apparently he was wrong.

 

The old Jedi reached the northern section of the spaceport, which had been locked down. A simple Force suggestion let him pass the guards though and he entered the wide open space where a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle waited. Darth Vader was waiting next to it and Obi-Wan took one last deep breath.

 

This had to end now. Even though Vader was no longer working with the Emperor, he was still a Sith Lord. He was even still hunting down Force-sensitives, even though now they were being taught at Imperial academies. No doubt he was making sure the Emperor wouldn’t have too much of a selection of new apprentices once he killed this new Darth Nova and prepared to take the throne. Nothing had changed. He’d thought that for one brilliant moment after Trandosha, he’d thought there was still hope for Anakin. But Anakin was long dead.

 

When Obi-Wan lowered his hood and faced his former student, Vader turned towards him without surprise. He drew his lightsaber almost lazily, activating the humming red blade.

 

“Where is Luke?”, he asked then and Obi-Wan admitted to being surprised.

 

“He won’t come”, he said calmly, drawing his own weapon.

 

“What have you done to him?”, the Sith continued and the dark side began to rise around him.

Obi-Wan thought very fast. He knew a fight between them would be very hard, he would need every advantage he could get to defeat his enemy. The Sith’s greatest weakness had always been their temper and resulting recklessness, so if he could rile him up enough…

 

“I have done nothing. Luke simply realized what a monster you are. He is my Padawan now and helped me to lure you here.”

 

His words got an instant reaction. Before Obi-Wan had even finished the last sentence, Vader already exploded in motion and a second later they crossed weapons.

 

“You’re lying!”, Vader roared and Obi-Wan was so painfully reminded of a time long past. He’d always had a knack of getting under Anakin’s skin.

 

“Did you… really expect him to…. want to return to you?”, he asked, fighting for every word as Vader pressed against him with his superior strength.

 

“You have no idea what a connection I have to my son – one I never had with you!” With one mighty push Obi-Wan was thrown backwards but he caught himself quickly. With the long experience of a seasoned war veteran he drew onto the Force to regain his balance, banished the pain of his protesting muscles and steeled himself against the next attack. He knew the way Anakin – no, Vader! - fought and it was quick, powerful and deadly but that also led to him being exhausted quicker. He just had to draw out the fight long enough and hope his old bones could take the beating.

 

“You are incapable of any kind of normal human relationship”, Obi-wan accused him. “All you ever knew was obsession.”

 

Vader answered with a powerful downward strike that Obi-Wan barely evaded. The next couple of moments were filled with nothing but the buzzing of their blades.

 

At one point the Jedi managed to clip the Dark Lord’s shoulder and was pushed across half the field for his trouble. Obi-Wan refrained from trying out any sort of acrobatic landing like he would’ve done in his younger days and just took the pain of the impact, however he rolled off on his shoulder and threw his lightsaber in an arc at his enemy. Vader blocked the first strike expertly but staggered a bit when the weapon curved around him and he was forced to block it anew on its way back to its owner. That’s when Obi-Wan knew his opponent was getting tired. It was a lot earlier then he’d expected. Maybe they were both getting old.

 

“After Trandosha, for a moment I really thought you had changed”, Obi-Wan admitted after standing up and calling his weapon back to his hand. “But you never tried freeing your apprentice from the Emperor’s clutches. You never even tried to contact Luke. You just went on fighting your own war, convinced that your way was the only right one. Just like always.”

 

“I don’t need your lessons.”

 

There were on each other again. Obi-Wan continued to evade and deflect Vader’s blows, careful not to block them. Occasionally when he felt he couldn’t keep up with his speed, he would use a slight Force push to get his opponent off balance and force him into the defense.

 

Vader was tiring faster now and Obi-Wan knew he was close. The Sith Lord was growing more reckless and desperate, sensing that he was loosing control over the pace of the duel himself. At last Obi-Wan countered a particularly wide swipe by sliding his blade alongside his and with one downward strike he cut through the steel and cables of Vader’s prosthetic arm. His right hand with the lightsaber in it flew wide and Obi-Wan finished his move, using the distraction of his opponent by using the Force to push him to the ground. A second later his lightsaber lay at the Sith Lord’s throat and a feeling of triumph filled the old Jedi.

 

Vader stared down at him through his black mask, one hand clutching the mangled one. He made no move to free himself and the seconds ticked by.

 

“What are you waiting for?”, Vader asked in a derisive, mechanical voice. “Strike me down, Jedi. See what the darkness will do to your heart.”

 

Obi-Wan bristled in indignation. “I could never become like you, Darth!”

 

“Is that so? Using my son against me like that… I couldn’t have done it better myself. That almost makes me respect you.”

 

Obi-Wan’s hand holding the lightsaber shook slightly. He couldn’t help it, he looked down at Vader and all he saw was Anakin.

 

“He never betrayed you”, the Jedi admitted. He was not a monster, he wouldn’t kill his former student while he was in the belief that his son had turned against him like that. “I overheard him planning to meet with you and sent him sleeping. He probably planned to bring my corpse along as a welcoming present”, he added bitterly.

 

“No. He never mentioned that he was with you”, Vader replied. “Luke…. He has more of his mother than of me. I trained him for years and he’s still firmly connected to the light side. What does that tell you?”

 

Despite himself, Obi-Wan was flooded with relief at those words. Luke hadn’t planned to turn him over to gain his father’s favor. He’d just… tried to be as diplomatic as possible in an impossible situation.

 

Still the old Jedi didn’t remove his weapon.

 

“I can’t let you go. You would just continue to kill and recruit and manipulate until you were strong enough to take over the Empire. Then Palpatine’s rule would just be replaced by yours and nothing would change. Isn’t that right?”

 

“It is”, Vader confirmed. “But you can’t kill me either, can you Master?” Slowly the Sith Lord rose and Obi-Wan was forced to step back if he didn’t want to stab him, though a large part of him argued that he should do just that.

 

“Let me make this easy for you then. If you kill me, billions of people will die.”

 

“What are you talking about!?”, Obi-Wan snapped.

 

“The Emperor is building a weapon. A battle station as large as a moon with enough firepower to obliterate an entire planet with a single shot. They call it the ‘Death Star’.”

 

Obi-Wan froze at the horrifying implication but he fought to keep his face calm. “Never heard of it.”

 

“I assure you it does exist. The location of the construction side is secret and the amount of security would be ridiculous if it were any other project.”

 

“How would me killing you have any effect on it?”, he wanted to know.

 

“Do you really think all this time all I’ve been doing is randomly attacking Imperial outposts? No, I have been gathering information, making connections. I have enough now to infiltrate the Death Star, to stop the loss of life it would undoubtedly cause. If you kill me, there is nothing stopping the Emperor from completing the project and using his new toy to bring an end to your precious Rebellion - by destroying every planet that supports them.”

 

Obi-Wan broke out in sweat. If what Vader said was true… If the Emperor had that kind of power, there was nothing that would ever be able to stop him. Nobody would even dare to rise against him ever again. And the lives… Oh, so many lives would be lost!

 

“And you can get in there?”, Obi-Wan pressed. “You know a way to… destroy it or something?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Tell me.”

 

Vader flicked his good hand and called his lightsaber to him, prying the fingers of his mechanical hand hanging to it loose without looking at it.

 

“I won’t. You will leave now and in half an hour I expect Luke to be here, ready to depart. If you don’t...” He got back into a fighting stance, albeit a flawed one as he was unfamiliar with fighting left-handed. “...then ready yourself for round two.”

 

“You can barely stand!”, Obi-Wan protested, having noticed how quick the respirator had to work.

 

“I have enough strength left to kill an enemy who is too weak to do what is necessary!”

 

Unfortunately, that was indeed a problem. If Obi-Wan couldn’t resolve to killing his enemy he could only loose the duel. He knew letting Vader go was the wrong decision in the long run… but a part of him obviously still held hope that his former student could change, even thought he had long tried to bury it. And he had given him valuable information that the Rebellion could look into. It was his duty to report that to them. He couldn’t afford dying now if he risked another duel.

Without a word Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber and stepped back.

 

“There is still good in you, Anakin. Somewhere, deep down. Please try to find it.”

 

“Any good I had in me, you killed when you took my son away.”

 

“Well, it seems I’m giving it back now.” With that Obi-Wan started walking backwards and didn’t dare turn around until he’d reached the edge of the field. He really hoped he wouldn’t grow to regret his decision today.

 

XxX

 

 

1BBY, Month 2, Dantooine

 

Obi-Wan stepped out of the freighter and took a deep breath of the fresh air. Dantooine was a peaceful and beautiful planet harboring lots of grassland. There wasn’t much in terms of civilizations, just a few farms and a rebel outpost. It was too remote a planet to have much significance, which made it the perfect place for the project.

 

Obi-Wan looked up to the ruins rising up in the east. There wasn’t much left that could see from the distance, just some statues and what looked like a badly damaged roof. It was all that was left of the old Jedi temple that had stood here a long, long time ago.

 

“You’re late”, someone called out to him and Obi-Wan turned to see a gray haired man in military wear with a blindfold approach.

 

“General Kota”, he greeted the other Jedi with a small bow. “I’m sorry for that. There were… complications.”

 

“The Empire?”, he asked knowingly.

 

“No. Just… Someone I used to know. Shall we?”

 

“What about the Skywalker child? Didn’t you say you’d bring him?”

 

Obi-Wan sighed. “He changed his mind. We parted ways a while back.”

 

“Oh come on, don’t tell me he ran back to Daddy!”

 

“What was I supposed to do?”, Obi-Wan asked irritated. “Chain him down?”

 

“Maybe! Now we have another potential Sith on our hands. Just tell me he doesn’t know about this place.”

 

“He doesn’t”, Obi-Wan promised. “We’re safe here.”

 

The two Jedi began walking towards the temple ruins.

 

“Can you fill me in on everything that happened?”, the hermit asked. He had spoken to various Jedi over secure lines but still they exchanged as little information as possible in case something was overheard.

 

“We’ve contacted as many Jedi as we could find. Most of them are Padawan. A few new younglings have been brought here by our rebel friends. A few of the old crew are on their way here but most would rather help the Rebellion instead of trying to complete their training. It will get them killed fast.”

 

“Have you heard anything about Ahsoka Tano?”, Obi-Wan whispered. He’d asked Kota specifically to look out for the former Jedi.

 

“Yeah. She insists on aiding the fight.”

 

“...I see. You are still in regular contact with the Rebellion leaders?”

 

“I’m running messages between them and the Jedi, yes. Why, do you have something to pass on?”

 

“I really hope it is nothing”, Obi-Wan said, “but I need you to check it out. I heard of a weapon the Empire builds, a battle station the size of a moon called the Death Star. It’s said that it can destroy planets with a single shot.”

 

Kota scowled at his words. “That sounds like a terrible weapon. Surely something like that would’ve raised alarm bells everywhere?”

 

“It’s not fully functional yet but it will be soon. Can you warn our friends and ask them to look into it?”

 

“Of course I will. Where did you get the info from?”

 

The old Jedi shook his head. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. As I said, maybe it’s nothing. It could be a trap for all I know.”

 

“I’ll tell them to be careful then.”

 

They had reached the temple and entered an overgrown courtyard. A couple of young people were huddled in the back, talking excitingly. Those would be the new recruits, Obi-Wan guessed. The future of the Jedi order. At the side there stood Master Shaak Ti with her Padawan Maris Brood and in the middle, right in front of the broken fountain…

 

“Master Yoda”, Obi-Wan greeted with a bow. “It’s good to see you again.”

 

“Good to see you too, Obi-Wan.”

 

“I wasn’t sure if you could really bring yourself to leave your beloved swamp until the very end”, he joked but smiled in relief.

 

“Thought a lot about the things you said, I did. Old I am but little did I do with the time left to me. A hobby I should take on, I think. Maybe gardening, suit me it will.”

 

Obi-Wan smiled at the small inside joke.

 

“There aren’t that many students yet”, Obi-Wan said, eying the group behind them. “Between the four of us, I think we are enough to teach them for now.”

 

“Oh no. Teach I will no longer”, Yoda said. “Leave that to you, Kota, and Ti I will.”

 

“But you’re the Grandmaster of our order!”, Obi-Wan protested.

 

“Me?” Yoda chuckled and waved his glimmer stick lazily. “Look at me you should! Sack of old bones I am.”

 

“I didn’t want to say anything but you do look like crap”, Kota agreed with a grin.

 

“Council I can give, wisdom I can share but new Jedi to make new decisions, there must be. Now enough of that. Very tired, I am.”

 

“Maris, please take Master Yoda somewhere he can rest”, Shaak Ti told her Padawan, who jumped a little and stepped forward with a quick: “Yes, Master!”

 

“We have a lot to do”, the Togruta then said to the two other Masters. “The soldiers from the outpost have helped us to make a sections of the temple habitable so we can start teaching but we have to assign at lest two Jedi for the reconstruction each day.”

 

“Well, we can make the stone lifting a levitation exercise”, Obi-Wan said wryly. “Let’s get started, shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene were Luke didn't take Carus made me nostalgic so I just had to do a little repeat of Mustafar rigth atfer. Or possibly Dookus's defeat. It's probably not as epic as I could've made it but that's because this development was unplanned and written on a whim. Originally Luke was meant to go with Obi-Wan... But then I figured that no, it's far more likely he will go be with Vader because damn it, family so there we go. What do you think?


	78. Chapter 78

1BBY, Month 2, Chandrila  
   
Bail Organa was sipping on his tea, letting his eyes wander over the lavish furniture and decorations of the sitting room. It wasn’t overly posh but still spoke of wealth and elegance, as expected of an Imperial Senator.  
   
“Please forgive the delay”, a female voice sounded as the door was opened and a regal woman in white robes entered the room. “I had a holo conference to attend to.”  
   
“You do not need to apologize to me”, Bail answered. “I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me.”  
   
Mon Mothma smiled leniently and took a seat opposite of him.  
   
The Senator had been a great help in Bail’s effort to hide from the Empire, especially since he couldn’t afford to contact his own family.  
   
The two old friends exchanged a few pleasantries until at last, the former king of Alderaan asked:  
“As relaxing as it is to catch up to you, you have a reason for calling me here, don’t you?”  
   
Mon smiled at him. “As perceptive as ever. I have received word from our Jedi friends. They are starting to rebuild their order but their number is small and every recruit counts. I don’t have to tell you how important it is to have them on our side.”  
   
Bail shifted a bit uneasily, remembering all the times Kenobi had bugged him about training Leia. Of course Mon didn’t know that his daughter was Force-sensitive and he much preferred it if it stayed that way.  
   
“Of course, the Jedi are great combatants”, he conceded.  
   
“I am not talking about their combat ability. I’m talking about their influence. They represent a better time, they represent the peace and stability of the Republic. We have to start thinking long-term, Bail. In the best case we can get a majority in the Senate and dethrone the Emperor that way.”

“That is an overly optimistic way to think”, Bail argued. “You know there is no legal ground for such a coup.”  
   
“That is why we have to prepare for a military takeover. There would be resistance, we always knew that but Vader’s defection changes things.”  
   
“I know. There was always some risk of a civil war breaking out but now that Vader has his own organization and is amassing his own resources, the threat only grows. Dethroning the Emperor will only be the first step.”  
   
“That is why I called you here. We need to prepare to take down Vader or at least weaken him. And Bail, it would be a great advantage for that if his son, Luke Skywalker joined the Jedi.”  
   
The former Senator scowled. “I believe Master Kenobi was already working on that.”  
   
“He was but I got message that his plan failed. The boy is on his way back to his father.”  
   
Bail sighed and shook his head. Luke Skywalker would’ve been a great leverage against his father. At the same time he regretted that the boy had strayed so far from the right path. If things had gone just a little different, that boy could’ve been his son…  
   
“That is unfortunate but I still don’t see how I can help.”  
   
Mon leaned forward a bit and continued: “I heard that your daughter, the princess, is a good friend of Skywalker.”  
   
Bail stiffened a bit. “They only met a few times.”  
   
“I heard differently. I heard when she was being held hostage on Kashyyyk, he came to save her all on his own. If your daughter could get in contact with the boy, talk to him, get him to realize the mistake he’s making...”  
   
“Leia is an Imperial Senator, you know exactly the dangers she would subject herself to if it was revealed she had contact with a Rogue!”  
   
“Your daughter knows the dangers perfectly well, she is invested in our cause.”

“Well, why don’t you ask her yourself then?!”

“Bail, she is far more likely to listen to her father.” Mon tried to sound diplomatic. “Look, she served as a messenger before. In fact I’m sure she would be glad to provide some more active help to our cause. And it is not as if we’d be asking her to do anything wrong. She would save her friend from making a bad decision.”  
   
“And how exactly do you propose she does that? The boy is a Skywalker, he’s got his own head.”  
   
“Well”, Mon said, choosing her words carefully, “I don’t think it would be all that difficult. The Princess is a beautiful young Lady and if Skywalker went that far to save her, we can assume he is already somewhat smitten with her.”  
   
Bail was glad his tea was not anywhere near his lips because he was sure he would’ve spit it all out in that moment.  
   
“You want my daughter to seduce Skywalker!?”

Mon looked affronted. “Nothing quite that crass, my friend. I just want them to get closer and… let things take their natural course.”  
   
“Absolutely not!”, Bail all but shouted and jumped from his seat.  
   
“Bail! What are you so upset about? I just want them to-”

“They’re brother and sister, Mon!”, Bail blurted out.  
   
A shocked silence fell over the two politicians. Bail cursed himself the moment the words left his lips. He hadn’t meant to reveal that particular information. He’d sworn to never speak of it to anyone but Mon’s suggestion…  
   
“Excuse me?”, the woman asked sharply.  
   
Bail let out a sigh and sank back into his chair.  
   
“It’s true. They’re siblings, twins, separated at birth. Breha and I adopted Leia and Luke was given to his relatives on Tatooine.”  
   
Mon looked quite taken aback. “Do they… I mean, does anybody know?”

“Nobody except Breha, Kenobi, and me. Not even Leia knows and she can’t ever find out. I’ve tried my best to keep her away from that boy. I was afraid if they spend too much time together they might… sense something. You know, in the Force.”  
   
“Twins… But that means Leia is Vader’s-”

“Don’t”, Bail asked her with a stern look. “Just don’t. She is my daughter and nothing will change that.”  
   
“Of course”, Mon said after composing herself. “I apologize, I did not know.”

“I trust you will keep this secret to yourself.”  
   
“I will”, she promised. “You can count on me.”  
   
Her words left Bail reassured and Mon didn’t try to bring the subject up again during the rest of their meeting. After it was over though and the former Senator left, Mon contemplated this new information. She had hoped to use Skywalker as leverage against his father and unless she could get her hands on him as a hostage, that seemed no longer possible. However, now there was another child. Leia Organa already believed in the cause, she already resented the Dark Lord a great deal. If Mon played her cards right she might still be able to convince her to play her role. Maybe Vader could be convinced to let go of his plans to subjugate the galaxy if it was the only way to reconnect with his daughter. The chances were small but if nothing else at least Vader would be a bit less likely to bomb a Rebel base his daughter was hiding in.  
   
It seemed then, Mon would have to work on improving her relationship with her fellow Senator. If she could get her to take on a leading military position, she would have her leverage.

XxX

1BBY, Month 3, Tatooine

“Let’s face it, Chewie”, Han Solo said with a groan, “it’s over! That Nova guy has gone over to the Empire, Luke joined the Rogues and Elvoy is dead! The Alliance is done for. Nothing can change that.”

“Ohwo oarawh'ao anworahowo aoacwocwo akwoooakanwo aooo aoacwosccwoanhowoc!”

“I don’t want to leave them either”, the smuggler huffed. He was busy working on the Falcon which seemed to need repairs every week. His loyal Wookie friend stood behind him, occasionally giving him a tool he asked for.

“Aoacwowh waoowh'ao.”

“It’s not that easy. We lost pretty much everyone with any fighting ability. We only have a couple of ships left and even less supplies.”

“Scrarorhwo aowoac rcworhwoananahoowh oaoohuanwa acwoanak huc oohuao.”

“After we joined the Empire? I really doubt they would help us. Hand my the hydrospanner, will you?”

Chewie began to search for the tool but continued to growl.

“Ahao'c ohoorcaoac ra cacooao.”

“Look, we defeated the Cartel, yay for us. We won. It’s over.”

“Ohwo whwowowa chuakakanahwoc rawhwa aoacwo woscakahrcwo waahwawhao rawhcohworc oohurc akanworawac.”

Han sighed. Unfortunately his friend was right, they did need supplies and the Empire had obviously stopped caring about their needs as soon as they lost their fleet. The shipments of food and medication had stopped. The Outer Rim was back to being that bunch of planets nobody cared about.

“At least we got rid of the slavery”, he tried to cheer up his friend.

“Aoacworcwo rarcwo caoahanan scrawhro scoorcwo aooo rhwo crahowowa ahwh aoacwo woscakahrcwo.”

Han huffed. “Okay, fine. I’ll call Kazgul and the gnome and see what I can do. If they think the same… I’ll try to get in contact with, what’s-her-name, that Princess.”

“Cacwo'c akrcwoaoaoro.”

Han blushed a bit. “What? That – that’s not important! She just happens to be the only rebel I know who ever gave a fuck about us, okay?”

“Rooohu'anan rhwo ra rrrcworaao anworawaworc.”

Han felt his hair stand on end. “Don’t call me that!”, he snapped, horrified. 

“Rhhuao ahao'c aorchuwo.”

“No it’s not! I am not a leader, stop talking nonsense.”

Chewie just laughed.  
   
XxX  
   
1BBY, Month 5, Obsidian Castle  
   
Darth Nova was just stepping into the turbolift that would take him away from the detention level where he’d practiced the Life Drain with the prisoners when his comm activated. It was Riland, his personal aide.  
   
“Sir, I apologize for disturbing you but your wife is requesting your presence.”  
   
“Tell her I’m busy”, Starkiller snapped. He’d just drained around a hundred people of their life, which left him energized and giddy. He had no intention of giving up his current great mood by having to turn into Galen.  
   
“Sir, I am very sorry but she is holding a blaster to my head. She insists on speaking with you.”  
Starkiller let out an annoyed growl. He was in the middle of preparations for a major mission, he didn’t have time for his… family.  
   
“Fine, I’ll be up in a minute.”  
   
He pressed the button of the turbolift, closed his eyes and gave his inner child a rough kick.  
   
‘You there? Juno wants to talk to you.’  
   
Galen rose to consciousness with a curse. The takeover was slower than usual and Starkiller felt his arm and legs tickle as control was taken from him and he sunk back into the dark.  
   
Galen sifted through his newest memories and picked up on Starkiller’s annoyance at being disrupted.  
   
‘You’ve been training a lot with the Life Drain’, he commented. They were now able to kill all 500 prisoners without touching the mask, all while leaving a selection of Stormtroopers hidden amongst the inmates alive. They didn’t even need Mallie’s presence anymore, for which the former Jedi was very glad.   
   
‘I still need to work on the speed. Took me almost half an hour to get them all. That’s too slow for battle.’  
   
‘It might also be more difficult when the enemy is actually attacking you’, Galen mocked him.  
   
‘Yeah, have to work on that too.’  
   
Shortly after Galen had crossed the castle and came to the wing that served as a miniature apartment for his family. Juno was waiting for him in the living room and she was talking to Mallie, who had Carus on her lap. When he entered they both fell silent and his mother excused herself awkwardly and left with the boy.  
   
Galen watched her leave with a scowl, then turned back to Juno.  
   
“Is there a particular reason why you threatened my aide to get me here?”, he wanted to know.  
   
“I don’t know, Galen”, she replied frostily. “Maybe I thought that was the only way I could get a hold of you. You were gone for two months and when you return you barely speak to me, you didn’t come to sleep in our room. It’s been a week since your return and we had exactly one dinner together.”  
   
Galen sighed and stepped towards her, trying to touch her but she took a step back and crossed her arms in front of her in rejection.  
   
“Juno, you know I’m busy with the Hutt war. I’m leading the Alliance, I fight at the front every day and we almost have them. Once the Cartel is gone I’ll have more time to spend with you.”  
   
He raised his flesh hand and this time she allowed that he caressed her cheek.  
   
“We’re preparing for a major battle, possibly the last one. That’s why I had to… train a lot, these past days.”  
   
Juno looked down. “You’re barely here anymore. I understand what you have to do but you’re missing so much. Our son is growing so fast and you’re not there to witness it.” She looked up at him again and there were tears glinting in her eyes. “Three weeks ago, he said his first word, Galen. Do you know what it was?”  
   
Galen felt his heart breaking bit by bit as he watched her tears fall.  
   
“It was ‘lava’, Galen! He looked out of the window, smiled at me and said ‘lava’! This planet is no place to raise a child. I want to be able to take him out in the open without fear of poisoning him. I want him to see a blue sky, not a red one and I want him to play with other children.”  
   
“Juno”, he tried, his mouth feeling so dry, “I know… that it’s not perfect but we have to think of his safety first.”

“I don’t want to hide Carus from the galaxy, Galen. I want to show it to him.”  
   
“The galaxy is not safe!”, he snapped, raising his voice even though he’d promised himself he wouldn’t. “I’m trying to make it. I’m trying to make the galaxy a safe place for our son but it would really, really help if you could show a bit more patience!”  
   
“I’m being patient every day”, she said coldly. “When I sing him to sleep and wipe away the food he scatters all around the kitchen and I stay up late till midnight because I know I don’t have to go to sleep earlier, he’ll wake up and start crying then like clockwork. What have you done for our son? I bet he doesn’t even know you’re his father. I bet if you took him to bed tonight, he’d cry because he thinks you’re a stranger.”  
   
With those harsh words she left him standing and Galen could do nothing but watch her back as he fought down the anger in him.  
   
But as soon as she was gone, that anger turned to guilt. Juno was right, between the war and his constant struggle with Starkiller, he hadn’t had much time with his family.  
   
Her words really had hurt him though and he was determined to prove her wrong. So he went into the kitchen where Mallie was trying to get Carus to drink from a baby bottle, which the little guy indignantly refused.  
   
“Hello mother”, he greeted her a bit awkwardly. It had been even longer that he’s had a real conversation with her.  
   
“Galen”, she smiled at him warmly and he smiled back relieved. His mother had lost a lot of her cold demeanor during her time here. He strongly suspected that she was just glad to be able to spend the baby days with Carus, considering she hadn’t been able to take care of her own son for long.  
   
“I hope Juno didn’t give you too much trouble. She’s worried for you, that’s all.”  
   
“She accused me of not taking care of our son”, he answered with a scowl. At least she had never mentioned what he’d almost done on Korriban. All she said was that the birth had been complicated and that was it. He didn’t pry and he didn’t think she wanted to talk about it either. Maybe she was afraid of the truth.  
   
“Well… You’ve been busy”, Mallie said carefully.  
   
He gave a light shrug. “I’m here now.”  
   
He held out his arms and Mallie gave him the baby. He rocked it slightly but that didn’t seem to suit the little man as be began crying shortly after.  
   
“Here, like this”, Mallie said and helped to adjust his grip, then offered the bottle to Carus but the boy continued to wail.  
   
“What’s wrong with him?”, he asked worried.  
   
“Nothing, he’s just being stubborn. It might help if you smiled a bit”, she offered teasingly.   
Galen blinked but tried to follow her advice. Smiling felt unfamiliar to him though and he was afraid it came out more like a grimace.  
   
Mallie watched a few moments almost pityingly.  
   
“Why don’t I leave the two of you alone for a while”, she offered then, put the bottle on the table and left him with another smile.  
   
Galen’s frown deepened. Carus continued to wail.  
   
With a sigh the Sith Lord spend the next couple of minutes trying to get the baby into the baby chair (using only one arm, which already held the baby). The little boy cried and struggled all the way and Galen was seriously afraid he might accidentally drop him a few times. In the end he had to resort to using the Force to open the chair in order to put him in.  
   
At last Carus was in the high chair and Galen took a seat opposite of him. The boy had stopped crying and looked around with red puffy eyes. Possibly searching for his mother or grandmother.  
Galen played around with the baby bottle in his hand. Juno wanted him to spend time with his son. But really, what was he to do?  
   
“So… Your mummy told me you can talk now”, he started lamely. Then he leaned forward a bit, hopeful despite himself. “Can you say ‘Daddy’ yet?”  
   
Carus started to cry again.  
   
Inside of Galen, Starkiller started to chortle with laughter.  
   
‘Shut up, you demon!’, Galen scolded him furiously. ‘You are to shut your trap when I’m with my family, that was the deal!’  
   
‘The deal was that I could watch and comment when you’re training our son. You’re trying to teach him how to talk so that counts. Don’t let me interrupt you though, it’s terribly amusing.’  
   
Galen’s furious face seemed to frighten the baby because it started wailing even louder.  
   
The Sith tried to ignore his worse half and find a way to calm his son.  
   
“Look, I won’t hurt you. I’m your Daddy.” He put the baby bottle on the table in front of him, then raised his hand over it and slowly let it hover.  
   
“See? I’m Force-Daddy.”  
   
Miraculously, it worked and Carus stopped wailing. He stared at the floating bottle with big eyes, then started reaching for it.  
   
“Mimfa!”, he said very loud and clearly.  
   
“Uhm, no. It’s a bottle, a baby bottle”, Galen corrected him. He let the bottle float from right to left and smiled a bit when the baby’s eyes followed it.  
   
“Mimfa!”  
   
‘I think he means milk’, Starkiller offered with a chuckle.  
   
Indeed the baby bottle was filled with warm milk.  
   
“That’s right, it’s milk. It’s warm milk. Floating warm milk.”  
   
“Foto mimfa?”  
   
“No, no. Floating milk.”  
   
“Foto mimfa!”  
   
Now he was just mocking him!  
   
“Do you want to have the floating milk?”, Galen offered and continued to levitate the bottle from left to right and back again in front of his son’s face. “You want the floating milk?”

“Foto mimfa!” Carus waved his arms up and down and reached for the bottle but his arms were far too short. His lips started to quiver and tears began to gather in his eyes again.  
   
“You can have the floating milk”, Galen hurried to say, “but you have to do something for me, okay?”  
   
Something in his voice must’ve indicated a deal for the baby because it stopped trying to blackmail him with tears and looked on attentively.  
   
“You have to say ‘Daddy’. Just once, okay? Say ‘Daddy’.”  
   
“Gimme mimfa!”  
   
“First you have to say ‘Daddy’.”  
   
Carus started to cry.  
   
“No!”, Galen protested. “No, don’t cry. Just say Daddy. It’s easy. Daddy. That’s me.”  
   
The baby wailed louder.  
   
Galen dropped the bottle to the table with a sigh and Starkiller howled in laughter.  
   
“Why can’t I get him to say it?”, he complained aloud.  
   
‘He started speaking three weeks ago. He’s half a year old, that’s still very early for a baby. He probably doesn’t even understand what you want of him.’  
   
“Well, I won’t give up that easily!”  
   
Galen raised the bottle again but Carus was completely ignoring it now and just continued to wail.  
   
‘I don’t think that works anymore. You have to find something else interesting.’  
   
Something interesting, huh? Galen looked around in the kitchen. He spotted a stuffed bantha lying in a corner and went to pick it up. He put it in front of Carus. The tears and the screaming stopped but he was still looking at him accusingly. Galen thought a peace offering was at large and pushed the bantha forward until Carus could reach out and grab it. He promptly stuck the animal’s ear in his mouth and began chewing.  
   
‘That’s… really cute’, Galen thought with a little sigh. He put his elbow on the table and supported his head with his flesh hand, his clawed one laying on the table as he watched his son.  
   
‘He’s gonna choke on the thing’s hair.’  
   
‘Don’t spoil my baby time.’  
   
Carus continued to chew on the toy but his eyes were fixed on the table, more precisely on the five dark metal claws that made out the Sith Lord’s right hand.  
   
“You like these?”, Galen asked and raised his hand but his movement must’ve been too fast. Startled, Carus pressed the toy closer to himself. Whether to protect the bantha from being taken away or use it as a shield, he couldn’t tell.  
   
“It’s alright. They’re just…. Very sharp weapons. To kill people”, Galen said, feeling somewhat stupid. It was probably good the baby didn’t understand everything he said yet.  
   
“Do you want to see them?” He held up his clawed hand in front of the little boy, careful to keep them out of his reach so he couldn’t accidentally cut himself.  
   
Carus watched the claws with wide eyes. Hesitantly he reached for it with one tiny hand but pulled it back quickly when the action almost caused him to let go of his bantha.  
   
Feeling encouraged, Galen stood up and said: “Do you want to see something else really cool?”  
He took off one of his lightsabers from his belt and showed it to the baby. He turned it around slowly so he could see all the ridges, proving that it seemed to be just an ordinary piece of metal. Then he stepped away from the table and activated the blade with a hiss.  
   
“Oooh!”, Carus made, appropriately impressed. The bantha toy fell to the ground forgotten as he pointed at the lightsaber. “Shinty!”  
   
Starkiller laughed again in his head.  
   
“It’s not shitty!”, Galen protested, feeling hurt. “It’s really cool, it’s all red and… Oh. You mean shiny.”  
   
“Shinty!”  
   
“Shiny”, Galen corrected him. “You mean shiny.”  
   
“Shinty?”  
   
“Please tell me you mean shiny”, he practically begged him.  
   
Starkiller’s laughter got so loud it made his head hurt.  
   
“Shiny?”

“Thank the Force!”, Galen called out. “That’s right. It’s shiny.”  
   
Galen lowered the lightsaber a bit. That was the first real word his son had said. He was determined to reward such progress.  
   
“You’re completely right, it’s very shiny. I’m proud of you, son.” Yeah, it was important he tell his son that and do it often so he wouldn’t ever feel like he was a disappointment.  
   
Carus just looked at him confused.   
   
“Shiny!”  
   
“Uh, yeah. Shiny. We’ve established that.”  
   
Carus scowled. He was upset that his father didn’t get what he wanted so he pointed at the lightsaber and repeated: “Shiny!”  
   
“Okay, I don’t get it. You can’t have shiny, shiny is dangerous.”  
   
Carus scowled a bit harder, looked around and then pointed at the baby bottle still on the table. “Foto mimfa!”  
   
That did it.  
   
“Oh, I see. You learned a new word and now you want to have the floating milk. Well, I suppose you deserve it. Even though you didn’t learn the word I wanted to teach you.”  
   
Starkiller deactivated the lightsaber and took a seat again before pushing the bottle within reach of the baby.  
   
Carus looked at the bottle. His lips trembled and he looked at the Sith Lord accusingly. “Foto mimfa!”  
   
“But that is the foto – ah, I mean the floating milk. You wanted it, you can have it.”  
   
“Foto!”  
   
“Oh, that’s right...” Galen raised his hand and levitated the bottle until it was right in front of Carus’ face. Instead of taking it though, the baby made the oddest motions in leaning over and bashing his nose against the bottle repeatedly.  
   
Inside his head, Starkilller sounded as if he was dying.  
   
“What are you doing?”, Galen wanted to know. “Just take it.”  
   
That’s when he realized Carus was trying to get the mouthpiece into his mouth without using his hands. Why he insisted on doing that was a mystery to him but he took pity on the pathetic attempts of the baby and levitated the bottle until the mouthpiece was in place and even held it up a bit so he could drink without having to touch the foto mim – ah, the bottle. He meant the bottle.  
   
Galen watched the baby drink his reward for a few moments, lost in thoughts, all while still maintaining his Force hold.  
   
“Why won’t you call me Daddy?”, he asked quietly and couldn’t help a bit of sadness to slip through. He knew Juno was right, he should spend more time with his son like this…. But his duties at the front didn’t allow him to come home often and he’d be damned if he let his family come anywhere near a battlefield.  
   
Carus looked at him curiously, still sucking at the baby bottle.  
   
“Well, at least you aren’t crying anymore.” That too he supposed had to count for something.

Behind the two, unnoticed by them, the door slipped open a bit as Juno peered inside. A small smile was grazing her lips and she closed to door again quietly.


	79. Chapter 79

1BBY, Month 6, on board the SD Devastator  
   
Luke Skywalker practically threw open the door to the training center and a large grin spread on his face as he saw his father was already there.  
   
“You are in a terribly good mood today, son”, Vader commented.  
   
“I did it! I used the Force, consciously”, Luke declared. It was the first time in almost a year now that he’d managed it. During his time practicing with Kenobi and later meditation with his father he’d started feeling the Force again and sometimes when they dueled he could even use it subconsciously to react to a movement that hadn’t started yet but anything greater like levitation or Force attacks was still beyond him.  
   
“Well, that is great Luke. What did you do?”, Vader wanted to know.  
   
“I held a full thirty minute conversation with Leia through the Force”, Luke declared happily.  
   
“Leia… your Senator friend.” Vader had heard that Luke had somehow befriended the Alderaan Princess and that they had spend time together during his time on Tatooine. Luke had even confessed that he’d developed a rather strong bond with her and that they used to talk a lot through it even before Kashyyyk.  
   
However, Luke and Vader had tried many times to reconnect their minds. Vader had gradually managed to get through the subconscious block Luke was building up but until now Luke hadn’t been able to reach out to him on his own or if he did, he only got a few vague images and emotions through.  
   
Truth to be told, the news was hurting Vader a bit. He didn’t have anything against his son having friends. He did have something against that particular friend since he was quite sure Senator Organa was a Rebel and he wasn’t on the best terms with them, but what really bothered him was that apparently his son’s bond with that girl was stronger than the one he had to his own father.  
Force, it was like he was jealous. A little bit.  
   
“Well… I hope you didn’t tell her anything about our movements”, Vader said.  
   
“Of course not. But I thought maybe we could skip meditation again and try some exercises?”  
   
“Very well, if you think you’re up to it.”  
   
“I am”, Luke said and drew his lightsaber. “Let’s start.”  
   
XxX  
   
1BBY, Month 8, on board the SD Annihilation  
   
Starkiller was in deep in meditation when his com activated and he was notified that his fleet was in position.  
   
This was the big day. This was the last battle in the war against slavery – at least of the part carried out by the Hutts. All the prominent crime Lords had fled here together with all their ships and heavy war machinery. Their planet and its moons were protected by powerful shield generators that made orbital bombardment impossible and so they thought themselves safe.  
   
For months now the Alliance had infiltrated the planet and freed as many slaves as they could from the system. Yesterday all Imperial employees and Freed Ones had been called back. The last battle was about to begin.  
   
‘I believe it is time for you to go to sleep now’, Starkiller told his alter ego.  
   
‘What are you talking about? You need me to control who you kill when we start the ground attack.’

‘Not this time, my friend. This won’t work when you’re awake.’  
   
Galen shifted uneasily. ‘You are planning to use the Life Drain. I know you do.’  
   
‘That’s what we trained it for. The Emperor demands a demonstration of our progress.’  
   
‘Yes but in all of our sessions, you could only differentiate between friend and foe when I was there to stop you.’  
   
‘That’s why we won’t bring any soldiers with us. They are all going to stay up here.’  
   
Starkiller started making his way from his meditation chamber to the hangar where he entered a TIE-fighter.  
   
‘What do you mean you won’t bring any soldiers? How are we going to conquer the planet without an army?’  
   
During the last few weeks as they had trained on Mustafar, Galen had tried to spend as much time as he could with his family but in return Starkiller had insisted on handling the final war preparations on his own. As a result Galen did not know all details of today’s plan but he hadn’t thought it was anything other than bring in everything they had and kill as many Hutts as possible.  
However, when Starkiller didn’t answer to his question, Galen dug deeper and though his other self struggled, he uncovered the relevant memories.  
   
‘Starkiller, you can’t do that!’, he protested shocked. ‘There are still innocent people on that planet!’  
   
‘Very few and far between. That’s what the Alliance was working on for the past few months, wasn’t it?’  
   
‘No, stop it! I can’t allow you to do that! You have no idea what will happen, think about last time!’  
   
‘I am. That’s why we have mother here standing guard. Her presence will ensure that the effect does not spread past this system. Now, if you’ll excuse me.’  
   
It had been a long time ago that Starkiller fought him down like that but he had prepared for this for too long. His determination was strong and eventually he managed to put Galen in a little cage in the back of his head, throwing away the virtual key.  
   
In his TIE fighter Starkiller made his way towards the planet. He purposefully passed through the planetary shield - one intended to keep out laser fire but allow for small ships to pass through in case the Hutts needed to escape - in an uninhabited area of the planet and landed in the middle of a swamp. He left the fighter and sat down in front of it. With his clawed hand, he pulled out the white mask from the pouch at his hip.  
   
He looked at the ancient artifact that was already starting to whisper to him and smiled. Today he would show the entire galaxy the true extent of his power.  
   
Ignoring the dimmed shouting of his other half in the back of his head, he turned around the mask with his flesh hand, enjoying the first taste of power that pulsed through his fingers. Then the cool white material touched his face and the galaxy came alive around him.  
   
An outside observer not attuned to the living Force and deaf to its outcry would not understand what happened on Nal Hutta that day. Around the clearing Darth Nova had landed in, all round the little settlements and towns, people of all races felt a sudden uneasiness, followed by nausea and headache. Only seconds later they would fall to their knees as their hearts began to stutter. Some would have time to give one final gasp or call out for their dear ones but within moments all life would leave them and they fell to the ground, dead.  
   
A handful of ships that had been sent out to scout for the single enemy fighter that had dared to approach their planet would spiral out of control as their pilots smashed their heads against the consoles and they would crash in a fiery explosion.  
   
Death started to spread from the swamp. It went by the animal life and plants without touching them for they were weak and unimportant but in the immediate vicinity of the Sith Lord, the massive accumulation of dark energy caused the plants to wilt and die, forming a slowly spreading circle of brown around the meditating masked man.  
   
As Nova’s hunger was nurtured by the life he drained, his senses grew wider and started to encompass nearby cities. Rapidly the horrifying force struck down men, women and children, Hutts and Rodians and Duros and a thousand other races. Some had been stationed at military outposts and died without delivering a single shot. They died in their beds and at the dinner table, in the bathroom or out in the open. The faster it spread, the less pain there was for the victims. They all just… died.  
   
The life force Nova accumulated grew exponentially and he had long since passed the limit of what he had ever consumed in training. Evidently he had underestimated what this would do to him because instead of sating the hunger, his desire only doubled, tripled, and multiplied until Starkiller’s mind was lost in a maelstrom of hunger and blackness that sucked in everything around him.  
   
The life force of mortal beings was no longer enough. A couple of military stations on the far side of the planet had caught on to the spreading terror and tried to send long-range rockets in his general direction but their fire was swallowed before they could enter the atmosphere as their energy too was consumed. Darth Nova drew the warmth out of the ground under and the lightning out of the clouds above him. His hunger was all consuming and in one final swallow he vanquished all sentient life on the far continents and it still wasn’t enough.  
   
He reached farther, and farther still until he sensed a distant energy source that felt alien but powerful and he drew on it hungrily, feeling fire course through his veins. There might’ve been screaming and it might’ve been his but he could feel nothing but this overwhelming hunger.  
   
Somewhere out there was a light, an energy that he knew would taste great but as often as his glance passed it, he couldn’t quite lock on it and his gaze was averted time and time again as if slipping away from a shield that surrounded it. Then suddenly that light was gone and something down inside of him roared.  
   
He hadn’t thought it possible but something in him started to fight against the hunger. He didn’t even know why something would because that hunger was there and it wanted to be sated but something told him quite desperately No.  
   
Confused and angry he fought against the influence and for every second he fought, the destructive effect of his powers doubled and spread.  
   
The roaring in his head was no longer human now, it sounded like thunder, like the earth cracking open and all the death in the galaxy seemed to twitch and waver like a sentient being, folding onto itself and focusing all its presence onto a single essence.  
   
Something was dying and that something was him.  
   
From one moment to the other he was cut off from the galaxy, cut off from the life and death around him and he opened his eyes to a white mask laying shattered in the palm of his clawed hand.

For three seconds all Starkiller did was breathe heavily. Then he started to scream. A myriad of sensations stormed down on him and all of them were painful. He was unbearably hot and when he opened his eyes against the smoke making them water he saw that the entire clearing he lay on was smoldering with no fire to be seen. The ground was covered in cracks, some as wide as his forearm and one particularly large one had pulled several trees down with it into a deep dark chasm. His TIE hung over its edge, one of its solar panels broken. It looked like a forest fire had raged around except this had been a wet swamp just a few minutes before.  
   
But worse than the sensation of liquid fire running through his veins and smoke burning in his lungs was the horrible wound he felt in the Force. It was as if something had been ripped right out and there was a hole now, gaping and crying and wailing and he knew he was responsible for it.  
   
The ground under his feet was shaking and as he let his eyes wander the cracks in the surrounding earth began to spread. He fought to get to his feet and reached for the TIE that was threatening to fall into the opening chasm but the moment he tried touching the Force an incredible pain went up his arm from his fingertips right to his head and he fell to his knees, gasping in agony.  
   
It took him a couple of minutes to recover. When he was on his feet again he jumped over the chasm that was now several feet wide and tried to pull the TIE away from its edge with raw strength but he was feeling so incredibly weak.  
   
The earthquake grew worse with every second, the chasm widened and in the end all he could do was rescue his metal helmet from the cockpit and put it on against the smoke before the ship crashed into the abyss.  
   
Starkiller stood at its edge, still reeling from the pain in his head but he still managed to look up into the sky as the earthquake had uprooted several trees that used to block the view. It was only now that he noticed the general lack of light, it was in the middle of the night. He knew it had been day when he landed and he was convinced that less than an hour had passed! Yet he could see the stars. The sensor in his helmet allowed him to scan the sky for his fleet but there was nothing. No blinking lights indicating any ships. The fleet – the entire Imperial fleet! - was gone.  
   
Fury rose in him at the thought of them abandoning him. Without a ship, how was he supposed to get away from this dying planet? It didn’t surprise him that Elvoy and the Alliance would betray him, he had only used them as well after all. But he would’ve thought that his mother at least would stay behind. In fact, her leaving had probably been the reason why he’d lost control like that. There wasn’t supposed to be any damage to his environment after all. She was supposed to stop him, her presence had been supposed to enable Galen to return to the surface in time to stop him.  
   
Angrily Starkiller turned his attention inside, intent on berating his other half on trusting the wrong person – he knew they should’ve brought Juno, Galen’s attachment to her was way stronger.  
But Galen did not answer him, probably knocked out cold. That would not do.  
   
Starkiller continued to dig into his own mind, trying to get a hold of his other part. He couldn’t find him.  
   
Anger turned into frustration, frustration turned into doubt, doubt turned into worry and worry into fear. He couldn’t find Galen because Galen was not there. The final presence he felt dying right before he removed the mask… It had been himself.  
   
Galen was dead.  
   
XxX  
   
Two weeks later, Imperial Center  
   
Darth Sidious looked through the reports with a critical eye. It had taken far too long for a satisfying amount of information to reach him but finally, he was able to examine all the pieces.  
   
He had not expected Darth Nova’s first operation to go without a hitch. It had still been a bit too early but the Hutt war had developed very fast and Nal Hutta was a planet he knew his apprentice would have no qualms eradicating.  
   
Yet not everything had gone as planned. According to the legends, Darth Nihilus had been able to kill all sentient life on a planet without touching its Fauna or Flora or causing any kind of environmental destruction. While Nova had undoubtedly succeeded in wiping out all life on the planet (and all five moons as well) his actions had also caused massive earthquakes, tsunamis and terrible storms to plague the entire planet.  
   
The reason for this was a massive solar storm from the nearby star Y’Toub. Recordings from the long-range transmitters recovered from a military base on Nar Shaddaa, the moon farthest from the sun, had shown how fiery spikes of plasma thrown into space had extended from the sun towards Nal Hutta as if something on the planet was sucking in the very essence of the sun itself.  
   
If everything had gone as planned, the life on the planet would’ve been wiped out within half an hour and any escaping ships would’ve been taken care of by the fleet blockading the planet. Nal Hutta itself would’ve remained untouched, all its resources and infrastructure undisturbed and the planet could’ve been used as a new Imperial Outpost with minimal adjustment.  
   
Instead the atmosphere was so messed up and partially removed that the planet would have to be declared uninhabitable for at least ten years. The two moons closest to the sun had burned to a crisp. One was now covered by lava and the other had fallen apart during the last week, leaving only a handful of particularly large asteroids. One other moon was as damaged as Nal Hutta itself and only the last two, including thankfully the smuggler’s moon Nar Shaddaa that was rich in infrastructure, had survived relatively undamaged.  
   
Which brought him to the state of his apprentice himself, which was pretty bad. Nothing Sidious had researched indicated that the use of the Life Drain should damage his body but that evidently only applied when you absorbed the life of sentient beings. The rules were a bit different if you tried to eat a kriffing star!  
   
Honestly, it was a small miracle he was even still alive, especially since he’d been forced to wander a dying planet for eight days before a transport had managed to get through the chaotic, fluctuating ionosphere to pick him up. At that point he was already suffering from severe dehydration and starvation, a dangerous fever and apparently experienced great pain whenever he tried touching the Force.  
   
It was the latter that worried the Emperor the most. Darth Nova had been a blind spot in the Force to him ever since Korriban so he couldn’t even examine him himself but he was fairly sure the problem would solve itself when he got his apprentice away from the planet and the massive wound he’d ripped into the Force that day. Even as far away as on Imperial Center Sidious had been able to hear the Force cry out.  
   
He briefly wondered if his new toy would leave a similar impact. If everything went according to plan though, he wouldn’t even need the Death Star all that often. Darth Nova was a weapon of mass destruction all on his own and if he could learn to better control his power, well, as impressive as an exploding planet was it was far more ecologically effective to wipe out all its life and use it for himself.  
   
Now he just had to make his apprentice understand the importance of him continuing to practice his control. With a smile he activated his comm.  
   
“Send in Lord Nova.”

XxX

Starkiller entered the throne room with a deep scowl, one that seemed to be permanently etched into his face these days. He was moody, quick to loose his temper and just generally pissed off.  
   
As far as he was concerned, Nal Hutta had been a failure. Easily his greatest failure as of yet. Sure, he had reached his primary objective but everything else had gone so utterly wrong, he was seriously starting to doubt his decision to use the power of the void.  
   
Starkiller stood in front of the Emperor and a crazy thought stuck him. He was really, really not in the mood to let himself be berated for his failures. He was sick of kneeling down and sucking up to a Sith Lord who had less power than him. He had just wiped out a planet with the same mask that was now in his pocket where it had reappeared after he left the shattered pieces on Nal Hutta. He could do the same thing to Imperial Center if he wanted to.  
   
So he didn’t bow down. He continued to stand, staring defiantly at the Sith Lord.  
   
“You wanted to talk to me, Master?”  
   
Sidious scowled at him, noticing his lack of proper etiquette. However, he didn’t let his anger show for long and instead asked him to come closer. He did so and the Emperor spoke to him in a grave voice:

“I am glad to see that you are back on your feet again, my apprentice. We do need to talk about Nal Hutta. Do you feel up to it?”  
   
Starkiller wanted to punch him in the face. How dare he talk to him like he was some kind of invalid!?  
   
“My injuries were superficial”, he said stiffly. “I’m fine.”  
   
“In your report it said you had trouble using the Force.”  
   
“I never said anything like that!”, he protested. In fact, he’d done his very best to keep it a secret.  
   
Sidious looked at him pityingly. Pityingly!  
   
“The blood test from your medical review shows that your midichlorian count is way below average. Since the normal bacterial flora of your body is also heavily damaged, I assume that you accidentally killed them.”  
   
Despite himself, Starkiller paled. “Is that even possible?!”  
   
“Obviously. It is nothing to worry about though, midichlorians are just a carrier. Once your body has fully recovered, you will return to full strength.”  
   
Well, that was… a huge relief, to be honest. Starkiller could still feel the Force when he touched the mask but when he searched for contact to the dark side it felt like taking a dip into lava. He had almost begun to think the dark side was mad at him for ripping a wound into the Force.  
   
That was of course ridiculous.  
   
“Now before we go over the damage report”, the Emperor continued, “I want to give you my condolences.”  
   
The scowl was back in place. “What for?”  
   
Sidious expression became worried and confused (both obviously fake).  
   
“Well, for your dear mother of course. It is so sad that she had to die. And by your hand no less. A terrible accident.”  
   
“What are you talking about? I didn’t kill my mother.” Starkiller was annoyed. Bad enough that Mallie Marek had betrayed him and ran away with the Alliance fleet, now the Emperor wanted to make him think it was his fault? It was laughable!  
   
“I am terribly sorry, my friend”, Sidious said with an almost convincing expression of surprise. “I thought you already knew. Your mother, Mallie Marek, is dead. So is everyone else of the Alliance fleet. They died over Nal Hutta.”  
   
Now Starkiller did laugh. “Do you really expect me to believe that? No, I know I didn’t kill them. I took precautions for that exact case. I remember stopping when I felt her presence near the edge and I know I drew back from it.”  
   
Mallie couldn’t be dead. She really, really couldn’t be. Her presence had woken up Galen, that part of the plan had worked, Galen had fought his way to the surface… but ultimately drowned in a sea of death. But Mallie was alive because Galen had died saving her, he had sacrificed himself so she could live.  
   
If Mallie Marek was dead, Galen would’ve died for nothing and that could not be true.  
   
“There are still droid ships on their way to salvage what is left of the fleet so it is too early to be certain but from the first reports we could confirm that none of the soldiers stationed on any of the ships died from having their life force absorbed”, Sidious confirmed.  
   
“What are you talking about?”  
   
“Lord Nova, the solar storm you caused led to massive interference with pretty much all electronic equipment, causing a blackout in the entire solar system. Every satellite, every piece of machinery or computer stopped working. This includes the entire Imperial fleet.”  
   
“That… would explain why nobody came to pick me up for such a long time”, he admitted.  
“It wasn’t just message transmitters or engines that were affected. The blackout included widespread failure to all systems. Including life support and shielding.”  
   
Starkiller stared at the Sith Lord, slowly understanding where this was going.  
   
Sidious continued to look at him with pity. “Everything must’ve gone so fast that none of the ships had had time for evacuation”, he whispered. “The entire division, every member of the Phoenix Alliance present that day as well as all Imperial personnel – they are all dead. The oxygen left in the ships might’ve supplied them long enough to do basic repairs but the real damage came from the failure in the temperature regulation system. Ships heat up to several hundred degrees or their insides freeze to nearly absolute zero depending on their position to the sun once the regulation is off. It is a terrible fate and I regret what happened to those poor people. As I said the bodies are still being processed but your mother’s death has already been confirmed.”  
   
Starkiller barely held himself back from punching in his lying face. Sidious was most certainly not sorry! If anything he probably patted himself on the back for making everything so the fleet accompanying Darth Nova on his first ‘test run’ would be made out of mainly useless slaves and few actual Imperials.  
   
“If you need a few days to come to terms with this development, I would understand it”, Sidious offered, sounding genuinely concerned.  
   
Of course Starkiller knew he was only fishing for weakness. Not even Galen would’ve fallen for it, though he might’ve accepted a break regardless. But Starkiller was not Galen and the death of Mallie Marek would not destroy him. It wouldn’t even scratch him, it was just… really, really inconvenient.  
   
“Mallie Marek was supposed to ensure I do not lose control of the power of the void”, Starkiller said coldly. “Now that she’s gone, I cannot risk using the mask again.”  
   
Sidious nodded. “You need a new means to control its power. Maybe your wife could provide adequate motivation?”  
   
Starkiller gave a snort. “I married that woman for her great bust. She couldn’t stop me from killing a pre-school class, never mind an entire planet.”  
   
That was only half a lie. If Galen had been there, Juno would’ve been a great motivation but Starkiller had actually no idea what to do with Juno now that he was responsible for her all on his own.  
   
Of course there was one other person who could work. He knew he had to mention him so Sidious wouldn’t be suspicious but even though Galen was the obsessive one in this case as in all others, Starkiller was pretty sure he’d rather spend a few months stuck with orbital bombardment duty than risking his life.  
   
“I suppose my son Carus could serve the same purpose”, he ground out, “but considering he has a bright future as my heir to look forward to, his life is too important to risk.”  
   
“True”, the Emperor agreed to his immense relief, “although you are still very young. If something happened, you could always have other children.”  
   
Starkiller shook his head exasperated. “If I have to sire a child every time I want to destroy a planet, they would just become replaceable and thus no longer work as a motivator either. No, if I want to keep using the power I have to find a way to control it without having to depend on attachments.”  
   
“Ah”, Sidious said, “and there it seems you have learned the most valuable lesson of all. Attachments are a liability. They can make you strong for a short while but ultimately you have to weigh their use against their cost.”  
   
“I think that was a lesson that was a long way coming”, he muttered.  
   
“Do not trouble yourself too much with what has gone wrong”, Sidious said encouragingly. “The Alliance fleet is gone, yes, but that only means the Empire will be able to strengthen its hold in the Outer Rim. With this we have drastically decreased the number of places rebels or traitors can hide. The people now know what we do with criminals – and will be all the more careful not to act out of line.”  
   
“So you won’t cover up what happened on Nal Hutta?”  
   
“On the contrary. The whole galaxy shall know about your power. You have truly earned your name, Lord Nova.”  
   
Starkiller snorted. “I didn’t actually make a star go supernova.”  
   
The Emperor smiled evilly. “Oh, but they don’t have to know that, do they?”  
   
The young Sith returned the smile darkly. Not many Imperials treated him with the respect he deserved, especially amongst the higher ranks. He had appeared so suddenly, had no background and no experience (or so they thought) and was given so much power while they weren’t. This news would make them think twice about challenging him.  
   
Why, when he looked at the old Sith Lord now, the both of them sharing one opinion, being of the same mind… He could almost admit to liking him. Ever since he’d ascended to a Sith Lord himself, Sidious treated him with far more respect. It was much preferable to the constant torture during his teenage years. Then again, he’d been a whiny brat back then.  
   
Yes, he could get used to working under Sidious. There was much he could still learn from his Master.  
   
And so, when the two Sith Lords ended their meeting and Starkiller bowed deeply before he left, he did so for the first time out of actual respect.  
   
Darth Sidious stayed behind, awfully pleased with himself. Everything was going according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter concludes another large part of the fanfic. If I had seperated it into a series of sequels, another oen would start here.  
> I'll have you known that SK destroying a planet was planned from the very start of this fanfic and was the whole reason why I called him Darth Nova. You see, Sidious gave hi that name and he has a talent for seeing the future, so there's where it comes from ;-)
> 
> Originally of course Nal Hutta was supposed to be that deed that earned Sk his Sith name but then Vader came and betrayed Sidious early and Sidious needed an apprentice fast. So instead Nal Hutta became SK's trial of fire like the Jedi temple was for Vader.
> 
> So! The Alliance fleet is gone, though not the organization itself and the Rebellion is still there and so are the Rogues. Time for the GALACTIC CIVIL WAR!


	80. Chapter 80

On board the SD Devastator  
   
Luke panted heavily, the hand holding the lightsaber was trembling. He glared at his father across the training room and rushed at him again but he was careless and angry and Vader evaded his attacks easily.  
   
“Concentrate, Luke!”, he admonished him and with three quick strikes he knocked the lightsaber out of his hand.  
   
“I’m trying!”, the young man huffed and went over to retrieve his weapon. He could feel his father’s worry leak through their bond, which only made him angrier.  
   
“You have to keep your calm. Listen to the Force. Without it, you’ll never be able to defeat me”, the Sith Lord warned.  
   
“It’s not you I have to defeat”, Luke finally burst out.  
   
The news of Nal Hutta had reached them eight days ago. All the progress Luke seemed to have made in recovering his connection to the Force seemed to crumble in the following days as Luke was simply unable to concentrate on his lessons.  
   
“This has to stop”, Vader decided. “We’re not getting anywhere.”  
   
“Oh, so you’ve noticed?”, Luke snapped.  
   
Vader deactivated his lightsaber. “Tell me what is bothering you.”  
   
“You know exactly what.”

“I have my ideas. Tell me anyway.”  
   
Vader motioned to a bench at the wall and Luke was torn for a moment, contemplating just turning his back on his father. In the end though his shoulders sacked and he let out a sigh before walking over to him and sitting down.  
   
“What happened on Nal Hutta… I can’t believe he did that. He is… was my brother”, Luke said quietly.  
   
“Nobody living on that planet was innocent”, Vader reminded him. “Nal Hutta was the culmination of a war fought against a crime cartel.”  
   
“There were innocents on that planet. The Alliance couldn’t get all the slaves off, that’s just not possible. It’s one thing to fight a battle or even bombard a city and I know in war there are always casualties but that… That was genocide, father.”  
   
“He is a Sith Lord, Luke. I know you don’t want to see it but that darkness, the ability to commit murder on such a scale without remorse… that was always in him. I know because I put it there.” The last words where only whispered but his vocalizer made them as clear and bland as any other cold fact.   
   
“I’ve seen the things he did on Tatooine… to ‘free’ the planet. It is not entirely surprising he could do that to a planet”, Luke objected. “No, what worries me is how he could pull it off. I know the Emperor is powerful but I never… He destroyed an entire planet, father! An entire planet. And S.K. is only an apprentice. If he can do that, what hope do we have to ever defeat the Emperor?”  
   
Vader stepped next to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “I will tell you an ancient truth now, Luke. Sith are rarely ever defeated by their enemies. They’re not brought down by Jedi or hostile armies or rebellions rising up against them. They are betrayed by their own allies. The Emperor will fall by the hand of his apprentice. I always thought that would be me but now that role will fall to your brother.”

Luke scowled. “That could be years from now. We won’t survive that long on the run.”  
   
“Maybe we will. I do have plans in motion that will give us leverage against the Empire. With the new development I will have to move them forward but if my plan works… Starkiller won’t be able to use his new power again.”  
   
Luke was silent for a long time. At last he looked up at his father with tears in his eyes.  
   
“Will we have to kill him, Dad?”  
   
The hand on his shoulder squeezed it gently.  
   
“You still believe in him, don’t you?”  
   
“I know he did wrong”, Luke whispered. “He chose the Emperor. He… he wiped out the Alliance fleet, he killed Elvoy. But he’s still S.K. He still cares about Juno and the kid enough to take them to him and I don’t think he’d hurt me either.”  
   
“I do have an idea what he’s going through right now”, Vader said. “I was a lot like that too, after the Republic fell. I believe you can get your brother back but for that to happen there are two conditions. One is that his family, Juno and his child, must remain save. Love can make you do the strangest things and if he looses them he will refuse himself any kind of happiness simply because he thinks himself unworthy of it for not being able to protect them.”

“What’s the second?”, Luke asked with worry. There was nothing he could do to keep Starkiller’s family safe when they were with him.  
   
“The second condition… Starkiller will never rest until he’s had his revenge on me. I betrayed him twice. I will have to pay the price for that.”  
   
“What do you mean by that?”, Luke asked upset.  
   
Vader lowered his head. “Luke… I wanted to tell you for some time now. My body is acting up under old injuries more and more often. Science and mechanics can only keep a dying man up for so long.”  
   
Luke’s eyes widened in shock. “Father… what are you saying!? You can’t be dying!”  
   
“I’ve lived eighteen years past my time, son. It wasn’t always a good life… but the greatest thing I ever accomplished is you.”  
   
“No”, Luke exclaimed in denial, “there has to be a way to save you. We can look into other healing techniques – I could try healing you with the Force!”

“Don’t you think I wouldn’t have researched all possibilities already? I’m tired, Luke. I’m not afraid of death.”  
   
Luke teared up at his words, they sounded so final. He had noticed that his father was having health problems more frequently of course but he’d always pushed the thought aside. If it was anything serious, he would tell him, wouldn’t he? ...Well, apparently now it was.  
   
“How long… How long do you have left?”  
   
“The healers give me two more years, maximum. I don’t intend to stay that long.”  
   
“What… What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.”  
   
Luke’s face grew slack as the realization hit him. “You’ll let S.K. kill you.”  
   
“If I die any other way the unfulfilled wish for revenge will always hunt him. That way there is a chance he can put all this behind him. And when it is done… You will be faced with the most difficult tasks of all.”  
   
Luke run his sleeve over his eyes to wipe away the tears. “What task?”

“You will have to forgive him.”  
   
“Father…!”, Luke cried and now gave up stopping the flow of his tears.  
   
“You have to forgive him and let him know that I forgive him as well. Then, eventually… you might get your brother back.”  
   
Luke couldn’t stop himself any longer, he jumped up and wrapped his arms around the hulking form of his father, sobbing into his black cape. Vader hugged him back, his masked face resting on his son’s shoulder. His respirator was working quicker than usual as he too had to fight with his tears.  
   
“We’ll get him back”, he said with a raw voice. “I promise.”  
   
That night when Luke laid in his bed, emotionally exhausted and tired, he glared at the light switch that he’d forgotten to turn when falling into his bed. He wanted to flip it with his mind alone but it had been months since he’d been able to move objects with the Force. However, in that moment his mind felt empty, if only because he was so tired.  
   
His father was dying… Some part of it must have known it because now that the initial shock was over… he could admit that it didn’t surprise him. All the signs had been there, he’d just chosen to ignore them. He remembered the day when he’d returned to his father only to find him in the med bay, getting his arm replaced. Apparently Obi-Wan had ambushed him. Luke had always thought if those two would meet again, old Kenobi would die. Yet he hadn’t just escaped alive, he’d actually managed to hurt Vader.  
   
He felt so torn about the entire matter. On the one hand he didn’t want his father to die of course, he loved him but watching his health deteriorate and then being separated from him for so long… He had grown used to the idea that he wouldn’t always be there. And then, with the same breath that declared how little time he had left, Vader had also given him hope on gaining back another family member. The prospect filled him with determination. If his father had to die, Luke would make sure it wasn’t for nothing. He would get his brother back, no matter what.  
   
Filled with new purpose, Luke glared at the light switch again, daring it to defy him.  
   
The switch promptly flipped down on its own.  
   
XxX  
   
1BBY, Month 9, Obsidian Castle  
   
Juno held out a stained white baby blanket to the little boy sitting five feet away from her.  
   
“Look sweetie, it’s your favorite blanket. You want to have that, don’t you?”  
   
Carus looked at her disinterested and continued to wriggle around with the tail of his toy bantha.  
   
“Come on, do it for mommy. Come here and take the blanket”, she continued to encourage him.  
   
“Sawata bu”, Carus blubbered and dropped down to all fours.  
   
Juno took a step back. “No, no, you have to stand up. Like this.” She crouched down and got back up again. “See? We want to walk on two legs. It’s easy too!”  
   
Apparently Carus didn’t think so because he started crawling towards her.  
   
Juno backed away further. “See, I’m way faster than you on two legs. Try it out!”  
   
The baby scowled, then dropped down on its but again and started to cry.  
   
Juno sighed tiredly. She tried speaking to him soothingly and at last even gave him the blanket as a peace offering but the boy continued to sob, ignoring the blackmail attempt.  
   
Juno looked down at him sadly. Her little boy was growing up so fast, which meant he went through a lot of toys and clothing. Yet it had been weeks since she’d last been allowed to leave Mustafar to buy things for her little one. His favorite blanket that he used to clutch so tightly during his sleep was no longer interesting and the little bantha that he’d had since Tatooine was missing an ear.  
It wasn’t just his material needs though that bothered her. Lots of poor families could raise their children alright without buying new toys all the time. The point was, her family wasn’t poor. She was living in a kriffing castle! The problem was that her husband was home so little, there were no other kids or just friendly faces around for Carus to play with and she was basically all alone raising him. It was too much. When Mallie had still been there, that had helped but…  
   
Juno sat down, watching her crying son and felt like crying too.  
   
“I miss him too, sweetie”, she whispered.  At least Galen had tried to listen to her and spend more time with his family, but now…  
   
She’d heard it on the news first. She’d had to hear it from the bloody news. The Empire called it a great victory, the eradication of the organized crime in the Outer Rim. Pictures of the sad remains of Nal Hutta were all over the holonet. They didn’t say exactly what had happened and so rumors were running wild, everything from a new mass shadow generator prototype over improved laser cannons used during orbital bombardment to an artificial supernova. They did proclaim loudly that her husband, Lord Nova, had been leading the battle though.  
   
There was not a single word spoken about the Alliance though and when Galen finally returned home, she learned why. He’d told her how he had used an ancient Sith technique to obliterate the planet. Mallie had helped him train in it, but it had been the first time he used it on such a scale and the power was too great. The fleet was gone and so was Mallie.  
   
She’d been shocked at the news, having grown fond of her mother-in-law during her exile on Mustafar. Galen had delivered the news to her as cold fact and she’d thought he was in shock too. She’d tried to help him deal with what must be a terrible guilt but he had pushed her away annoyed.  
From that day on, Galen had changed. She didn’t get to see him much but when she did she had trouble recognizing him. He never spoke about his day, his training or his work. He didn’t tell her how beautiful she was or that he loved her. He never asked how she was. He still came to her bed, filled with lust and passion and the sex was great – she’d thought at the beginning that she could use it to get closer to him again. Until one night she really hadn’t been in the mood and she’d said ‘no’ and he hadn’t liked that. At all. She still had the bruises a whole week later.  
   
Juno hadn’t been this afraid of her husband since Luke had let on that Galen might have something to do with what was wrong with Carus when he was born.  
   
He still asked for his son whenever he was here. He’d tried to spend time with him occasionally but when before they had been sweet and funny together, now Galen grew frustrated with the baby’s antics quickly and she could see how he had to restrain himself in order to not lash out. It was him who had told her that she should stop playing around and concentrate on teaching the boy how to walk and talk.  
   
It was stupid, if Galen had just informed himself he’d know that children learned that all on their own if you interacted normally with them, and besides it wasn’t like she didn’t encourage his attempts to learn constantly already.  
   
Sometimes she thought her husband couldn’t wait until his son was old enough to learn how to use the Force and had no interest in being there while he grew up otherwise. He was missing out on so much.  
   
Juno felt a light touch on her face and looked up. In front of her stood Carus with a cute, confused look and touched her cheek where silent tears were running down.  
   
“Mommy?”, he asked and Juno let out a sob before she hugged her little boy tightly but he struggled free before she could fully lift him into her arms.  
   
“Mommy sad!”, he complained.  
   
“Mommy is alright”, she reassure him. “We’ll get through it, I promise. Do you want to come in the kitchen with me and have something sweet?”  
   
Carus gave a nod but his smile didn’t return. He looked so serious and Juno was stuck how much of her husband she recognized in him.  
   
Juno stood and held out her arms for Carus so she could carry him to the kitchen but instead of dropping down to his knees and crawl forward, the little boy took two wobbly little steps, then fell into her arms and grinned proudly.  
   
Juno laughed under her tears. She couldn’t shake the feeling her boy had waited until she was sad to show her just to cheer her up. She was sad a lot these days.  
   
“You’re my wonderful little baby boy”, she praised him and kissed his forehead.  
   
“Mommy happy?”  
   
“Yes, Mommy is happy. You make Mommy very happy, honey.” This time Carus allowed her to lift him up and she held him to her chest tightly. “You’re all that keeps me going, sweetie.”  
 

XxX

 

1BBY, Month 10, Jedha  
   
Grand Moff Tarkin excited his shuttle with no regards to the troopers saluting to him. The military base on Jedha had been annoyingly slow with its reports. The outpost didn’t have a great importance but the mining facilities on the moon did. They contained one of the largest supplies for kyber crystals in the entire galaxy. Those crystals, since ancient times used in the lightsabers of the Jedi, were now required for the Empire’s greatest weapon: the superlaser of the Death Star that Tarkin was in charge of.  
   
The last two shipments of crystals had been lost though, one to local insurgents and one supposedly had been impure and deemed not fit for processing.  
   
That was in no way acceptable. He’d commanded the Moff in charge of the sector to oversee the project personally and since then he’d heard nothing but excuses from him.

This would end today. Tarkin was more than annoyed that he was forced to come take care of this ridiculous problem himself, but the Emperor had asked him to make sure there would be no further delays in the construction and since that idiot Krennic was completely incapable, he felt the need to take care of it himself. Really, a few well targeted threats where usually enough to get things done, though he did consider alternative options if he had to demote the Moff. As he was a Grand Moff himself, he could probably not demote or execute lower ranking Moffs but he could file a complaint that would almost certainly be followed by the Emperor.  
   
Tarkin smiled thinly and commanded a nearby Stormtrooper to bring him to the Moff’s office. However that smile quickly vanished from his face when he entered said office. There on the chair behind the desk sat the Moff, his head bend back with dark bruises on his throat, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and his eyes bulged out with an expression of terror in them. Behind the desk stood none other than Darth Vader, currently the Empire’s Most Wanted Number One and he was calmly sifting through the Moff’s datapads.  
   
Tarkin glanced behind him to the two troopers accompanying him. They both held their rifles loosely pointed in his direction and didn’t show the least bit of surprise.  
   
It seemed he’d walked right into a trap.  
   
Tarkin straightened his back. The fact that he hadn’t been shot at when his shuttle landed proved that Vader had not lured him here to kill him, at least not immediately and Tarkin was nothing if not a survivor.  
   
“Lord Vader, what a pleasure to see you again”, he said, trying not to sound too sarcastic.  
   
“Grand Moff Tarkin. It has been a while”, Vader drawled. He carelessly waved towards the corpse which promptly slipped from the chair moved by an invisible force so Vader could take its seat. “Why don’t we catch up a bit?”  
   
Tarkin felt a vein pulse angrily at his forehead.  
   
“Of course. However, if possible I would prefer to have this conversation somewhere less… dirty.” He glanced at the dead Moff. He couldn’t have been killed too long ago because he didn’t smell anything yet but that was only a matter of time.  
   
“I’m afraid the other rooms look even worse than this”, Vader answered without regret. “My troops are in the process of cleaning up but we all arrived here a bit on short notice. Take a seat.”  
   
Tarkin swallowed the lump in his throat and sat down opposite of Vader, trying his best to ignore the corpse lying on the ground to his left.  
   
“What is it that you want?”, Tarkin bit out.  
   
“I want to make you an offer. The Empire has become weak during to infighting and its inability to quell rebellions. The two of us together could force a change that is long overdue.”  
   
Tarkin barely suppressed a scoff. “It was your treason that caused the defection of so many good men and you were in charge of quelling the Rebellion but failed at it!”  
   
Vader didn’t let himself be provoked. “The Emperor is corrupt and favors only those of his own wretched kind. I never went around telling people to follow me. I took exactly one ship and that only after the crew decided unanimously to follow me. Everyone else who joined me after that, they did so because they were discontent with the way the Emperor runs the galaxy but still recognized that the system was better than the Republic. The fact that so many of them practically begged me to lead them in addition to the growing Rebellion of naive idealists shows that the Emperor is unable to provide for the needs of his people.”  
   
Tarkin had to admit he had a point. He believed the galaxy was better off with a single decisive ruler but only if that ruler made a good job at it. The Rebellion had been years in the making now and it could’ve possibly been stopped by throwing the people a few crumbs. Of course intimidation worked just as well but that required the Empire to show constant presence. Especially in the case of the Outer Rim, they had neglected this and while the Hutt war had not affected them directly, it had caused waves of unrest to spread through the Empire and inspired the Rebels.  
   
“It is always people like you and me that are being charged with cutting down those terrorists. The Emperor refuses to recognize it as a war but that is exactly what it is. He sits in his palace all day, rarely ever visits other planets and never speaks to the people”, Vader said. “I know you do not have much left for our… ‘religion’. I do not blame you, not many of those not sensitive to it can understand the power of the Force. But I am not the one who is locking himself in for days of meditation, I am not the one who listens to the Force and ignores the cries of the mortal people.”  
   
“Of course you are showing more presence at the front”, Tarkin answered. “You are a military commander, not a politician.”   
   
Vader had the respect of his men as he often fought alongside them but the Emperor had his own elite guard who were similarly loyal.  
   
The Grand Moff had always respected Vader, not because of his silly religion or his magic power but because he was a good tactician, a formidable warrior and didn’t hesitate to do what was necessary.  
   
“The Empire is a military dictatorship and as such should be in the hands of a military man, not a politician.”  
   
Tarkin hid a sneer. “Someone like you?”  
   
“No”, Vader surprised him, “someone like you, Grand Moff.”  
   
Tarkin stared at him in shock. That was something he had not expected. What Vader was suggesting was high treason and for a moment he wondered if his defection might’ve been a ruse, a trick of the Emperor to test him and his ambitions.  
   
Because the truth was… Tarkin had always been an ambitious man. After Vader’s defection he had seen himself as the new second in command of the galaxy. Then that stupid Lord Nova came along. Vader’s appearance at the birth of the Empire had been unexpected and quite bothersome. Why should anyone who had no experience in war, who hadn’t fought a single day in the Clone Wars like he had, why should someone like that be given so much power? Vader had proved himself and earned that power since then but now he was a traitor and instead of promoting Tarkin, the Emperor had given his place to yet another nobody.  
   
The Grand Moff knew the Emperor was old and he had had his hopes and plans about taking over after he died, especially since he had no appointed successor.  
   
So yes, he had thought a few times how that would be like, to be called ‘Emperor Tarkin’. But Vader would’ve been the last person he’d expect to help him accomplish this goal.  
   
“I’m listening”, he said at last.  
   
“You know how to lead both an army and a government, seeing as you’ve been supervising an entire oversector of systems for 14 years now. You know how to control people through fear, yet you also treat those loyal to you fairly.”

“I would’ve thought your defection meant you wanted to claim that title for yourself”, Tarkin said, testing him.  
   
“As you said, I am not a politician. The power that comes with being Emperor is not worth the trouble it would bring. I would have to rely on advisers whose loyalties I could never be sure of. I want the best for the Empire and right now, that is you.”  
   
“Let us… pretend for a moment I would be interested in what you are offering”, Tarkin said, consciously aware of the troopers behind him still pointing their blasters at him. “Why do you come to me with this now and how to you expect to dethrone the Emperor? Your fleet isn’t that great.”

“I expect that you’ve heard of Nal Hutta.”

Tarkin stiffened visibly. Of yes, of course he had heard of Nal Hutta. The whole deal had offended him a great deal. Whatever weapon Lord Nova had used to destroy the planet, he had to wonder why the Emperor hadn’t told him of its existence. After all he was in charge of the Death Star, a project that swallowed millions of credits every day. If the Emperor had secretly developed a second super weapon, maybe as a sort of fail safe or because he grew impatient with the delays of the battle station, then he could’ve told him.   
   
“I have heard of the Emperor’s new super weapon, yes”, he admitted and ground his teeth.  
   
“The weapon is a man. Lord Nova destroyed Nal Hutta and he did so through the power of the Force.”  
   
Tarkin stared at him. “That is ridiculous! The Force can make things float and sometimes help you to read minds but it can’t destroy a planet!”  
   
“Yes it can. The Emperor’s new apprentice can’t control his powers all that well yet. That is why next to the inhabitants of Nal Hutta, the crew of the entire Alliance fleet he brought with him is now dead”, Vader said calmly.  
   
“Then it is an ineffective weapon! The Emperor was a fool to use him!”  
   
“You don’t understand”, Vader growled. “Nova will eventually learn to perfect his powers and when he does, he will be capable of wiping out all life on a planet without causing any damage to the infrastructure. You believe the people will quake in fear of a battle station the size of a moon that can vaporize their planet with a single shot? Yes it is big and intimidating but it still needs a crew of billions to run and swallows more resources than an entire fleet. It cannot be fired randomly at any planet or soon we wouldn’t have any left. But Lord Nova is a single man, one man who can easily afford to ‘clean’ planets of rebels, leaving their resources untouched and recolonizing it with loyalists. As soon as he thinks he might not need the Emperor anymore, Nova will kill him and take the throne for himself. Nobody will be able to oppose him because he holds the entire galaxy hostage. I happen to personally know Lord Nova and I can assure you that he is mentally unstable and not fit to rule an Empire.”  
   
Tarkin paled as he heard those words. A man that could destroy planets with his mind alone and he was mentally unstable!? True, he only had Vader’s word for that but if he belonged to that same crazy religion, he was willing to believe him. On an entirely different note… If Nova took over, Tarkin would never ascend to more in his life. He would never become Emperor.  
   
“What do you suggest?”, he wanted to know.  
   
“We will fight fire with fire. The Death Star’s construction is almost complete. If you and your men join me, we can use it as leverage against the Emperor. If he ever uses Lord Nova again to destroy a planet, we will vaporize a core world in retaliation.”  
   
“The people would turn against him”, Tarkin as he thought about the consequences of such a bold threat. “The richest and most influential people live in the Core. We could kill the Emperor himself if we targeted Imperial Center.”

“Most likely, however it would be foolish to try that as long as we can’t be sure that Nova is there as well. In any case the Emperor would probably feel it as soon as he senses such a large threat coming. But this way we can prevent Nova from perfecting his powers, which gives us time to track him down and kill him.”  
   
“You know what this would mean, don’t you?”, Tarkin whispered. “With my influence I can bring the majority of my oversector to our side. We would essentially split the Empire in half. The Outer Rim is already sinking into chaos from the power vacuum left by the loss of both the Alliance fleet and the defeat of the Cartel and let’s not even talk about the Rebellion. It would be like the Clone Wars all over again and we’d be the Separatists only that we’re not using clones or droids. We’re using people. It would be a civil war.”  
   
“The Emperor and Nova have to be stopped. The Empire is already shattered, we would only make it official. With the Death Star to counter the threat of that which destroyed Nal Hutta, at least we can keep the casualties to a minimum. Once you are Emperor, we can build up the galaxy better than it was ever before.”  
   
Tarkin gave that idea some serious thought.  
   
“And you would be willing to follow my lead in this? You would bow to me and serve me as your Emperor?”  
   
“I respect your abilities. It would be a relief to know my orders are coming from someone who understands how the galaxy really works. I trust that you will not misuse that power. If you do… The high ranking Generals and Admirals may respect you but I’m the one who holds the loyalty of our soldiers. Do not forget that.”

Tarkin nodded slowly. In truth he’d be more than a little suspicious if Vader offered to serve him without somehow pointing out how effortlessly he could dispose of him if he so wished. Vader was a valuable ally but a dangerous one.  
   
“Very well, Lord Vader. If you allow, I will think about your offer for some time.”  
   
“You have one week”, Vader allowed and stood. “To a successful partnership.”  
   
Tarkin gave a polite nod. That Vader was willing to let him go was a good sign, it meant he was serious about his offer and wanted him to join him willingly. The Grand Moff had made the request only to test him. In his heart, he had already made a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little late but Happy Easter to everyone!


	81. Chpter 81

0BBY, Month 2, Corellia Rebel base  
   
Leia Organa slammed the door behind her, which caused several Rebels to turn her way and stare. She gave them all a fierce glare, noticing their white uniforms and black vests. Uniforms gave the men a feeling of working together and improved their solidarity. That’s what Mon Mothma had said but right now Leia would’ve preferred the men to run around in rags.  
   
“Senator Organa”, Mon Mothma greeted her. She stood in the middle of the control center in front of a holomap. “You look upset. Did something happen?”  
   
“Yes something did happen”, Leia snapped angrily. “I need to talk to you. Now.”  
   
“Of course, Princess”, the older woman said, giving her a puzzled look.  
   
Leia left the room with her following, still fuming.  
   
Three weeks ago Mon Mothma had offered to mentor her in the military parts of the Rebellion. She’d taken part in strategic meetings, got to answer reports of missions, planned the distribution of supplies and more. She’d been so proud that someone finally thought she could do more than play  a role and be the loyal face in the Imperial senate. Mon had said she was taking to military science like a fish to the water and she’d been eager to prove herself. For the first time she felt like she was making a difference. Until now.  
   
“What seems to be the problem, Princess?”, Mon Mothma wanted to know. Ironically, with her it was a sign of disappointment – or disrespect? - if she called her Princess because her highest ranking title was Senator and Mon usually addressed her like that, treating her like an equal. She didn’t do that when Leia made some mistake or acted childish though.  
   
Well, she was not being childish now.  
   
“I took a look at our books”, Leia began with a fierce scowl. “I was curious, you know, where we got the money for those new uniforms. We lost three transports last week that were raided by Imperials, I was worried we’d have to cut down on the rations in the base this month. But we got over 10,000 credits from an anonymous source that took me two days to follow. Do you know where it came from?”  
   
“Leia-”

“It was from a donation campaign for orphanages here on Corellia. Imperial orphanages that Imperial citizen donated for.”  
   
“Leia, we never stole that money, if that’s what you think”, Mon interrupted her. “The entire campaign was organized by us, the orphanages didn’t know of it and never expected any money to come. They weren’t in terrible need for it, we are.”  
   
Leia stared at her shocked. “How can you say that!?”  
   
“We are fighting for the whole galaxy, for the people and all citizen! There are a lot of people who would donate for our cause but we can’t very well go around declaring what the money is for. We spread the news to known sympathizers. A lot of the people donating knew exactly what the money was for.”  
   
“But not all of them! You know we’re fighting for a good cause, I know we’re fighting for a good cause but a lot of Imperials don’t know that, they see us as terrorists. Let’s forget about the PR mess we’d raise if that ever got out and how it would ruin our reputation. We cannot ask Imperial citizen for money for the Rebellion and tell them it’ll be used to help orphaned children! That is… That is wrong on so many levels!”  
   
“Princess, you are young, you do not know yet how these things work. The Rebellion needs this money so we can expand and have a presence on as many planets as possible, now more than ever.” Mon sighed. “I didn’t want to trouble you with this knowledge yet but a while back we got a hint that the Empire is building a new super weapon, a space station with enough firepower to destroy a planet. It could be what destroyed Nal Hutta.”  
   
“What?”, Leia made, feeling some of her righteous anger make room for fear. “But… But Nal Hutta wasn’t destroyed. And… And they never said anything about a space station, wouldn’t they tell everyone if they had such a weapon?”

“We better hope it was the station because if it wasn’t… It would mean they have not one but two super weapons. You see how important it is that we have this money? We can use it to equip and hide our bases, which is now more important than ever.”

Leia’s scowl was back. “But to use it from a donation campaign...”

“You don’t understand, we need-”

“Oh, I understand perfectly. I understand that no organization, not even a heroic Rebellion against an evil Empire, is free from corruption. I finally understand why the Republic failed.”  
   
Mon looked at her stunned. “Leia!”

“It’s not Leia! And it’s not Princess either, it’s Senator Organa for you! If I ever find out that you use a charity campaign to steal money from Imperial civilians, I will bring this case in front of the Council. This is not the Rebellion I signed up for and I’m sure a lot of our men think the same. Nal Hutta was only the beginning. Nobody cares when a crime planet is wiped clean but when the Empire starts to target planets under our control, that could very well be our end. People will just give up and if their weapons and rations come from money that was supposed to go to orphans, I can’t blame them! We cannot allow ourselves to lose sight of our goal, to lose our ideals and our faith. We cannot allow ourselves to become like the Empire or there will be nobody left to follow us when the Empire starts to bring out the big guns.”  
   
With those words Leia stormed away, leaving a stunned Senator behind. She went to her room, a cramped little cell no bigger than that of any other Rebel in the secret underground base. The Rebellion had bases and outposts on many different planets. Some just consisted of the home of a sympathetic family, other’s were fully equipped military bases. The base on Corellia wasn’t very large and housed mainly those that were wanted by the Empire. Most of their allies didn’t live here but came to meet up and exchange information.  
   
Leia’s room was small because their organization stood for equality amongst other things and she didn’t want to be favored over anyone just because she was a Princess. However this meant she had no office on her own to work through all the reports she received so she just flopped down on her bed and grabbed one of her datapads to start working off her frustration.  
   
It was three hours later when she’d just decided to take a break that her commlink beeped.  
   
She checked it and promptly scowled. She had several lines open for different purposes and this one she gave to people who wanted to speak to the Imperial Senator Organa. She contemplated if she should answer the call or not. Nothing would be worse than if the Empire tracked her location and thereby the location of the Rebel base through her comm. But she hadn’t been under surveillance and anyway, traitors were now handled by Lord Nova who knew exactly that she was a spy. He could be tracking her location to get to the base but he could only do that once and somehow she doubted he would waste his chance on Corellia. There were far larger bases that she was aware of and occasionally visited.  
   
Her decision made she answered the comm.  
   
“This is Senator Organa.”

There was some fast breathing on the other side that made Leia scowl harder. At last she heard an insecure, quiet female voice:

“Leia? Is that you?”  
   
Leia had to think hard for several seconds where she had heard that voice before.  
   
“Wait… Juno!?”

“Yes… It’s me.”  
   
“Why are you calling me? How did you get this frequency?”  
   
“Mallie gave it to me a few months ago… I was worried what would happen to my family if something went wrong and she wanted to help me find alternatives so she gave me a list of people to call if I was in trouble. I tried Luke first but he’s not on Tatooine anymore. I’m sorry to bother you, it’s just… Elvoy is dead, Kazgul is kind of creepy and I never really liked Solo… There is nobody else I knew who to call who could help me.”  
   
“It’s alright”, Leia reassured her, “what’s going on?” She tried to shake off the bad feeling she had. She knew Nova had taken his wife back to wherever he lived now and if he did plan to somehow set a trap for the Rebellion through her, it would be just like him to use his wife for that. For all she knew Juno would even help him willingly. They were married after all and even had a child.  
   
“I just don’t know what to do anymore”, Juno whispered. “My husband, he… He’s so different ever since he returned from… from Nal Hutta.”  
   
Leia stiffened. She’d heard that Nal Hutta had been destroyed at Nova’s command but she didn’t know how. Was it that elusive battle station Mon had been talking about?  
   
“Juno, do you know what happened on Nal Hutta or the Alliance fleet? Do you know how the Empire did that?”, she wanted to know.  
   
“I don’t know… Leia, you have to help me, please. He’s nothing like himself. He’s just… training all the time and they bring in more and more prisoners and I can smell their ashes all the way up to my room. I… I’m scared of him.”  
   
“It’s alright Juno, I need you to calm down”, Leia said. “Has he hurt you?”  
   
“No… He’s rough with me sometimes but he hasn’t hurt me on purpose.”  
   
“Where are you now?”

“I’m in the castle. Obsidian Castle, on Mustafar.”  
   
So that was where the GSF chief had his headquarters! Leia would make sure to tell Mon, Nova was a high ranking Imperial target – wait, no she was still mad at Mon. She would tell her father, yes!  
   
“Do you have a way off the planet?”, she asked further.  
   
“There are ships here at the hangar but they’re all guarded at all times. I don’t know how I would manage to steal one, especially with a crying baby.”  
   
“Listen to me Juno”, Leia said. “Lord Nova is a very big target, a lot of people want to see him dead after Nal Hutta. I know of a few friends who might be willing to risk attacking Mustafar and get you out but you need to give me something. I need to know how Nova destroyed Nal Hutta.”  
   
The other end was silent for a long moment.  
   
“You… You want to kill my husband?”, Juno asked quietly.  
   
Leia bit her lip. “Juno, if you want away from him… That’s the only way.”  
   
“I… I can’t. I’m sorry. I just want to leave, I...”  
   
“Juno, calm down.  You know if you just left he would hunt you down.”

“Would he?”, she answered with a humorless laugh. “I don’t know. He doesn’t seem to care all that much if I’m there.”  
   
“Juno, I can’t help you if you aren’t serious about this.”  
   
“I just… I don’t want him dead. I keep hoping he will come back to his senses, he used to be so gentle… I’m sorry Leia but you can’t ask that of me.”  
   
Leia tried her best to hide her disappointment. “Alright, but still… Can you tell me what happened at Nal Hutta? It is really important.”  
   
The other end was silent.  
   
“Juno? How did the fleet get destroyed? Did the Empire maybe send someone else? Was there perhaps… a space station?”  
   
“There was no space station”, Juno whispered. Then the line went dead.  
   
Leia put down her commlink with a shaking hand. From the pictures on the holonet she knew that there had been no orbital bombardment, the destruction had been of a different kind. But if it was not the fleet and it was not Mon’s battle station… Then just what kind of weapon had the Empire used? And how was the Rebellion ever going to survive if their enemy had that kind of power?  
   
XxX  
   
0BBY Month 3, Yavin 4  
   
Leia watched from the shadows as the woman was brought in. She scowled as she saw the handcuffs and wondered if they really thought anyone would be so stupid as to try anything when surrounded by soldiers, in the middle of the headquarters of the Rebellion.  
   
Someone stepped next to her and she turned to notice a gray skinned Zabrak girl who let her eyes wander over her form.  
   
“You’re Senator Organa, aren’t you?”, the girl, barely older than her, asked.  
   
“That’s right. And your name is?”  
   
“Maris Brood, Jedi Padawan”, she introduced herself with a smile. Leia returned it and they shook hands.  
   
“It’s nice to meet you, Padawan Brood.”  
   
“Just Maris is fine. Oh, looks like they’re about to start.”  
   
Leia and Maris turned their eyes up front where General Draven was flipping through a file while he stepped towards the handcuffed woman.  
   
“So you call yourself Liana Halleck now. Is that correct? Found in possession of illegal weapons, fake Imperial documents, aggravated assault, flight from preventive custody, resistance against arrest. Just imagine if the Empire found out who you really are, Jyn Erso.”  
   
The woman – Jyn – didn’t even blink and Leia had to respect her for keeping her cool.  
   
“So… what is this about?”, Maris whispered to her. “Since when do we chain up people who committed crimes against the Empire?”  
   
“Since Mon Mothma was voted leader of the Rebellion”, Leia whispered back. She knew it was impolite, especially since everyone else was paying attention to Draven’s interrogation but she didn’t really give a damn. Mon and her were not on the best terms right now and though it was childish, she sort of enjoyed falling out of her role a bit.  
   
“This is your chance to start anew. We believe that you can help us”, Mon said to the woman just then and Leia barely hid a scoff. As if the Senator would care what happened to the daughter of an Imperial scientist.  
   
“You don’t like her much, do you?”, Maris asked quietly. “Is that why you hide back here and don’t stand with the others?”  
   
“I may be a Senator”, Leia whispered back, “but I’m not on the Council. My father is.” She nodded to Bail Organa, who was also holding himself back but still visibly backing up Mothma.  
   
Back up front, Jyn didn’t prove to be very cooperative.  
   
“If that is all, we’ll send you back where we found you”, Draven said.  
   
“I was just a child. Saw saved my life and raised me but that was years ago!”, she protested.  
   
“I don’t like this”, Maris commented. “She’s just a civilian, why do they want to make her risk her life?”  
   
“Because the Empire completed building their second weapon of mass destruction and we can’t win this war if we remain the good guys”, Leia said angrily. Then she impulsively turned on her heels and left the control center.  
   
To her surprise she heard Maris follow her.  
   
“Senator Organa, wait!”  
   
“What are you even still doing here?”, she asked tiredly. “Doesn’t Mothma have some kind of mission for you? I’m sure they are all falling over themselves assigning you to some suicide mission, being a Jedi and all.”  
   
Maris scowled. “The Jedi don’t work for the Rebellion. We concentrate on building up our order again.”  
   
“Then I ask again, what are you doing here?”  
   
“Well… not everybody is happy building things. I’m kind of better at blowing stuff up.”  
Leia gave her a raised eyebrow and she elaborated: “I play messenger between the headquarters and the temple and sometimes volunteer for missions. But nobody can assign me to anything.”  
   
“Well, that’s good for you.”  
   
“Yes, well… I got offered this mission. The woman back there, she’s supposed to get a team to Saw Gerrera who’s holding this Imperial deserter captive. Supposedly they have information about how to destroy the Death Star.”  
   
Leia nodded. The rumors about that battle station were now too many to ignore them. First the Jedi, then Leia’s own warning after Juno called her and several other indications had convinced the Council that the threat was real. While they still didn’t know how the Empire had destroyed Nal Hutta, they had confirmation about the existence of the Death Star.  
   
“So you are going to follow the lead?”

“I’m part of the team, yes. The problem is that that guy, Captain Andor. I don’t trust him, there’s something shady about him. I was hoping maybe you could tell me something about him.”  
   
Leia sighed. “Unfortunately the Rebellion has been forced to use the services of such… shady characters quite often in the past. I don’t know Andor, I’m sorry. In the best case he’s just a smuggler running from the Empire who will abandon your team at the first sign of trouble.”

“And in the worst case?”, Maris asked worried. Abandonment by their team leader already sounded pretty serious.  
   
“In the worst case”, Leia whispered, “he’s Mothma’s personal assassin.”  
   
Maris gaped. “Wait, what!? You’re joking, aren’t you?”

“Wouldn’t put it past her. Saw Gererra has been a thorn in her side for some time now. He’s in possession of several important secrets of the Rebellion and his oppositional attitude towards the Empire has almost led to his capture before several times. Andor might be out to kill him or possibly the captured deserter.”  
   
“What? But why? I thought the Rebellion accepted Imperial deserters with open arms.”  
   
“We do but this one didn’t desert to join the Rebellion… He wanted to join the Rogues. For Gererra, they’re all the same, that’s why he got captured. Keep your eyes open. There’s nothing black and white in war and sometimes in our haste to wipe out the enemy we forget what we’re fighting for.”  
   
“You’re…. Very wise”, Maris said quietly. “For your age, I mean. I know what you’re talking about, I learned that lesson myself...”

“From your Master?”

“No...From my enemy.” Maris smiled at her again. “Thank you for the warning. I should probably head back to the briefing now.”  
   
“Try to be nice to the woman”, Leia asked her. “It’s not right that we ambushed her like that.”  
   
“I will but don’t worry about it too much. I have a good feeling about her.”  
   
Leia laughed. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had said that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing from Leia's perspective is a new and fresh point of view that I've grown fond of so I made sure to include her more often, now that she plays a larger role than just Imperial Senate spy. I also had to wonder where her influence came from. She was a major leader of teh Rebellion after New Hope but she had to have gathered at least some experience before that, didn't she? Both in leading the Rebellion and in military science. That's why I gave her Mothma as a mentor (who in turn only does that cause Bail slipped up) but I also wanted her to make her own way and be indeoendant and strong because that's teh princess we love, which is the reason I created that rift between the two.
> 
> Anyway, we're entering the Rogoe One timeline and isn't that just amazing how I changed so much in galactic history yet some things are always the same?
> 
> Then again... how might that mission change if the team has a real life Jedi padawan on board? ;-)


	82. Chapter 82

In a dark room where the only light came from a holopad and the shimmering blue head over it, Darth Nova knelt on the floor with his head bowed.  
   
“What is they bidding, my Master?”, he asked in the typical Sith manner.  
   
“I have been content with your work in uncovering the rebel cells along the Mid Rim. You seem to have regained your full strength. Your next assignment will be more important though and I will not accept failure.”  
   
Nova looked up through yellow eyes. He was burning for action but still he hoped he wouldn’t have to put the power of the mask to use at the same scale of Nal Hutta anytime son. It had taken him months to recover from that. The physicals wounds and exhaustion were easily fixed but he was still occasionally stung by the dark side when he used it in combat. It wasn’t anything he couldn’t ignore but it was annoying.  
   
“There is a traitor to the Empire. His name is Galen Erso. He’s fled from Eadu with a group of Rebels. As he was under suspicion for a while before that, a sub-dermal tracking chip has been put on him without his knowledge during his last medical check.”  
   
“Why can’t the responsible party capture him then?”, Starkiller wanted to know.  
   
“The circumstances of his flight suggest he had the help of a Jedi. I can only trust you with this assignment. It is of utmost importance that this traitor is captured.”  
   
“What is the significance of this man?”  
   
“He’s an engineer at a battle station that has been recently finished.  He is one of the brightest minds in our weapon development department and cannot fall into the Rebel’s hands.”

“I will track down the traitor and bring you his head.”

“No, Lord Nova, I want him alive. His service is needed for a… follow up project.”  
   
Starkiller scowled at him. “The battle station you speak of, is it the Death Star?”  
   
Darth Sidious looked down at his apprentice silently for a moment. “Why am I not surprised that you know of it?”  
   
Starkiller smiled slyly. “Because you taught me well, Master.”  
   
He’d actually found out about the Death Star from various information he’d gathered from rebel cells he destroyed. A lost shipment of Wookie slaves there, a load of metal that vanished from the supply lists, Imperial personnel being recruited into sub-departments that didn’t exist… With the power granted to him, Lord Nova had the means to arrest and interrogate as many Imperials as he wanted as long as their rank wasn’t too high. He’d been a spy and assassin for years under Sidious and he was good at what he did.  
   
“Allow me the question Master but if you do have a battle station – and are obviously building even more now – with the firepower to destroy a planet then why did you insist I learn to use the power of the void to do the same?”  
   
He wasn’t mad that his Master had a super weapon that could do the same as his supposedly unique power. In fact, he was even a little relieved, seeing as it meant he probably wouldn’t have to use it again soon. The after effects were pretty serious and he didn’t even know if he could safely put on the mask without Galen anyway.  
   
“I thought that would be obvious. Machines are fallible. They can malfunction, they can be sabotaged or hacked. If anything were to happen to the Death Star, how crushing do you think it would be to those hopeful Rebels if we reveal that the Death Star wasn’t the greatest weapon in our arsenal?”  
   
“I understand, Master.”  
   
“The Death Star is currently under the authority of Grand Moff Tarkin. Once you’ve captured Erso, I want you to take him back to him so he can be properly… reprimanded before he returns into our employ.”  
   
“Yes, Master.”  
   
“Then go now… And do not fail me, my apprentice.  
   
XxX  
   
“The Corridor is secure, Sir!”, a white clad rogue trooper reported.  
   
Luke nodded at him.  
   
“Thank you. Let’s move on.”  
   
Two troopers took position at either side of a heavy magnetic door, their weapons ready. Luke raised his hand and the doors swung open at his mental command.  
   
The other five troopers behind him kept to the wall as the next room was revealed to them, which was good because a moment later they were targeted with laserfire.  
   
Luke swirled his blue lightsaber around, deflecting the shots and expertly redirecting one to meet a Stormtrooper that had gotten a bit too far out of his cover.  
   
The room was round with a holopad in the middle. The two crates between the two corridors that met the round room at a right angle had clearly been moved there when people started preparing for the invasion because Luke couldn’t think of any use for them in a meditation chamber.  
   
Two Stormtroopers had taken position behind the crates – one of them now dead. Their appearance didn’t differ from the rogue troopers at all. The only way for Luke to tell enemy and friends apart was through the comm that connected him with all the troops over a secure channel.  
   
The second trooper quickly fell under the answering fire of Luke’s troops.  
   
Once he was disposed of, Luke activated a small display, easily mistaken for a watch, that he wore at his wrist. At once a miniature holo map of the facility appeared that showed him his position.  
   
“Alright troopers, we have two more corridors to cross before we reach the dining hall. Lord Vader and the rest of our troops have been working to chase everyone there so prepare yourselves. This is going to get ugly.”  
   
His father had enacted this strategy before. He would attack an Imperial facility from three different sides and spread out his troops, sending them to the less populated areas first and chase everyone to where the really dangerous targets lived. He himself would lead one of the groups until another called for backup and then rotate in order to keep casualties on his own side as low as possible.  
Now that Luke was finally capable to use the Force in combat again, Vader had allowed him to accompany him on his missions and even to led a Rogue squadron of his own.  
   
This particular facility was used by the Empire to train their Inquisitors. They had one Head Inquisitor that Vader had already killed as the man had bravely (or arrogantly) faced the Sith Lord when the invasion started. As this was an academy for advanced students, their age varied between 15 and 20 years and there were around 20 of them. Then there was the security of the base itself, consisting of both Stormtroopers and battle droids. Most of the security was now dead or disabled because they had bought time for the students as they retreated to a position that was easier to defend.  
Luke activated his comm. He didn’t really need it to reach his father as with his returned Force ability he had also been able to reestablish their mental bond but the channel also connected him to the Commander in charge of the third group.  
   
“This is Squad Two, we’ve reached the destination.”  
   
Over the comm, his father’s voice answered. In the background, laserfire could be heard.  
   
“This is Squad One, we’ll be there in two minutes.”  
   
“Squad Three in position”, the last Commander answered.  
   
Luke signaled his men to wait and as soon as his father confirmed they were ready, he urged them to move on.  
   
The dining hall was a large rectangular room. The benches and tables had been turned into makeshift barricades. The dark acolytes hid behind them but two stood facing Luke’s entrance and he could feel them gathering Force energy.  
   
“Don’t shoot!”, he commanded his men, knowing the acolytes would be able to deflect them easily. But the two didn’t seem to be armed and so he rushed forward to engage the red clad youths in close combat.  A few strikes of his lightsaber ended their lives before they could complete their counter attack.  
   
Now fighting could be heard from all around the room. There was a mighty crash when Vader pushed a whole barricade forward and into the lines of the acolytes from opposite of Luke. Rogue troopers spilled through the gaps in their defense and Luke too joined them in the fight.  
   
Soon he met with his father on the battlefield and they slipped into position naturally. Through plenty of hours practicing against droids, they could fight back to back without hindering the other. Their lightsabers, red and blue, swished around in tandem. They covered each other and built up their attacks to overwhelm their foes.  
   
Luke had never felt such exhilaration during a fight. The feeling of fighting together with his father, no longer Master and student but equal partners… He felt his father’s pride through their bond and it made his heart sing with happiness. If only… If only his brother could be here to join them.  
   
At last the acolytes lay dead.  
   
“You have fought well today”, his father praised him and Luke positively beamed at him.  
   
Then his father winced and Luke felt a dulled echo of his pain.  
   
“Father! Are you hurt?”, he asked at once.  
   
“No. I am fine.” Vader slowly turned around. “Come. Let us search this academy.  There could be valuable knowledge hidden here.”  
   
Luke followed his father but as soon as they were out of earshot of the troopers, he had to ask again:  
“Are you sure you are alright? I can feel your pain… your exhaustion.”  
   
“There will be time to rest later, son.”  
   
Luke scowled in worry. He remembered all to well what his father had told him, that his health was rapidly approaching a low point.  
   
“I… I did good during this attack, didn’t I?”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
“Maybe I could lead the next one alone.”  
   
Luke felt his father close himself off from him but a bit of irritation still seeped through their bond.  
   
“You need to rest more, father!”, Luke urged him. “These battles are doing you no good. I can take some of that work off of you.”  
   
“Luke, stop it!”, Vader scolded him harshly. “I have always led my troops myself, it is what makes them respect me. I am certainly not stopping to do so now.”  
   
“But you’re not well!”

“I can deal with a bunch of children easily.”  
   
Luke flinched at that. He hadn’t thought of the acolytes as children, they weren’t that young and all of them were being trained to kill before they even learned to walk. But to his father, they were still young and if things had gone a little different, Luke or his brother or even Leia with their Force-sensitivity could’ve easily ended up here.  
   
“You could die in one of those battles”, Luke tried again.  
   
“Death in battle is the only acceptable death”, his father answered emotionless.  
   
Luke was exasperated. To a certain extent he could understand that his father didn’t want to succumb to his wounds on a sickbed but that didn’t mean he didn’t want him to fight for his life for as long as possible.  
   
The two had reached what seemed to be the library of the academy. Two troopers were warding the entrance and stepped aside when they neared.  
   
“In these academies you have the public area”, Vader motioned around as they entered towards the shelves holding thousands of datapads, “and then you have the one restricted to staff members. It is usually hidden behind some sort of mechanism. If we’re lucky, our attack came surprising enough and they haven’t had time to destroy it.”  
   
Luke nodded, with how cocky the head inquisitor had met them he didn’t think he’d been prepared for a takeover.  
   
“I want you to search for the hidden room while I look for something interesting in the archive.”  
   
Luke turned around surprised. “Me?”  
   
“Yes, son. Look for orders of the Emperor, information about other academies… The Emperor has distributed his collection of Sith knowledge over various places like this one, we could even learn of a way to defeat him.”  
   
Happy about the trust put in him, Luke began his search while his father sat in front of a monitor and started browsing through the content of the public library.  
   
Luke concentrated on the Force and walked along the shelves until in the back he found one where the wall was hollow behind it. There was a magnetic card reader hidden behind the shelf but Luke didn’t bother with it and instead drew his lightsaber. He stuck it into the wall and cut out a rough shape that he pushed forward till it fell to the floor.  
   
The room behind was dark. Luke only had his lightsaber and the light coming from his forced entrance. There were more shelves with datasticks lining the walls and a computer to search through them but his attention was immediately drawn towards a pedestal in the back of the room. Floating about two inches above it was a cube made of red crystal that was covered in black, yellow and orange markings. As Luke stared at it with wide eyes, he could’ve sworn he heard a silent whisper coming from the cube, a malicious voice spitting poison in his ear. He didn’t understand a word of the ancient language but he doubted it said anything nice.  
   
Luke reached out but didn’t dare touch it. He had heard about these objects but never seen one himself.  
   
He was looking a Sith holocron.  
   
Excited Luke removed his black outer robe, which left him shivering in the cold in his brown under shirt. He used the robe to cover the holocron and remove it from the pedestal without having to touch it directly.  
   
Then he carefully carried it back out and into the main library where his father still sat in front of the computer.  
   
“Father, look what I found!”, he exclaimed, then came over to him and carefully placed the bundle on the desk. He unwrapped it and then looked at his father expectantly.  
   
Vader however ignored him, his eyes still fixated on the monitor.  
   
“Father?”, Luke asked confused and maybe a little hurt that he was being ignored. Through their bond, he felt an unusual calmness fill his father.  
   
Luke leaned forward a bit, slowly raised his hand and moved it in front of Vader’s mask, blocking his view of the monitor.  
   
Vader didn’t react.  
   
“Are you… asleep?!”, Luke said, shocked and amused at the same time. He looked at the monitor, Vader hadn’t even started his search. Suddenly he had the most ridiculous picture in his mind of what Vader would look like if he painted a yellow mustache on his respirator.  
   
His amusement quickly faded to worry though. The battle must’ve really exhausted his father if he just fell asleep like that in the middle of a hostile facility. It also explained why he’d tasked Luke with searching the library.  
   
He contemplated if he should wake his father or let him rest. It would be terribly embarrassing if a trooper found him like this but he looked like he really needed a break right now.  
   
In the end Luke took a seat opposite of his father and turned the monitor around so he could search through the databank himself. He noted down any interesting information he found such as access and identification codes and when he was done after around half an hour he started playing sabacc with the computer.  
   
About an hour later Vader began to move again. He took a few moments to orientate himself and Luke felt him close himself off completely, probably hiding feelings of embarrassment.  
   
“What did you get?”, Vader tried to brush over his lapse.  
   
“34 to 12 for me.”  
   
Vader started at him uncomprehending and Luke turned the monitor around to let him see what he’d been playing.  
   
His father was silent for almost a minute.  
   
“How long?”, he asked at last.  
   
“Almost two hours.”  
   
“...Luke, I-”

“I’m leading the next attack alone”, he decided. “No discussion.”  
   
“Luke”, he tried again, warningly.  
   
“No, father. You’ve taken care of me for eight years. Let me take care of you now. Please.”  
   
He didn’t wait for his answer, knowing he’d have to think about it. Instead he uncovered the holocron in the middle of the table.  
   
“This is what I found in the back room.”  
   
Vader reached out and lifted the holocron, which began to glow in his hand. Luke watched him for a couple of moments as different sections of runes began to glow brighter and knew his father was accessing the knowledge within through the Force.  
   
At last he couldn’t stand it anymore and asked:  
   
“Well? Is it worth something?”  
   
After a while his father answered: “It is an old holocron. There are saber techniques recorded in it, interpretations of the code, legends… It’s a holocron meant to teach the basics, most of the techniques are outdated though. There are some interesting references to other sources but nothing that would help us.”  
   
Luke’s shoulders slumped. “So it’s useless then.”  
   
“Yes… Wait. This one...”  
   
“What? What is it?”  
   
“Silent.”  
   
Luke shut his mouth and waited impatiently as his father sifted through the information in the holocron. At last he put it down again and looked at Luke silently, his mask giving nothing away and the bond still closed off.  
   
“Well? What was it?”  
   
“There is a legend recorded in it… It speaks of a power I have never encountered before but the effects sound… familiar.”  
   
“What do you mean by that?”, Luke asked frustrated.  
   
“To kill an enemy, multiple enemies even, without leaving a scratch on them… It is similar to what happened on Nal Hutta. The planet itself was heavily damaged but according to records my people brought me, bodies that could be recovered from the nearby moons were unhurt… but dead.”  
   
“So… You think the Emperor has been using this power?”

“No, the Emperor was at Imperial Center at that time and he would never be stupid enough to use this anyway. It is impossible to control. It must’ve been Starkiller who did it but if that’s the case… It’s surprising that he survived it.”  
   
“Maybe… Maybe he’ll see how the Emperor is using him if he made him use such a dangerous power?”, Luke asked hopefully.  
   
“It is not that easy, Luke. The power of the void, it says, is not only highly addictive but also mind-altering. I strongly suspect it was the cause of the disturbance last year and if he’s been using it that long… Then by this point, it will have possessed him completely.”  
   
“But… that is good, isn’t it?”, Luke asked. “It means he didn’t know what he was doing at Nal Hutta. He’s not himself, it’s this… stupid power that’s corrupting him. Isn’t there a way to take it away and bring S.K. back?”  
   
“The holocron mentions a mask that contains the power.”  
   
“And taking away that mask would break the spell?”  
   
“I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe it would kill him. It’s not certain, Luke.”

“But it’s a chance”, he insisted. “If there is a chance, we have to try it.”  
   
Vader nodded. “It is the only clue we have. I will cross reference the legend and see if I can find more information on it.”  
   
Luke smiled happily. It was the first real ray of hope he had to getting his brother back.  
   
XxX  
   
“So let me make sure I understood you correctly”, Leia said and withstood the temptation to tiredly rub her eyes as she gazed down at the blue hologram in front of her. “You found the deserter that Gererra held captive and escaped with him just as the Death Star destroyed Jedha. Then you followed the message the pilot had to Eadu where you rescued Galen Erso but Andor had orders to shoot him and the Rebellion almost killed you all with an ill-timed airstrike.”

Maris looked at her with a deep frown, her blue form shifting slightly. “That’s too many coincidences, isn’t it? If Andor speaks the truth it would explain his weird behavior the entire mission. The Rebellion wants Erso dead. They almost succeeded too, I was just barely able to save him from an explosion by pulling him out of the fray with the Force. He’s the one who sabotaged the Death Star, he can tell us where the plans are kept that we need to destroy it. Our mission was to bring him in front of the Senate as a witness but how can I expect the Rebellion to keep him safe when they’re the ones who wanted to kill him?”  
   
“Not to mention that the Death Star is an Imperial project and bringing Erso in front of the Imperial Senate will just end in his execution”, the princess muttered.  
   
“But surely if the Senate is made aware of what a monstrous weapon the Emperor built, they can do something about it?”  
   
“You don’t understand. With the power of such a weapon, the Emperor can force any planet to do anything he wants. I expect the Senate to be disbanded soon.”  
   
Maris paled at that. The Senate was the only political organ that kept the Emperor somewhat in check. With it gone, what would the galaxy become like?  
   
“Well, then why would we want to hand over Erso to them anyway!?”  
   
“That was Mothma’s idea”, Leia said darkly. “I will take care of it. You were right to come to me, thank you Maris.”  
   
“What are we supposed to do now? Andor disobeyed orders, Erso apparently has a death warrant on his head and Jyn was treated like a criminal the last time we were with the Rebellion.”  
   
“Can’t you hide him with the Jedi?”  
   
“I already asked them. Since we don’t have proof beyond their word that the Ersos are deserters the Masters won’t allow them into the temple and Dantooine too has a Rebel outpost. I wouldn’t put it past them to sneak in and try to kill him.”  
   
“Well, I would know of someone who could help you… But you’re not going to like it.”  
   
“Why’s that?”

“Because he’s a Rogue.”  
   
Maris was silent for several long seconds. “Give me a moment”, she said and vanished from the holopad.  
   
Leia waited patiently until her figure returned.  
   
“None of us fancy having anything to do with the Rogues. The crew agreed to drop Erso, Jyn and me off at the next planet. If your friend could pick us up there, that would help a lot. I will make sure they are safe and then return to Dantooine.”  
   
“Alright, I’ll get in contact with him and call you back in a moment.”  
   
Leia disconnected the receiver and went to sit on her bed. She closed her eyes and started to breathe deeply. Then she reached out through her connection with Luke. It was a couple of months now that said connection had grown stronger again to the point that they could communicate and Luke had explained to her how he was training with his father to improve his control over the Force that had been so lacking after his coma.  
   
Leia was glad because between her rivalry with Mothma, her father trying to shield her from the fight she wanted to take part in and her work in the Senate where she was being watched by Lord Nova, she really needed a friend to confide in.  
   
Leia?, she heard Luke’s voice through their bond, accompanied with a burst of happy and welcoming feelings.  
   
Hello Luke, how are you?  
   
I’m great, thanks. Father and I might have found a clue as to what happened on Nal Hutta.  
   
Really?, she asked, excited. What is it?  
   
Right now it’s just a suspicion. We have to find a way to verify it first.  
   
It seems to be something that makes you very happy.  
   
She could practically feel Luke’s smile.  
   
The only information the Empire released was that it was S.K.’s doing. That he wiped out Nal Hutta… And that would mean whatever he used to do it, it also wiped out the Alliance fleet.  
   
I’m sorry, I knew you had friends there, Leia said.  
   
A pang of sadness went through their bond but Luke shoved it aside.  
   
The new information suggests Nal Hutta might not be S.K.’s fault. Or at least, not completely.  
   
What do you mean by that?  
   
He might be… controlled by something. And if that’s true there’s a chance he never chose to leave us. There’s a chance I can bring him back!  
   
Leia sighed. She hated to burst his little happy bubble, but…  
   
Luke, your brother is dangerous. Really, really dangerous. I’ve spoken to him and I can assure you, he’s not being controlled by anything. He’s just an asshole.  
   
But-  
   
His own wife is afraid of him. It’s the Emperor, he’s got his claws in him. You have to accept… One day, you have to accept that he’s not your brother, not anymore.  
   
You don’t know him as I do Leia, he-  
   
You’re not even related, Luke!  
   
She wanted to scream in frustration. Why didn’t he get it?  
   
Sometimes blood isn’t everything, Luke whispered back. I mean, look at us two. We’re not related either and yet I think of you as my sister.  
   
Leia was surprised. You do?  
   
Well… yes.  
   
But… On Kashyyyk-  
   
Yes, well, that was awkward, Luke replied and she could feel his embarrassment. Don’t take me wrong, you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met but most of our conversations are only ever held in our heads and we’re in different factions of what looks to head straight towards civil war, so… I don’t think there could ever be anything between us. He felt his worry seep through their bond as he asked: Or do you?  
   
Ah… no. You’re a great friend Luke, the greatest. Sometimes I wish there could be more but… I don’t think I could ever feel that way about you.   
   
She felt his relief mirroring hers.  
   
Good. Good, I mean… I’m glad we talked about it.  
   
It could’ve been potentially very embarrassing, if one of us were to…  
   
Luke laughed nervously. Yeah, that would’ve been weird.  
   
Leia prodded at their bond a bit. Is really everything alright?  
   
She was afraid he would only say that to reassure her. If Luke did indeed harbor romantic feelings towards her… Well, that would be flattering but she really couldn’t imagine them in a relationship and she’d hate what it would do to their friendship.  
   
Luke was silent for a moment, then he said very seriously:  
   
I’ve thought about this for a while. I have to think about you every day, I keep wondering what you would say about every little thing I do and I wish so much we wouldn’t be apart. I… I love you, Leia. I used to think it was a romantic love but after Kashyyyk, I realized it wasn’t. I just think it’s unusual that you mean so much to me. When we first met you were a stranger and yet I felt immediately connected to you. I didn’t even build up a bond like that with my brother until I’d spent a lot of time close to him. It feels like more than friendship but it’s not a romantic love either… So that’s why I decided you could be like my sister.  
   
Leia actually had tears in her eyes. Luke’s words spoke right to her heart, as if he’d known exactly what she felt and just put it into words.  
   
Thank you Luke. I would love to be your sister. She couldn’t help but add: Just keep the rest of your family for yourself, alright?  
   
Luke laughed in answer. I don’t know, I think father might like a daughter.  
   
You’re stupid.  
   
Leia suppressed a shudder at the thought of Darth Vader patting her head and calling her ‘daughter’. What a ridiculous thought! 

Anyway, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about, she got back to her original cause for calling him. Have you ever heard of Galen Erso?

Can’t say I have. Who is he?

The head engineer of the Death Star. That’s an Imperial super weapon, a battle station with enough firepower to destroy an entire planet.

I know what the Death Star is.

Leia stiffened. You know of it? She hadn’t learned of its existence until a few days ago herself!

Yes. Father told me about it.

Suddenly Leia felt angry and betrayed. Her emotions leaked through the bond and Luke continued before she could demand to know why she hadn’t been warned:

I couldn’t tell you, I’m sorry, he forbid me from telling anyone.

So what!? What if the Empire drives that thing up to Alderaan?! If you really loved me as a sister, you would’ve warned me!

I didn’t tell you because my father has made plans to ensure it’s never going to be used but for that it’s important nobody knows about it until the right moment.

Is he going to destroy it?, she demanded in a hard voice.

I don’t know. That’s all he told me. Leia, if I believed there was the tiniest danger to you or your planet, of course I would’ve warned you.

It’s not just about me or my planet. There a thousands of worlds out there that the Empire might threaten!

Luke sighed. You’re right. But… I never ask what the Rebellion is up to either, Leia, this can only work if we don’t try to pressure the other for information. That has worked well for us in the past, hasn’t it?

Leia had to concede that point. It had always been an unspoken agreement between them that they wouldn’t misuse the trust of the other by demanding information or favors related to the war. Which, as she realized guilty, what exactly what she was doing now.  
I’m sorry Luke. That wasn’t fair.

It’s alright. Now what is this with the engineer?

Well, the Rebellion wants him dead for obvious reasons but he already intends to leave the Empire. Apparently he’s been held there against his will for a long time.

You want my help in freeing him?

He’s already free, he and his daughter need a place to hide at, she answered.

I think I have an idea. I’ll have to check to make sure but I’m pretty sure I can find a place for them.

Thank you Luke.

Everything for my darling sister.


End file.
